Lessons We Can Learn From the Last Thing Dem Jacob Say—Part 1

1-2. Wetin Jacob do when he know that he wor coming die, and why? (Also see the picture.)

JEHOVAH faithful servant Jacob travel with his family from Canaan to Egypt, and he stay there for 17 years. (Gen. 47:28) During that time, he wor really happy to see his son Joseph and for his whole family to be together again. But when Jacob get to know that he wor coming die, he call for one important family meeting.—Gen. 49:28.

² During that time, it wor common for the family head to call his family member dem together to tell them some things before he die. (Isa. 38:1) Maybe during that meeting, he can also tell them who will be the family head when he die.

3. Why the thing dem Jacob say in Genesis 49:​1, 2, important for us today?

³ Read Genesis 49:​1, 2. But this family meeting wor different. Jacob wor prophet. So during this meeting, Jacob tell his children some important thing dem that wor coming happen to they and their children in the future.

4. Wetin we will talk about in this article? (Also see the box “Jacob Family.”)

⁴ In this article, we will talk about the thing dem Jacob say to four of his sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Then in the next article, we will talk about the thing dem he tell his other eight sons. We will see what he say wor coming happen to they and their children who wor coming be the nation of Isreal. When we talking about what happen to the nation of Isreal way back, we will see how the thing dem Jacob say come true. And we will also learn some good-good lessons that can help us to make Jehovah happy.

REUBEN

5. Wetin Reuben wor expecting to get from his pa?

⁵ Reuben wor the first person Jacob talk to. He say: “You are my firstborn.” (Gen. 49:3) Since Reuben wor the firstborn, maybe he wor thinking that his pa wor coming give him more property pass his brother dem. Maybe he wor also expecting that he will be the head for the family when his pa die. And maybe he wor thinking that somebody from his family line wor always coming be the head for the whole family.

6. Why Reuben not get the thing dem that the firstborn suppose to get? (Genesis 49:​3, 4)

⁶ But Reuben not get the thing dem that the firstborn suppose to get. (1 Chron. 5:1) Why? Some years after Rachel die, Reuben love to Rachel house girl name Bilhah. And Rachel already gave this woman to Jacob to be his wife. (Gen. 35:​19, 22) Reuben wor Jacob son that he born by his other wife name Leah. Maybe Reuben really use to like Bilhah and he not control his feelings. Or maybe he love to her because he wanted Jacob to hate Bilhah and pay more attention to his ma Leah. Even if he wor having reason for doing it, it made his pa and Jehovah to really feel bad.—Read Genesis 49:​3, 4.

7. Wetin happen to Reuben and his family? (Also see the box “The Thing Dem Jacob Say When He Wor Coming Die.”)

⁷ Jacob tell Reuben say: “You will not excel.” And that what happen to Reuben. Nothing in the Bible show that somebody from Reuben family wor king, priest, or prophet. But still, Jacob not disown his son, and Reuben family become one of the tribe in Israel. (Josh. 12:6) Reuben show some good-good qualities in other situation dem, and nothing in the Bible show that Reuben ever love to another woman again.—Gen. 37:​20-22; 42:37.

8. Wetin we can learn from Reuben example?

⁸ Wetin we can learn? We must try hard to control ourself so we can’t put our hand in boyfriend and girlfriend business. Even if something tempt us to commit sin, we must stop and think on how the thing we want do will hurt Jehovah, our family, and other people. We must remember that “whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7) Let also remember that the thing that happen to Reuben show that Jehovah can feel sorry for us and forgive us. That true, Jehovah will not protect us from the problem that will come from the mistakes we made. But when we repent and try to do the right thing, he will forgive us and bless us.

SIMEON AND LEVI

9. Wetin make Jacob to not be happy with Simeon and Levi? (Genesis 49:​5-7)

⁹ Read Genesis 49:​5-7. The next two persons Jacob talk to that Simeon and Levi. But the thing he say show that he wor not happy with them. One time one man from Canaan name Shechem rape Jacob daughter, Dinah. It wor normal for all Jacob boy children to get vex because of what happen to their sister. But Simeon and Levi not control their temper. They and their brother dem lie to Shechem and his people. They say if the men dem agree to get circumcise, their family will make peace with the people. The men dem agree. While the men dem wor still in pain because they circumcise them, Simeon and Levi “each took his sword and went into the unsuspecting city and killed every male.”—Gen. 34:​25-29.

10. The thing Jacob say about Simeon and Levi, how it happen? (Also see the box “The Thing Dem Jacob Say When He Wor Coming Die.”)

¹⁰ Jacob wor really feeling bad because of the wicked thing his two son dem do. He tell them that they wor coming be scatter all over Israel. The thing that Jacob say happen more than 200 years after the nation of Israel enter the Promise Land. The tribe of Simeon get their land inside Judah territory, but they wor far off. (Josh. 19:1) The tribe of Levi wor having 48 cities that wor scatter all over Israel.—Josh. 21:41.

