According to verse 8, Judah is to have the preeminence among the tribes of Israel. He is also to be victorious over the world, for his "hand shall be on the neck" of his enemies. What is the significance of this statement? The question is answered in Job 16:12:

"I was at ease, and he brake me asunder;
Yea, he hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces:
He hath also set me up for his mark."

Judah's preeminence and triumph are again set forth under the symbolism of a conquering lion, the king of beasts; hence in verse 9 we read,

"Judah is a lion's whelp;
From the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
He stooped down, he couched as a lion,
And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?"

After having seized and conquered his prey and having eaten to his satisfaction, the lion is here represented as going up out of the valley to the mountain top whereon is his den. In it he lies down to rest. Since he is master of the situation, no one attempts to disturb his peace or to challenge his right of supremacy. Without doubt this passage is a prediction of the time when the tribe of Judah will not only enjoy the preeminence in Israel but will hold unquestioned supremacy over the nations of earth. What in this prediction indicates Judah's world-supremacy? The answer is found in the words: "Thy hands shall be on the neck of thine enemies." Who is included in the expression, "thine enemies"? The nations of earth are the enemies of the Jews. This fact is seen in Moses' prediction which clearly outlined the checkered history of Israel. In Leviticus 26:27-33 appears the forecast of the two major catastrophes in the nation's life, which bring about her expulsion from the Holy Land: the Babylonian siege, which resulted in the seventy years of exile, and the Roman domination, which dispersed Israel among the nations of earth. Following this prediction (vss. 34-39), Moses spoke of the desolate condition of the land of Palestine during the time she is dispersed throughout the world "in the lands of their enemies." This prophecy presupposes a bitter hostility toward Israel on the part of all the nations. But Jacob in vision saw Judah (the tribe) occupying a position of supremacy over all its enemies, and of leadership, authority, and domination over the entire world.

This position has never been attained by the tribe of Judah. Has the Word of God come to naught? Certainly not. The Lord will redeem every word that He has ever spoken; hence we may be certain that this prediction will yet be fulfilled in the future. According to verse 10:

"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh come;
And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be."

In Messiah: His Nature and Person I discussed at length the significance of this promise, showing conclusively, as I believe, that it involved the coming of a personal Messiah from the tribe of Judah while the sceptre--the preeminence and ruling power--remained in that tribe. The verse, quoted above, confers upon Judah political supremacy and leadership among the tribes of Israel and affirms that this royal tribe will still be enjoying this position of influence and power at the appearance of King Messiah. In that treatise I warned against our arriving at the erroneous conclusion, as many have done, that the necessary inference from this passage is that, when the Messiah does make His appearance, the ruling power will depart from Judah. Such an implication is not involved in the prediction; it is a possible inference but not a necessary one. The verse simply affirms that Judah is still holding the balance of power and influence among the tribes of Israel when Messiah appears, without intimating anything as to the turn affairs will take immediately after His advent. Undoubtedly, there is a blending of the prediction of this coming with that of His final conquests when all peoples render filial obedience to Him.

Since we are now nineteen hundred years, approximately speaking, on this side of the catastrophe which brought about the dissolution of the Jewish nation together with the passing away of preeminence and political power from Judah, we can be certain that Messiah, according to this promise, appeared before that national overthrow; otherwise, the prophecy has failed of fulfilment. But since every word found in the Torah is infallibly inspired of God, we may be certain that this one whose right it is to rule did come prior to that national calamity.

In the latter part of verse 10 we are told that, "And unto him (Messiah) shall the obedience of the peoples be." This prediction assures us that the nations of the world will render loving and affectionate obedience to King Messiah. About this question there can be no doubt. This passage seems to present a paradox. The first part of the verse assures us that Messiah appears while the ruling power remains in Judah; the latter half foretells His standing as the ruler of all nations. Evidently, according to the prediction, He appeared before the catastrophe of 70 A.D. and yet to no Jewish prince has one nation, to say nothing of all the Gentiles, rendered loving, filial obedience. What is the reconciliation of these seemingly contradictory predictions? From this context it is impossible for us to say. When, however, we read it in the light of further revelations, the mystery vanishes and the truth becomes apparent.

"Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him" (Deut, 18:15-19)

Who is this prophet? Some expositors have answered that undoubtedly Joshua, who succeeded Moses, was the one before the Lawgiver's mind in this prediction. Is this answer correct? A cursory review of Moses' character and life and a brief glimpse at Joshua's career show conclusively that the latter was in no sense like Moses in any particular; therefore we may dismiss this interpretation. Rabbi Levi ben Gershom understood it as referring to the Messiah:

"In fact the MESSIAH IS SUCH A PROPHET as it is stated in the Midrash on the verse, 'Behold my servant shall prosper. . . .' Moses by the miracles which he wrought drew but a single nation to the worship of God, but the MESSIAH will draw ALL NATIONS to the worship of God."

