Why, in Genesis 49:10, was it predicted that the scepter would remain in Judah, but God was unwilling to grant the Israelites their request for a king?
Rejecting God
God replies, “They have rejected me from being king over them,” in response to the Israelites’ request for a monarch (1 Samuel 8:7). Their sin sprang from that. A king “like all the nations” was what they desired (1 Samuel 8:5). However, this was not God’s intention for Israel to become “like all the nations”! They were directly dominated by God, who was also their monarch. Samuel, the prophet, was how He spoke with His people. However, that was insufficient for them. They had no desire for a mere prophet to deliver God’s message to them. They desired a powerful and able ruler! They also forgot that their powerful and great monarch was none other than the Lord.
The scepter from Judah
In what way does this align with the prophesy that states the scepter will remain in Judah? First, the Lord Jesus is the one who will ultimately fulfill this prophecy, not any earthly king of Israel. This is demonstrated in Genesis 49:10, which states, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and the peoples shall obey him.” The Bible does not limit its discussion of “peoples” to the Israelites. Though [his dominion is not of this planet], Jesus is the King of kings.
Secondly, undoubtedly this prophecy also finds a partial fulfillment in king David and his royal line. And it is very likely that God would have instructed Samuel to anoint David as king even if Saul had not been king before. Just as God could rule His people through a prophet, He could rule his people through a king. But Israel was not happy with what God gave them at that time, and demanded a king before the time of the Lord’s plan. The result was that they got a king who was ideal in the eyes of man: tall, strong, and brave. Yet his heart was not right with God. And it was clear that this was not God’s perfect plan for Israel: for king Saul came not from the tribe of Judah, but from Benjamin.
Important lessons
When Israel sought a monarch, God was hesitant to grant it because they wanted an earthly ruler rather than a heavenly one, and they also didn’t want to wait for God’s appointed time. These teach us valuable lessons. Seeking heavenly and not earthly blessings is what we should do. We should also trust the Lord to carry out His good plans in His perfect time, rather than pressuring Him to meet our schedule.
Summary
Jacob had predicted that leaders would arise from Judah’s tribe. So why did God feel that Israel should not have a king? The Israelites had the wrong motivation. They aspired to resemble other countries. They rejected having God rule over them. But God established the Davidic dynasty in His own time, and it was through this line that the Messiah emerged to rule forever.