11. What good thing dem the tribe of Simeon and Levi do?

¹¹ The children from Simeon and Levi family line not make the same mistakes their great grandpa dem make. The tribe of Levi worship Jehovah and remain faithful to him. When Jehovah give the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, plenty Israelite dem wor worshiping false god. But the Levites remain faithful to Jehovah and help Moses to destroy all the people who worship false god. (Ex. 32:​26-29) Jehovah decide that only men dem from the tribe of Levi must be priest in Isreal. (Ex. 40:​12-15; Num. 3:​11, 12) Later on, the tribe of Simeon help the tribe of Judah to fight for their territory in the Promise Land. And that what Jehovah wanted them to do.—Judg. 1:​3, 17.

12. Wetin we can learn from what Simeon and Levi do?

¹² Wetin we can learn? We must never allow our anger to control our decisions and the thing dem we can do. If somebody treat you or your family member bad, it normal to get vex. (Ps. 4:4) But remember that Jehovah will not be happy if we pay our debt. (Jas. 1:20) When somebody treat us bad, whether the person serving Jehovah or not, Bible advice will help us to not pay our debt. (Rom. 12:​17, 19; 1 Pet. 3:9) Even if your parents doing things that can make Jehovah feel bad, remember that you not force to follow their example. Don’t feel that it not possible for you to make Jehovah happy. Jehovah will help you to do the right thing and he will bless you for doing it.

JUDAH

13. Why Judah heart wor beating when his time reach for his pa to talk to him?

¹³ Judah wor the next person that Jacob talk to. After Judah hear the thing dem his pa tell his big brother dem, maybe his heart start beating. Why? Because he made some serious mistake dem too. He join his brother dem to loot the city of Shechem. (Gen. 34:27) He the one who bring out the idea for them to sell Joseph to be slave, and he join his brother dem to lie to their pa. (Gen. 37:​31-33) Later on, he love to his daughter-in-law Tamar, thinking that she wor prostitute.—Gen. 38:​15-18.

14. Wetin Jacob say to Judah and what good thing dem Judah do? (Genesis 49:​8, 9)

¹⁴ Jacob only praise Judah and bless he and his family. (Read Genesis 49:​8, 9.) Judah show that he really care for his pa who wor old. And he also show that he wor having sorryful heart for his small brother, Benjamin.—Gen. 44:​18, 30-34.

15. How the thing dem Jacob say about Judah happen?

¹⁵ Jacob say that Judah wor coming be the leader among his brother dem. But 200 years pass before it start happening. When the Israelite dem wor passing through the wilderness to go to the Promise Land, the tribe of Judah wor taking the lead while the other tribe dem wor following them. (Num. 10:14) After plenty years, the tribe of Judah take the lead in capturing the Promise Land. (Judg. 1:​1, 2) And David wor the first king among all the plenty kings that come from the tribe of Judah. But the thing dem Jacob say about Judah not end here.

16. How the thing dem Jacob say in Genesis 49:10 happen? (Also see the box “The Thing Dem Jacob Say When He Wor Coming Die.”)

¹⁶ Jacob say that the person who will rule over human being forever will come from Judah family line. (Read Genesis 49:10 and footnote.) That Ruler that Jesus Christ and that he the one Jacob call Shiloh. When one angel wor talking about Jesus he say: “Jehovah will give him his great grandfather David throne.” (Luke 1:​32, 33) The Bible also call Jesus “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”—Rev. 5:5.

17. How we can follow Jehovah example in the way we look at other people?

¹⁷ Wetin we can learn? Jehovah bless Judah even though he made some serious mistakes. Maybe his brother dem wor thinking wetin Jehovah see in Judah. That true, we not really know what they wor thinking on. But we know that Jehovah see something good in Judah and bless him for it. How we can follow Jehovah example? When they give one brother or sister special privilege, sometime we can be quick to focus on the small-small mistakes the person can make. But we must remember that Jehovah can really be happy with the person good-good quality dem. Jehovah can always look for the good in his servant dem. So let try to do the same thing.

18. How we can be patient like the people from Judah family?

¹⁸ Another lesson we can learn from Judah example that to be patient. Jehovah can always do the thing dem he say. But he can’t always do it the way we want it or the time we expecting it. People from Judah family not start taking the lead among God people right away. But they continue to support the people who Jehovah appoint to take the lead, whether that wor Moses the Levite, Joshua the Ephraimite, or King Saul the Benjaminite. We too must continue to support anybody Jehovah choose to lead his people today.—Heb. 6:12.

19. Wetin we learn about Jehovah from the last thing dem Jacob say to four of his sons?

¹⁹ Wetin we na learn from what Jacob say to four of his sons when he wor coming die? It clear that “the way man sees is not the way God sees.” (1 Sam. 16:7) Jehovah really patient and he can forgive. Jehovah can’t be happy when people do bad things. But he not also expect his servant dem to be perfect. He can even bless people who made serious mistakes if they repent from their heart and start doing the right thing. In the next article, we will learn what Jacob say to his other eight sons.