THESE verses contain the final words of Jacob to his next two sons, Simeon and Levi. These were both sons born to Jacob by Leah, and next eldest after Reuben. These words are very strong, and can hardly be called a blessing. In them Jacob expresses his extreme unhappiness concerning their character, which expressed itself in the action and behaviour recorded in Genesis 34.

At this time Jacob was living in the land in which the Canaanites and Perizzites lived. He and his family and possessions were living here under the allowance of these two peoples. Leah brought forth a daughter called Dinah, who went out to visit the women of the land. In this she came under the attraction of the son of the ruler of Hamor the ruler of the Hivites, whose name was Hamor. We are distinctly told in verse 2 of this chapter that this man raped Dinah. However he also fell in love with her and wanted her for his wife. Simeon and Levi had heard an account of the rape of their sister, and it is plain that they desired to revenge themselves of this dishonour done to their family and their sister

In the actions that followed we have illustrated the character of these two sons recorded by Jacob in verse 5 of Genesis 49. Jacob declares that their swords were weapons of violence. The Hebrew of this sentence is apparently difficult to translate, but the meaning expressed in the words of Jacob suggest that they kept swords, which were not simply for defence, but an expression of the fighting spirit within them, which delighted in violence.

The action that these two sons engaged in, no doubt was justified by seeking to defend the honour of their sister, and their family, because of the dishonour to their sister by the rape of Shechem. the son of Hamor. When we read the history recorded in Genesis 34 we may well feel horror at the behaviour of Simeon and Levi. When Hamor sought to obtain Jacob's approval of the marriage of Dinah to his son, they engaged in deception to allow them to avenge their daughter. They demanded that the males of the Hivites should all be circumcised which they pleaded as necessary for any union in marriage between them and Jacob's family, and when all the males were recovering from this surgery, and were off their guard and weak, Simeon and Levi came and committed horrible murder and the theft of all the property of the Hivites. They killed all the males, and captured all their women and livestock and wealth for themselves. Jacob's horror at their action is expressed in Genesis 34: 30.

Jacob's last words to these two sons has this terrible incident in mind, but Jacob seems to declare that this was an expression of their violent character, which characterised their lives.

Verse 6 of Genesis 49 expresses how greatly Jacob dissociated himself from their action concerning their savagery towards the Hivites, but suggests that they never felt any repentance or shame for their violence then, and they retained this character disposition through their lives.

In verse 7 Jacob pronounces a curse on their anger and pronounces their fury as cruel and over the top, and hardly justified. And his last words are far from a blessing, but seems to be a declaration of future action that would effect the life of their two clans. Although Simeon received for his tribe an inheritance in the promised land, after this his tribe seems to fade into insignificance. With regard to Levi, his tribe never possessed any partition in the promised land because of their role as the priests in Israel, taking care of the religious life of the nation, and ordering the worship under the direction of God, for the people to remain in the favour and acceptance with God. In this role the tribe of Levi held an important place in the life of Israel, but remained as servants of the nation under God.

What can we say in response to this prophetic utterance of Jacob concerning Simeon and Levi? Undoubtedly Jacob was speaking words that came from God and not only his own reaction towards his sons. It is clear that these words, far from being a blessing which these two men would expect, expressed impact for their future which was both serious and terrible, and has relevance for us today.

Again we see how sinful actions actions may well have temporal lasting consequences, even if there is eternal forgiveness and new life through Christ. It is important for all believers to observe and take note of such Scripture as these prophetic utterances here in Genesis 49, and sermons to be preached on them. It can be two easy to say there is free forgiveness in Christ, which of course there is, on sincere repentance, without realising that the consequences in time in this life may have to be endured while this life lasts.