There is a song by my favorite Southern Rock group of all time (I'll take this band over Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Bros, The Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special, any of those bands ... anytime), which is Blackfoot. They have a sweet ballad called "Mother."
(You can hear a portion here ... or here.
Anyway, one of the greatest treasures I have on this earth emitted a terrible sound last night. My precious mom took a fall and hit her back hard. I sure hope she's not aching this morning. That was a nasty spill.
Today is 10 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds away from deadline. I've got to review/write the 10 to 12 "pick of the litter" bands today. Before I make the final selections, I need to listen to a few more indie/unsigned CDs that have come in since the preliminary selections. This can be a real drag, because sometimes the music we get is average at best ... and terrible at worst. It makes it so refreshing when something really good comes along.
We've got two more chapters to go in Genesis. 49 chronicles the blessing of his sons by Jacob. He starts off by saying, "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come."
That is an enticing introduction. Unfortunately, some of the sons get undressed verbally by their father's words. He prophesies to Reuben for defiling his father's bed; Simeon and Levi are cursed for their anger and violence. Wow! The first three are probably not happy to hear this pronouncement in front of their family. Beyond the veil of shame, though, probably lies the bitterness of the truth revealed. It is time to weep and repent if your wrong decisions and wayward life has gone unchecked up until now. I'm sure the other family members present were not haughty at all. They were probably full of sorrow for their brothers as well.
Judah, however, gets some exciting words spoken over him:
Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons will bow down to you.
You are a lion's cub, O Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness -- who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his...
This sounds kind of messianic. Jesus is refered to as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah." The scepter is a king's ruling wand -- a symbol of power and authority. The part about the ruler's staff is repeated again in Ezekiel 21:27, when dominion over Jerusalem will one day be given to "whom it rightfully belongs."
Jacob's family had more than a lion's share of drama. What a story. Jacob instructed his sons to bury him with Abraham and Sarah when he died. After he finisehd giving these instructions, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
Wow. I bet those last words stuck with those that heard it. I'll never forget the death of my cat. He died in my arms when he was 20 years old. I had him from when I was 9 years old, so he had become quite dear to me as a pet. His eyes were blind at this late stage of his life, as a cancer had deteriated his body, but I was holding him in my lap and petting him. He raised his head up at me, like he'd done many times before, almost to look at me. And then he laid his head down in my arms and breathed his last. It was a touching moment, as if he was in control of his body right up until the end, and then he let go. This story of Jacob reminds me of that. He had finished saying what he wanted to his sons and then he pulled his feet back up into bed, breathed his last, and then he departed.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at March 20, 2007 10:01 AM