Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3296
“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise.” Genesis 49:8.
THESE words were spoken by the Patriarch Jacob when he blessed his sons as he lay a-dying. But before he finished Judah’s blessing, the good old man seemed to forget his son and to turn his thoughts to Jesus, our Lord, of whom Judah was a very significant type. Jacob compared Judah to a lion and a lion’s whelp—and in the Revelation we read that one of the elders said to John, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loosen the seven seals thereof.” In the 10th verse of this Chapter we have Jacob’s notable prophecy concerning the coming of Christ, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.”
I intend only to speak about Judah so far as he is a type of Christ, and I trust that I shall, by the Holy Spirit’s gracious guidance, move all the brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ to praise Him, so that I shall be able to reverently say to Him, “Jesus, You are He whom Your brothers shall praise.” So I shall speak, first, concerning the praise of Judah and the praise of Jesus. And then, secondly, concerning the glories of Judah as setting forth the glories of Jesus.
I. First, then, let us think about THE PRAISE OF JUDAH AND THE PRAISE OF JESUS.
Jacob said to Judah, “You are he who your brothers shall praise.” Judah was preeminent above his brethren in several things for which he deserved to be praised. The first was the eloquence and prevalence of his intercession. Judah seems to have been the gifted one out of the 12 sons of Jacob, and his pleading prevailed with his father when all others were powerless. When “the lord of the land” of Egypt, whom his brothers failed to recognize although he knew them, said to them, “You shall not see my face, except your brother be with you,” they went back home with heavy hearts and their father stoutly refused to allow Benjamin to go down into Egypt. But when all their corn was eaten up, and they were obliged to go again to buy more, it was Judah who persuaded Jacob to let Benjamin go with them. Reuben and Levi were obliged to be silent in that critical period, for they had lost their rightful position in the family by their transgressions, and Simeon was a hostage in the hands of Joseph—but Judah was able to step into the breach and his intercession prevailed.
We, Brothers and Sisters, are by nature like those sinful sons of Jacob. We have offended our Father who is in Heaven, and it is in vain for us to attempt to approach Him as sinners without an intercessor. But our Judah-Jesus, if I may so call Him, stands before His Father’s face—and whatever our desire or our request may be, provided it is a right one—it is sure to be granted when Jesus pleads for us before the Throne of God! “If any man sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous.” Turn your eyes upward, Beloved, and see our Great High Priest appearing there in the Presence of God for us! And as He points to the print of the nails in His hands and feet, and to the scar of the soldier’s spear in His side, and pleads our cause, be certain that His plea must prevail with His Father! Remember the argument of the Apostle when writing concerning the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ, “this Man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He always lives to make intercession for them.” If Judah was praised because his intercession prevailed with Jacob, much more shall Jesus be praised because His intercession prevails with Jehovah! Clap your hands, O you saints, at the remembrance of His prevalence on your behalf when you sought Him out of the depths of your despair! And praise Him that He still lives to carry on His people’s cause above! Have you any burden on your mind at this moment? Is there anything that
distresses you? Have you been much in prayer without getting answers to your supplications? Then put your case into the hands of Christ—He has never lost a suit yet—and that is more than the best of earthly advocates can say about the cases entrusted to them! Therefore praise Him, you who have committed yourselves into His hands! And as for you who are going to do so now, begin to praise Him, for your most sanguine anticipations of blessing shall not be disappointed!
That was a wonderful scene when Joseph said that Benjamin should not go back with his brothers, but should remain in Egypt as his servant because the silver cup had been found in his sack, and Judah pleaded with Joseph, not knowing that “the lord of the land” was his own brother! You remember how he pictured their old father at home, who would certainly die of a broken heart if Benjamin did not return to him in safety and how, at last, he offered to be a bondman to Joseph if he would but let Benjamin go free. You see, he pleaded for substitution, and he also told Joseph how he became surety for the lad unto his father—and his plea was so effectual that Joseph could refrain himself no longer, but bursting into tears declared that he was their long-lost brother! So, dear Friends, if the great Lord of Heaven and earth seems angry with you because of your sins—“and He is angry with the wicked every day”—put your case into the hands of the sinners’ Advocate, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and when He stands up to plead with His Father for you, He will soon bring a smile of forgiveness upon the righteously severe Countenance of His Father and you shall gladly say, “Jesus, You are He whom Your brethren shall praise because of Your almighty power in pleading for them.”