神有祂的计划，但这对我们来说往往是个奥秘。以雅各的儿子犹大为例。雅各最大的祝福并没有给长子流便，或次子西缅和利未。王权的祝福赐给了犹大。
雅各预言他的其他儿子必向犹大下拜。权杖——象征着王权——必归于犹大。这权杖会藉着他的后裔一直传递下去。这事怎能成就呢？
当犹大伯利恒的牧羊人大卫被神拣选来治理神的百姓时，雅各的预言就开始成就了（撒上16；诗78:67-72）。他以技巧和一颗正直的心来领导百姓。然而我们知道，尽管大卫作了王，百姓却并不信服耶和华。他们需要一位新的、更好的王。
神继续施行祂的计划，最终使耶稣降生在伯利恒，在大卫的城里。耶稣来，是要舍弃自己的生命，为我们的罪付上代价，并要复活，好使我们得着与神同在的新生命。这就是为什么耶稣，犹大的狮子（启5:5）握着万王之王权杖的原因。祂大胆地宣告：“天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了”（太28:18）。
主啊，感谢你，即使我们不明白，你依然信实地在我们生命中工作。求你每天加给我们力量，使我们信靠耶稣，祂是狮子，又是羔羊，是我们的主和救主，我们的王。阿们。
创世记 49:8-10
8犹大啊，你弟兄们必赞美你，你手必掐住仇敌的颈项，你父亲的儿子们必向你下拜。
9犹大是个小狮子。我儿啊，你抓了食便上去。你屈下身去，卧如公狮，蹲如母狮，谁敢惹你？
10圭必不离犹大，杖必不离他两脚之间，直等细罗来到，万民都必归顺。
“The scepter will not depart from Judah . . . until he to whom it belongs shall come. . . .” - Genesis 49:10
God works out his plans, but they are often mysterious to us. Consider the case of Judah, Jacob’s son. Jacob’s blessing of favor was not to Reuben, his firstborn, or to the next two eldest sons, Simeon and Levi. The blessing of kingship went to Judah.
Jacob predicted that his other sons would bow before Judah. To him would belong “the scepter,” a symbol of kingship. This scepter would be passed down continually through his descendants. How could that ever happen?
Jacob’s prophecy began to be fulfilled when David, a shepherd from Bethlehem in the land of Judah, was chosen by God to rule God’s people (1 Samuel 16; Psalm 78:67-72). He led them with a heart of integrity and with skill. Yet we know that despite David’s kingship, the people were seldom faithful to the Lord. They needed a new and better king.
God continued to work out his plan, eventually bringing Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. And Jesus came to give up his own life, to pay for all our sin, and to rise again so that we can have new life with God. That is why Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), is the one who holds the scepter as King of kings. And he declares boldly, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).
Thank you, Lord, that you are always faithfully at work in our lives even if we do not understand. Empower us daily to put our trust in Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, our Savior, Lord, and King. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
