Everyone loves a good origin story. We especially love those origin stories when someone who seems quite ordinary turns out to have some sort of prophetic element in their past or some connection to royalty.

When that person who all along was just ‘jogging it out’ turns out to be someone significant. And we thought he was the guy just knocking bits of timber together… nope, he’s the man for the hour.

Welcome to The Bible.

Yesterday I explored how there was a promise in Genesis of a baby boy who would rescue humanity. This was the first piece of the Christmas puzzle. The second one today also comes from Genesis and has a kingly element to it.

Puzzle Piece 2: The line of Judah

Now most people would have heard of Adam and Eve. Lesser known might be the twelve tribes of Israel who were kicked off by the twelve sons of Israel aka Jacob.

The twelve sons are the forefathers of the Jewish nation.

One of them was Joseph, as in the one gifted with both a fancy coat and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in his honour. He’s the reason why the Jews ended up in Egypt.

Or rather, his brothers were. And one of them was named Judah.

When Daddy Jacob was on his deathbed and handing out his blessings, he said this to his son, Judah:

“The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His.” 

Now I’ll be the first to say that this verse isn’t super clear on the clues front. However, it does indicate a few things.

First, that the line of Judah is one that will rule.

There is a sceptre and a ruler’s staff listed to make this point. Also, if you know your Old Testament you’ll know that despite the first king of Israel, Saul being a Benjamite (from Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob’s son), he was rejected and the line of Judah instituted instead as the ongoing line of Kings.

So the prophecy was not lying. There was just a little side-step before it got there.

Second, there is one to whom the sceptre ultimately belongs.

There is one that Jacob has foretold who will be the true king. And it will be known that he is the true king because he will be given global obedience.

This puzzle piece links with the first puzzle piece because they promise someone who is coming in the future who has a significant role and is endowed with a significant claim to something that is rightfully his.

It is likely that they may be one in the same person.

So who are we to expect at Christmas? A baby boy. A rescuer. And a king who commands allegiance.

But is it really all referring to that time of history that we now call the first Christmas?

More on that tomorrow.

Yours digging deeper,

Alison