Genesis 49:10 reads, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
The tribe of Judah was blessed with royal power and grew to great strength and outnumbered all other tribes. It was the tribe of Judah that led all other tribes through the wilderness. The Messiah would come from this prosperous tribe along with King David and Solomon.
Application
The blessing of Perez is that God will allow you to breakthrough every barrier to fulfill His purpose and His will for your life. Even if things are not currently working out the way you had hoped, God is still anointing you and clearing a path for your life.
Psalm 42:8 reads, ”Yet the Lord will command his loving–kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayers unto the God of my life.”
Psalm 43:3 reads, ”O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”
Psalm 78:14 reads, “In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.”
Christians are anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit actually permeates a person’s soul and begins a lifelong communion that provides direction and confidence. This anointment by the Holy Spirit also gives the Christian the joy in knowing God is with them each step they take. No barrier can stand against God. No matter the situation, a Christian can take comfort in God’s promise that He will always be there for them. A Christian will respond to this divine promise with endless rejoicing, prayers praising His name, and giving thanks for all of His blessings.
Philippians 4:6-7 reads, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 115: 5 reads, “They have mouths, but they speak not, eyes have they, but they see not:”
The anointment of the Holy Spirit also gives a person’s heart a fuller vision, an appreciation of God’s grace and the gift of His Son, His many blessings, the gift of life, the love for obeying God’s commands, and the importance of following His direction. The importance of each Christian’s life cannot be under estimated.
Hezron and wife unknown
(Approx. 1593–1503 BC)
This is a time period when the population of the Israelites was growing rapidly and a number of Patriarchs were dying. Levi was believed to have lived 137 years and died in about 1590 BC. Levi was Jacob’s third son that later became the Levi tribe of Priests. In about 1571 BC Moses was born; found by the Pharaoh’s daughter, and began his life in Egypt. Moses in about 1531 BC killed an Egyptian guard and fled Egypt.
Gen 46:12 reads, “And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelh, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.”
Ruth 4:18 reads, “Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron.”
Moses fled to the land of Midian and marries Zipporah the daughter of a local priest and land owner. Moses became a shepherd for his father-in-law and spends many years wandering in the desert.
Application
It is believed that Hezron (son of Perez) was appointed by Moses under God’s direction as Prince of the tribe of Judah. It is also believed that Hezron was the leader of the tribe of Judah during the time when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and died in the wilderness.
Hezron was chosen by God to be the leader of the tribe of Judah just as his father Perez and his grandfather Judah were chosen by God to be leaders. God’s plan included these men as well as many others to unfold God’s plan and the bloodline for the Messiah. These men were chosen by God and not self-appointed or planned to be leaders.
Moses was the meekest man on earth and felt he would never possess the qualities needed to be a leader. Yet, God molded him into one of the greatest leaders of all times.
Numbers 12:3 reads, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
God found Moses in the wilderness herding his father-in-law’s sheep. When God spoke to Moses he had a number of reasons or excuses why he should not be used to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God did listen to Moses’ concerns and allowed his brother Aaron to travel with him and provide support.
Meekness is a basic requirement that God demands from all His leaders. No leader chosen by God will take pride in his abilities to lead God’s people. Leaders chosen by God realize that God is in control in all situations and at all times.
1 Samuel 16:7 reads, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance or the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
It is believed that Hezron was the leader of the tribe of Judah during the time that Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt. Leading an estimated 600,000 people and their families would have been an extremely difficult task. God would have chosen Hezron for his management skills, his ability to work with and take direction from Moses, and his relationship with God. Hezron understood he needed to take direction from Moses and to serve him as God’s representative.
1 Peter 5:5-6 reads, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
A good leader seeks God’s direction first and lets God establish the direction and the steps to be taken. The purpose and manner in which this task should be completed should be committed to pleasing God. A life committed in the service to God will be a life lived in reverence and in respect for God and His commandments. The fear of God and a willing spirit is a requirement that must be met first each day.
A life that is involved in serving God is a life that involves sacrifice. God established the model for the Christian’s life when He sacrificed His only Son for all of man’s sins. A Christian is a servant locked in the battle for the souls of mankind.
Luke 17:10 reads, “So likewise, ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.”
Following God’s commands is the minimum requirement for a faithful servant. Unfortunately, the minimum requirement to be a servant of God is not being met by many. To make matters worse, many churches and seminaries today are not following God’s commands and in some cases are distorting God’s word to meet cultural pressures.
Ram and wife unknown
(Approx. 1587–1450 BC)
There is not a great deal written about Ram other than the fact he was from the tribe of Judah and in the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The ten plagues were believed to have occurred starting in about 1463 BC and ending with the exodus in 1462 BC. The Passover occurred a day prior to the exodus.
Chronicles 2:9 reads, “The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him: Jerahmeel and Ram, and Chelubai.”
Ram was born in Egypt after Jacob migrated the twelve tribes to Goshen (the Nile delta). Ram is only mentioned in a few verses and is referred to be a part of the family lineage of Jesus.
It is also believed that Ram was alive during the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt. He would have