Di Sceptre No Go Comot

One old man sit up for bed, im eye don almost blind. Twelve grown men gather round am, all of dem na im sons. E tell dem make dem come near. Before e die, e get something to talk about wetin go happen for di days wey dey come.

Dis na Jacob, wey dem now dey call Israel, di same Jacob wey sleep on top stone for Bethel before. E don old well-well, and e dey live for Egypt. Famine push im family go there, and im son Joseph wey dem think say don lost, wey don be ruler for Egypt now, don give dem house for di land of Goshen. Jacob know say im life dey end. So e call im twelve sons come im bedside. Each of dem go be papa of one tribe. Di words wey Jacob talk to dem na part blessing, part prophecy, like one poem about di future of each family. Some words hard. Reuben, di first son, hear say e don lose im place. Simeon and Levi hear about dia violence. And then Jacob turn to im fourth son, Judah.

Judah, of all people. Many years before, na Judah suggest make dem sell Joseph as slave. But Judah don change. When Joseph test im brothers later for Egypt, na Judah step forward and offer imself as slave instead of dia last born, Benjamin. Now Jacob talk, “Judah, your brothers go praise you.” Judah name sef sound like di Hebrew word for praise. “Your hand go dey for di neck of your enemies. Your papa sons go bow down for your front.” Then Jacob paint one picture. “Judah na lion pikin. You don go up from di prey, my son. E bend down, e crouch like lion, and like lioness. Who go wake am up?” One lion wey dey rest, strong, no fear. Nobody dare wake am.

And then di words wey people go dey think about for thousands of years come. “Di sceptre no go comot from Judah, and di ruler staff no go comot from between im legs, until di person wey e belong to come. Na im di peoples go obey.” Sceptre na king staff, di sign of royal power. Wetin Jacob dey talk be say rulers go come from Judah family, and say one day somebody go come wey di kingdom truly belong to. And no be only Israel, but di peoples, di nations, go obey am.

Then di picture come rich, almost like play. “E tie im young donkey for di vine, im donkey pikin for di best vine, e don wash im clothes for wine, im robe for di blood of grapes. Im eye go red with wine, im teeth go white with milk.” Imagine one land wey vineyard full so tey you fit tie your donkey for grape vine and you no go worry wetin e dey chop. Time of peace and plenty around dis ruler wey dey come. Hundreds of years after, King David go come from di tribe of Judah. And di New Testament call Jesus di son of David, and di Lion of di tribe of Judah. And when Jesus enter Jerusalem, na young donkey e ride come.

Judah name don travel pass wetin Jacob fit imagine. After di twelve tribes divide, dem call di southern kingdom Judah. Later, under Persia and Rome, dem call di area Judea. And di Hebrew word for person wey come from Judah, Yehudi, na im di English word Jew come from. Di tribe of di lion give im name to one whole people.

Di sceptre no go comot. You fit read am for Genesis chapter forty-nine, verse eight reach twelve. One old man blessing on top one son wey don change, wey dey point to one King wey go come from Judah line. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Judah change from person wey sell im brother to person wey give imself for im brother. Who you fit stand up for dis week?