In my judgment the rabbi is absolutely correct in his interpretation of this wonderful prediction. Having arrived at the conclusion that Messiah is the prophet of whom the great Lawgiver spoke, we may now study Moses as a man and scrutinize his life since they, according to this prediction, foreshadow, in the main, Messiah and His life. Such is the natural import of the promise contained in this oracle.

In order to formulate the proper conception of King Messiah concerning whom this prediction is given, one must study the portrait of Moses as it appears in the Torah.

One has well said that history is nothing but the biography of its great men. The masses, as a rule, do not think things through but leave the solution of the great problems of life to their leaders. Israel was no exception to this fundamental law. Of course, Moses did not think out the system of laws and ordinances which he delivered to the nation. It is true that he was a man of great learning and erudition; the laws and regulations, both religious and political, which he delivered to Israel, he received directly from God by divine revelation. In order to give this divine message to the chosen people in the most forceful manner, the Lord chose the highest type of man as His representative. These statements being true, we may expect to find in Moses the highest expression of life and character of his day. Hence at the outset we shall study his dominant traits.

God is holy and cannot countenance sin and its presence. From the fact that Moses was privileged to go up into the mountain at Sinai and converse with God face to face, one may conclude that he was indeed pure in heart. Man on account of his sinful nature cannot approach God except through a mediator. From the heights of Sinai (Ex. 19:20) God spoke the Ten Words to Israel. The people were thrown into consternation by the outward manifestation of the Divine Presence: the terrifying voice of the Almighty, the earthquake, the thunders, the lightnings, and the appearance as it were of a furnace upon the mountain top reaching to heaven. Hence they pled with Moses that he go forth as a mediator and converse with God and then communicate the message to them. Yielding to this entreaty, Moses went forward into the thick darkness and talked with the Lord. "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" (Ex. 20:21). While in the presence of God, Moses received the revelation contained in the "Book of the Covenant" (Ex. 21-23). Upon his returning to the people, he wrote the message in a book and conducted a consecration service (Ex. 24:1-9). During the ceremonies he dedicated the altar, the book, and the people by the sprinkling of the blood of the offering. Thus was ratified Israel's constitution: the ten commandments (Ex. 20:1-18; Deut. 5:6-21) and the book of the covenant (Ex. 21-23). After this service, Moses and the elders of Israel went up to a high place upon the mountain. There they remained, but he at the invitation of God ascended to the heights above in the very midst of the cloud where was the presence of God and received the tables of stone on which the ten commandments were written. Moses enjoyed such close communion with God as no other individual was ever privileged to experience.

"And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all my house: with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of Jehovah shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?" (Num. 12:6-8).

Neither Aaron nor his successors were granted such wonderful privileges. Even they, when they entered into the tabernacle or temple, had to screen themselves behind the blood of the annual sacrifice. All of these facts show that Moses was doubtless purest in heart of all individuals then living; otherwise, he never could have enjoyed such close fellowship and communion with God. This fact, however, let us not forget, does not argue that he did not need redemption, for such is contrary to facts.

"Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3). One of the finest examples of meekness is Moses. When Miriam and Aaron rose up against him, he showed no evidence of retaliation or effort to defend his rights and authority. His attitude was the same toward them personally as it had always been. There did not appear the slightest intimation of resentment. When Miriam was smitten with leprosy, immediately Moses made intercession for her, and she was healed. Meekness might be called humility in action under great stress. Throughout his entire ministry he exemplified this outstanding characteristic.

Moses was indeed a true servant of God. Upon all occasions he was willing to accept the will of God and to carry it out, not only in the letter but also in the spirit. He subjected his will to that of God's. From his life it is evident that he considered obedience better than sacrifice.

The surrender of the will and an intense desire to obey instructions implicitly and in the spirit in which they are given always characterizes the true servant of God. Submission to the will of God found its expression in a very high degree throughout the entire life of Moses.

To this general statement there is but one recorded exception, which is found in Numbers 20. On that occasion, being aggravated and harassed by the rebellious disobedience of the multitude, Moses lost his temper and smote the rock instead of speaking to it as he had been commanded to do (Num. 20:10-13; Psa. 106:32,33). For this one act of disobedience, he was denied the privilege of entering Canaan.

Moses was a man of courage. At the same time he had convictions. His courage was always equal to his ideals. His standards of right and propriety rested upon well-attested facts: a consciousness of the existence and presence of God and the miraculous signs communicated to and through him. Knowing that his feet were resting on a firm, unshakable foundation, he had the courage to stand regardless of opposition. Persuasion, or influence from others, never swerved him from the path of duty. He stands in beautiful contrast with his brother Aaron. Under pressure from the people, the latter yielded to their insistence upon making the golden calf, which fact was contrary to the will of God. Moses knew that such was disobedience to his Lord. Alone he contended for the right and conquered. By his courageous stand, idolatry at Sinai was nipped in the bud. His life was characterized, therefore, by both moral and physical courage.

