ISSUE BULLETIN OF THE OLSEN “until he comes to whom it belongs” (NIV). Does PARK CHURCH this mean that when this one comes, such authority will OF CHRIST pass away? No, “to Him shall be the obedience of the 18.38 Faithful Sayings people.” The and the both under- September 18, stood the Hebrew word here amyim—“people” to ex- 2016 press the sense of “nations” (i.e. more than just Israel). If this interpretation Who would descend from , be both a King and a is correct, what would Lawgiver, to whom the right of royal authority“belongs,” Services it tell us about ’s and to whom would be “the obedience of the nations” Sunday: 9:00 AM 10:00 AM blessing? Jacob prophe- (NIV)? Hundreds of years before His birth Jacob prophe- 11:00 AM sied a King from the line sied the coming of Christ, of the , King, Wednesday: 7:00 PM of Judah, before a king Lawgiver, and , “He to whom (the right to rule the was even imagined in nations) belongs.” “Until Shiloh Comes” Israel. Jacob prophesied ______Elders: By Kyle Pope Pat Ledbetter a Lawgiver from Judah, * Victor P. Hamilton, “Shiloh” Theological Wordbook of the Old Testa- Jeff Nunn before written law was ment, Vol. 2, eds. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. fore Jacob died, Genesis forty-nine records that he revealed, using a title Deacons: Waltke. Chicago: Moody Press, 919. Bblessed each of his sons. The blessing of a patriarch Scripture applies to the Steve Dixon was more than just hoping that his children’s lives would be Divine “Lawgiver.” Fi- Ryan Ferguson blessed, it was a prophetic declaration of what would happen j Arend Gressley nally, he prophesies that to them and their posterity. Within the blessing to Judah he de- this authority will stand Ben Hight Blake McAlister clared, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law- Brady McAlister giver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him 4700 Andrews Ave. shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49:10, NKJV). Amarillo TX 79106 Walker McAnear Sam Nunn Several things are striking about this declaration. Faithful Sayings Issue 18.38 September 18, 2016 806-352-2809 Lance Purcell www.olsenpark.com Rusty Scott The Scepter Justin Smiley A scepter was a rod or staff which today as in ancient times Trevor Yontz represents royal authority. A king holds the scepter as a sign of his right to command. In the book of Esther, King Ahasuerus Welcome Visitors Evangelist: held out his golden scepter to her saving her life when she Kyle Pope We are so glad that you joined us today. came unsummoned into his presence (Esther 4:11; 5:2). When Please come again. Amos prophesied doom to Syria and the Philistines he rebuked the leaders of both addressing them as the “one who holds the Let us know if you have any questions. scepter” (Amos 1:5-8). Yet, Jacob’s words come long before a king would rise in Israel. And even then, the first king would Faithful Sayings Issue 18.38 September 18, 2016

come from the tribe of This “man after God’s own heart” was , the son of Shiloh Benjamin—Saul, the Jesse—of the tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Shiloh was a city in the Israel- son of Kish (1 Samuel ite territory of Ephraim where the Jacob’s words pointed to David’s reign, but that wasn’t 9:1-10:1). This is no mis- tabernacle stood from the time of where they ended. He declared,’“the scepter shall not DE- statement, however. The Joshua (Joshua 18:1) through the PART from Judah” (emphasis mine). David began a royal Lord revealed to Jacob time of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:24). line, which Jacob foretold would continue. Yet, one from centuries before it hap- However, it is unclear if the city Judah would not simply bear the “scepter” but would also pened, that God would set bore this name as far back as the be… a king over Israel. After time of Jacob. There is no mention Saul sinned, he would be A Lawgiver of it in Genesis. If this refers to the Site of Ancient Shiloh “now your king- told, This is even more striking because Jacob’s words city, some would argue that Jacob dom shall not continue. come before any recorded written law had been given. The foreshadows Judah, through the rise of David “com- timony of ancient versions” The LORD has sought “Lawgiver” of Israel would be the Levite, drawn out of ing to Shiloh.” The problem with this is that Jacob including the Septuagint for Himself a man after the Nile— (Exodus 2:1-10). Of him, Israel would describes authority not departing from Judah “UN- and the Hebrew Targums.* His own heart, and the declare,—“Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage TIL Shiloh comes” (emphasis mine). It would not This may parallel the LORD has commanded of the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). Yet, be until the time of David that royal authority would wording of Ezekiel 21:27. him to be commander the Psalms twice would echo Jacob’s blessing—“Judah come to Judah. Through David and his son Solomon In this text, God rebukes over His people, because is My Lawgiver” (Psalm 60:7; 109:8). Isaiah would rec- Jerusalem (not Shiloh) would become the place of the”“wicked prince of Is- you have not kept what ognize that the true source of Divine Law was not, Mo- worship (2 Samuel 7:5-13). In other words, royal rael, whose day has come” the LORD commanded ses—instead,—“the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our authority doesn’t start for Judah until after David (21:25). After promising you” (1 Samuel 13:14). Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save comes to Shiloh. that the king of Babylon would come to punish him us” (Isaiah 33:22). When did a “Lawgiver” Then what (or who) is the Shiloh of Jacob’s (21:18-24), the Lord de- come from Judah? Does this speak merely of the blessing? The Hebrew word shylho found here may clares of his power, “Over- administrative laws of Davidic kings? Or, does be a contracted form of shello, a compound of sh- thrown, overthrown, I Jacob foreshadow the coming of a Divine Law- the relative pronoun “whom,” with -l the preposition will make it overthrown! giver, descended from Judah? “to,” and -o the third person singular pronominal suf- It shall be no longer, un- fix “he.” Altogether, that would mean, “he to whom One might argue that the term “Lawgiver” is just til He comes whose right it belongs.” If this is correct, although it would con- another way of describing royal authority parallel to it is, and I will give it to stitute an unusual and unique construction, Hamilton the first term—“Scepter.” But Jacob claims that nei- Him.” ther will depart from Judah “until” the coming of… tells us it is supported by “the almost unanimous tes-

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