In this lesson we will continue to look at Jacob’s prophecies with blessing for his twelve sons.
In Genesis 49:16 Jacob prophesied, “Dan will judge his people, / As one of the tribes of Israel.” This indicates that Jacob was concerned that Dan would be cut off. According to the Mosaic law, anyone who set up or worshipped an idol had to be cut off from the people (Deut. 13:5-18). After the Israelites entered the good land, the tribe of Dan brought in an idol among the twelve tribes. Thus, Dan should have been terminated as a tribe. However, Jacob, not wanting to see one of his sons cut off, blessed him prophetically out of a loving heart, saying that Dan would still be a tribe judging his people. This word was particularly fulfilled in Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan (Judg. 13:2, 24; 15:20).
Jacob said that Dan would judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word translated “tribe” first has the meaning of “branch,” then “stick, staff, and scepter.” A scepter signifies authority. Therefore, the word tribe actually means “scepter.” Every tribe has a scepter, an authority. The twelve tribes were twelve scepters, twelve powers, twelve authorities. During the time of Samson, the tribe of Dan certainly became a scepter. With Samson the tribe of Dan was a power, a real authority. This was the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophetic blessing concerning Dan in Genesis 49:16. Jacob’s word meant not only that Dan would remain as a tribe but also that Dan would be a scepter, an authority. This prophecy has been fulfilled.
In verse 17 Jacob continued, “Dan will be a serpent in the way, / A viper on the path, / That bites the horse’s heels, / So that his rider falls backward.” The serpent in this verse is worse than the serpent in Genesis 3, because it is a viper. Dan eventually became a serpent, even a viper, because the tribe of Dan set up another center of worship. After the tribe of Dan obtained the city of Dan in Judges 18, an idol made by Micah was set up in it (17:4-5; 18:17, 27, 30-31). At that time God’s tabernacle was in Shiloh, but in the city of Dan there was an idol. The tribe of Dan not only set up a divisive center of worship in the good land but also appointed and hired their own priests (v. 30; 1 Kings 12:29-31). This made Dan one with Satan in bringing in stumbling blocks to frustrate God’s people. Therefore, Jacob prophesied that Dan “bites the horse’s heels, / So that his rider falls backward.”
In chapters 2 through 9 of 1 Chronicles the tribe of Dan was omitted in the record of the holy people of God. Dan’s name is mentioned in 2:2 but in the following record his tribe was omitted. Furthermore, the tribe of Dan is also not mentioned in the record in Revelation 7. The tribe of Dan did not perish. Dan’s name was omitted in the record in 1 Chronicles and Revelation because he fell and became one with God’s enemy, becoming a viper and bringing in a stumbling block to God’s people. Notwithstanding, Dan will still be a tribe in the millennium because of his father’s blessing (Ezek. 48:1). This prophecy is certainly a picture of God’s mercy.
Because of the failure of Dan, Jacob prophesied in Genesis 49:19, saying, “Gad, raiders will raid him, / But he will raid at their heel.” With Dan there is defeat, but with Gad victory is brought back. Dan ends with failure, but Gad, who will raid at the heel of the raiders, comes in with the recovered victory.