Although he manifested the finer qualities of gentleness, meekness, and patience, he always maintained an unyielding attitude toward wrong in any form, even in his closest friends and relatives. This characteristic enabled him to deal drastically with sin wherever found. Without this uncompromising attitude no man can be a good leader. Very rarely do we see so many virtues exemplified in any one man as in Israel's great lawgiver.

In this little survey I have called attention only to some of the dominant traits of character which made Moses a leader of men. Doubtless, on account of his possessing these qualities, the Lord chose him to be the great founder of the Hebrew nation.

Since Moses informed Israel that God would raise up from among them a prophet like himself to whom they would have to render implicit obedience, it is necessary for us to study not only his outstanding characteristics but also his official positions. As the type foreshadows the antitype, thus Moses prefigured the Messiah. From the Scriptures we glean that there were seven special functions or official positions held by Moses.

In the passage which we are now studying Moses recognized that he was a prophet raised up of God; hence he said that the Lord later would raise them up a prophet like himself. In the conclusion of Deuteronomy the Lord said, "And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face . . ." (Deut. 34:10).

As a prophet Moses taught the people the will of God. He was in touch with the Almighty who made his revelations known to him, and, in turn, he conveyed the divine disclosures to the people. A prophet is one who speaks for God. The subject matter of the message is not involved in the word "prophet." He may discuss things in the past, the present, or the future. All of God's spokesmen, regardless of whether or not they were speaking of things past, present, or future, always gave the divine interpretation of events as they affected Israel. They had special insight into human affairs and relations and gave us the true interpretation of life.

As the spokesman of the Almighty, Moses was careful to proclaim only what the Lord revealed to him. Teaching--sane, sound, and logical--is the foundation of all true conduct; hence all the prophets of God taught the people. Moses was preeminently a teacher in the generally accepted meaning of that term. Being a prophet, he was also a Judge in Israel. All civil cases were brought to him at first. As the life of the nation became more complicated, there arose a need for lower courts to decide the less important matters.

The Lord had providentially led Israel down into Egypt where she developed into a nation. According to Genesis 15:13,14, in the fourth generation He would bring her forth. The Lord always times everything and has His man, His chosen one, on the scene at the time for action. At the psychological moment He appeared to Moses and gave him his commission to deliver Israel:

"Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt" (Ex. 3:10). With his commission to deliver Israel, the Lord gave him supernatural power to accomplish this herculean task. The difficulties in the way were, humanly speaking, insuperable. His first task was to convince his brethren that he had been commanded of the Lord to deliver them out of their servile bondage. To overcome a natural prejudice is a most difficult task. When he wrought the miracles commanded, however, the elders of Israel accepted his leadership.

The second obstacle to be removed was convincing Pharaoh of his divine commission and to bring him to the point where he would release the people. Hence Moses appeared before Pharaoh, proving his authority by supernatural demonstrations. Satan was on the job and worked in and through the magicians of Egypt in order to counteract the force of the miracles performed by Moses. They were able, however, to work the first three signs only: the sign of the rod, turning water into blood, and the plague of frogs. When they attempted to duplicate the scourge of lice, they were unable; hence they made the confession, "This is the finger of God." Whenever God works, Satan also does so, but he is limited and can go only so far as the Lord permits.

Though it was very evident that the power by which Moses wrought his miracles was that of the God of the universe, Pharaoh's unwilling heart caused him to reject the message and to close his eyes against light and evidence. The natural result of this attitude is that of blindness. When one ceases to use any member of his body for a period of time, it loses its strength. For instance, there is such a thing in the psychological realm as "willful deafness." One can will to be inattentive and to restrain the normal functioning of his hearing until he reaches the point where he actually loses, partially or entirely, this God-given faculty. The same principle obtains in the spiritual realm. When the Lord brings light and knowledge to one and he deliberately refuses to see and to accept it, his failure to use these divinely conferred powers brings about a deterioration and loss, more or less, of the ability to see, appreciate, and comprehend spiritual truth and phenomena. The disuse therefore of any faculty, physical, psychological, or spiritual, brings about the atrophication of that power. In the spiritual realm the Lord speaks of this as "the hardening of the heart."

Pharaoh inhibited his powers of spiritual perception when Moses presented the evidence to him; hence his ability to understand truth and facts decreased in proportion with the light he rejected. Not until Moses had brought the ten plagues upon Egypt could Pharaoh be persuaded to release the Hebrew people.


Footnote:

*"Emerson's remark, that inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, is true in a double sense. For not only is it harmful to fear to change an opinion which we have entertained, it is even harmful at times to fear to hold simultaneously two opinions incongruous with one another. If a thought springs up in your mind, and you come to see after a time that it is inconsistent with another thought, do not immediately try to throw out one or the other. Instead, think the new thought out in all its bearings and implications, just as if you had never had the first. Perhaps follow the same practice with the first idea. By and by one will reveal its falsity and the other its truth. Or more likely you will find that there was some truth in each idea, and you will reconcile the two in a truth higher, deeper, or more comprehensive."--From Thinking As a Science, by Henry Hazlitt.

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