Genesis 49:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Genesis 49:11

Comments

Who would bind a foal to a precious vine or an ass’s colt to a choice vine? Only those who have such plenty that they can afford to lose some in this way. It is poetry, a picture of prosperity. The harvests will be so rich – the grape harvest and all the other harvests – that you can even tie your donkey to the vines. You wouldn't dream of doing that in more difficult times and have the vine crop gobbled up by the donkey, but in times of prosperity who cares? It is a time of such blessing from God that garments are washed in wine, and clothes in the blood – the juice – of grapes. Leupold understands this to mean that so plentiful will be the grape harvest that those who tread the grapes and come out of the wine presses will look as if they have washed their clothes in the juice. It was so for so many periods in the history of Israel. There was such prosperity and you are compelled to ask, then why did they stop praying? Why did they turn to idols, and why would they be jealous of the pagans around them, the Canaanites, and adopt their idols? It doesn't make any sense, when they were not only promised great prosperity, but for many periods of their history, they had it and they proved it.

Application

We apply that to ourselves don’t we? We have the promises too that God will bless us, not necessarily with material prosperity, but with spiritual prosperity. As Christian people we have everything we could wish. You could go to a very deprived place in the world. You could go to a mountain region in a remote country; you could go among scattered persecuted Christians in Muslim lands; you could go to places where there is poverty and need, but if they are people of God, and if there are believing homes, they have got the word of God, and they have got the truth. You will find young people and old people with a deep knowledge of Scripture and doctrine, who love the Lord and are close to him, and they have forgiveness and they have heaven. They have spiritual blessings, and assurance and peace. They have the faculty of prayer. They have prosperity and riches in spiritual things. Christians in all circumstances of material wealth or poverty are rich. Why should we ever turn to the world? Why should we ever get ourselves hooked unduly on the television? Why should we be going out and needing secular entertainment and the theatre and the cinema? Why did Israel with such prophecies and such evidence of the reality of these things, ever stop praying and turn to idols? But we ask the question of ourselves also.

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Genesis 49:11 Commentary and Bible Study