The Pursuit: Jesus in Genesis – Episode 5

In the last episode of his devotional series, Professor Jared Kingsley concludes his study of seeing Jesus in Genesis by focusing on the final two verses of Genesis 49:8-12. These verses paint a picture of what the Messiah will accomplish with His reign of the Millennial Kingdom.

A Return to the Garden

Verse 11 gives a striking image of a donkey tied to a vine. On earth, no man would think of doing this. Donkeys were expensive, valuable animals, and vines were frail, delicate plants that would be easily damaged and allow the donkey to run away. Yet these verses imply a future where this would not be a problem. Creation will be transformed. Vines will be strong and animals will be obedient. This vision reminds us of the Garden of Eden. What was lost through the fall in Genesis 3 will one day be restored when Christ reigns.

There is also another layer to this verse. The mention of a donkey is directly tied to the Messianic King. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey at His triumphal entry, He was signaling to Israel, and to the world, that the promised Messiah had come.

A Beautiful and Abundant Future

The second half of verse 11 through verse 12 shifts to another interesting image–washing clothes in wine, having eyes darker than wine, and having teeth whiter than milk. In the ancient world, both wine and milk were rare and expensive commodities. To use wine for washing clothes or to drink large amounts of milk would have been unthinkable.

But in the new era to come, the hardest things to cultivate and the most valuable things of the land are made more common. The new era is marked with beauty and abundance. Although the ground was cursed by the Fall, the King’s return will create a new earth that will once again reflect the goodness and abundance of God’s original design. The Messiah will overcome it all–sin, death, Satan–and bring peace, rest, beauty, and perfection to the world to come. Genesis 49 serves as the first prophecy of the Millennial Kingdom, showing us what the promised hero of Genesis 3:15 will accomplish in the end.

Thank you for tuning into this new devotional series from The Master’s University Online. This blog post captures the essence of Professor Jared Kingsley’s series on Jesus and the Wells. You may click on the video above to hear more insightful details on Jesus throughout the Old Testament. Professor Kingsley is a professor of Hebrew and Old Testament for The Master’s University traditional on-campus program.