Reading through Genesis - part 2

In part 1, I described how the Genesis is above all the story of the progressive shedding of polytheism and idolatry and, as Jacob, the grandson of the faithful Abraham, grows in prosperity as a result of the blessing he inherited from Abraham, he brings his whole family to monotheism in chapter 35. Now only the Hebrew God is referred to, by Jacob and by Joseph his son. Pious Jews and Catholics refuse to pronounce the ancient name of God, which simply means to be, or I am, and pronounced in Hebrew sounds like the wind in the trees. Jews simply replace the Name as they read with Adonai, which means my Lord; a similar use is also found in most Catholics bibles (excluding, unfortunately, the Jerusalem Bible).

Soon thereafter begins the Joseph story, where we discover the wickedness of Jacob's sons, and in particular the first three, Ruben, Simeon and Levi. Ruben had had incestuous relations with one of his father's wives, Bala, and Simeon and Levi had lead a genocide on a people called the Hevites, because one of them had raped their sister and later offered to marry her. Lastly, the whole lot of them had managed to sell their brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt and convinced the old man that he had been killed in the wild. The book of Genesis ends with blessings for all the sons but those first three. And the blessing on the fourth son, Judah, is memorable, and this is later very important to the claim of King David to the kingship of all Israel (for David was of the tribe of Judah), which is also central to the Messiah's claim to kingship of all nations (and all things), as David's son. Here is the blessing on Judah:

"But thou, Juda, shalt win the praise of thy brethren; with thy hand on the necks of thy enemies, thou shalt be reverenced by thy own father’s sons. Juda is like a lion’s whelp; on the hills, my son, thou roamest after thy prey; like a lion couched in his lair, a lioness that none dares provoke. Juda shall not want a branch from his stem, a prince drawn from his stock, until the day when he comes who is to be sent to us, he, the hope of the nations. To what tree will he tie his mount; the ass he rides on? The vine for him, the vineyard for him; when he washes his garments, it shall be in wine, all his vesture shall be dyed with the blood of grapes. Fairer than wine his eyes shall be, his teeth whiter than milk." - Genesis, 49: 8-12

Similar language was later used by King David, when he composed the famous Messianic psalm, Psalm 109 (110), which the priests and Religious recite every Sunday evening at Evening Prayer:

To the Master I serve the Lord’s promise was given, Sit here at my right hand while I make thy enemies a footstool under thy feet. The Lord will make thy empire spring up like a branch out of Sion; thou art to bear rule in the midst of thy enemies. From birth, princely state shall be thine, holy and glorious; thou art my son, born like dew before the day-star rises. The Lord has sworn an oath there is no retracting, Thou art a priest for ever in the line of Melchisedech." - Psalm 109 (110): 1-4

And Christ Himself quotes this psalm in his famous defence to the Pharisees:

"Then, while the Pharisees were still gathered about Him, Jesus asked them: 'What is your opinion concerning Christ? Whose son is he to be?' They told Him, 'David’s.' 'How is it then,' said He, 'that David is moved by the Spirit to call him Master, when he says: The Lord said to my Master, Sit on my right hand while I make thy enemies a footstool under thy feet? David calls Christ his Master; how can he be also his son?' None could find a word to say in answer to Him, nor did anyone dare, after that day, to try Him with further questions." - Gospel of S. Matthew, 22: 41-46

Reading the book of Genesis is always easy, because the language used is so simple. And Exodus is very similar. I would start to worry when I get to Leviticus, the priestly book. The liturgical detail there has put me to sleep in the past. The picture below is of the patriarch Jacob blessing his grandsons by Joseph, shown on the right. Joseph tried to present them by putting the older boy Manasses on Jacob's right, so he would get the blessing of the first-born. But Jacob crossed his arms over and gave his right-hand blessing to the younger boy, Ephraim. At the same time, Jacob transferred the blessing of his oldest sons, Ruben and Simeon, to these grandsons Manasses and Ephraim.