GOD THE RULER (49:10-12)

The reflection emphasizes God as the eternal ruler, incarnated through Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah, fulfilling the prophecy in Genesis. Unlike mortal kings with limited reigns, Jesus, the Messiah, offers salvation and peace. Believers are encouraged to pledge allegiance to Him, awaiting His return and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.

Jean-Paul Agidi

Dec 4, 2025

2–4 minutes

bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “God the ruler” God the ruler means God has dominion over all affairs. We shall reflect on the fact that God, the ruler, has been with us and has incarnated Himself through Jesus Christ, who belongs to the royal lineage of the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 49:10-12 is a prophecy from Jacob to his son Judah that predicts a lasting royal authority will remain with the tribe of Judah until the “Shiloh” comes, a figure identified as the Messiah, to whom all nations will be obedient, thus Jacob said, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” (Genesis 49:10) The genealogy of Jesus is found in the Gospels ofMatthew (1:1-17) and Luke (3:23-38). Both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide genealogies that connect Jesus to the line of King David and the Tribe of Judah. This indicates that the prophecy of Jacob has been fulfilled through the birth of Jesus, who is God incarnate. The King of Kings and Ruler of Rulers, the Messiah, has physically arrived in the world. He is the Shiloh, the bringer of peace and justice. He is the Messiah and is the promised deliverer of Israel, the nations and everyone who will accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Today, Jesus is mentioned in every corner of the world. Through Jesus the Messiah, we experience God the ruler’s reign over our lives. All other human kings through the lineage of Judah had limited reigns within time and space, therefore cannot be the Shiloh or the Messiah. In other words, they could not save the people because they were mere mortals but God the ruler, is the beginning and the end. It is for this reason Jesus said, “13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:13) Beloved in the Lord, we are greatly admonished to pledge our allegiance to God the ruler whose reign is eternal and offers us the way to salvation through Jesus Christ. Indeed, through Jesus our Shiloh and Messiah, we become children of God, the ruler and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:16-17) As we observe the season of Advent and wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us continue to trust and remain faithful to God our ruler, who will appear on the last day through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In summary, we have discovered that God, the ruler, has been with us and has incarnated Himself through Jesus Christ, who belongs to the royal lineage of the tribe of Judah. Unlike human rulers who had limited reign, God, our ruler, has no end to His rulership; He is the beginning and the end. We are greatly emboldened to remain under His rulership even as we await our final departure into the Kingdom of God through our Shiloh and Messiah, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Shalom.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit empower us to remain faithful to God our ruler so that we shall become beneficiaries of His everlasting Kingdom when Jesus Christ comes the second and final time, Amen.