SHILOH Part1

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people" Genesis 49:10

Jacob is one-hundred and forty-seven years old now. He has fathered the twelve men who would themselves father the twelve tribes of Israel. God had placed His love upon him and Jacob was priviledged to have had the Almighty tell him, "in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

Now, old and full of days, Jacob is about to die. He has gathered his twelve sons before him that he might tell them what would befall them and their offspring in the latter days. God the Holy Spirit was with him as he spoke.

Now, it was time to address Judah and his descendants. The gracious words that were to proceed out of Jacob's mouth are among the earliest prophecies in scripture of That coming One. What was to come out of Jacob's mouth served to ignite the hopes and desires of many in the thousands of years to come. From that time forward the Jewish people would be looking for the coming of a great King. Evidence of this was seen when Jesus told His disciples: "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it".

Yes, people at the time of Jesus' birth, centuries after Jacob had uttered that wonderful prophecy - those like Anna the prophetess and Simeon, and all those many others who looked for redemption in Jerusalem, these all were in anticipation of the fulfillment; and they had joined those in the centuries before them, like King David, Isaiah and Micah, and yes, all the prophets who looked forward to the coming Anointed One.

This amazing prophecy speaks of One to Whom the scepter belongs. It speaks of a Lawgiver to Whom belongs the obedience of the people. And The Holy Spirit through Jacob gives this coming One a name that would define His ministry; would define God's desire for way-ward mankind...

Here, He is called "Shiloh".

Shiloh. The very definition of that name can be found throughout scripture...
"And His name shall be called...Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end...Is. 9:6-7.

Elsewhere, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men!" Luke 2:14.

Through this One called Shiloh, God reaches out to a race that has become hostile toward Him. In love God calls out to humanity and shows them THE way of salvation...of reconciliation...the Way of peace with Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God". II Cor 5:20.

Jesus is "Shiloh". He is the only way to the Father. He bore God the Father's wrath for our sins so that we can have peace with God, without fear of His wrath.

Jesus is MY peace. I trust in Him as my ONLY hope of salvation. I have peace with God through Him.

Dear reader, do you know Him? Do you know That Only One through Whom we can have peace with God. I call out to you if you do not Know Him. Come to Him Who alone bore the wrath of God for sins. Take your refuge in Him from the coming wrath upon this earth. Look to Jesus alone for your salvation. You cannot save yourselves no matter how good you think you are. Flee to Christ! Believe that He is your only hope of peace with God. Your works and your belief in other gods will only lead you to experience God's coming wrath. Look to Jesus!