Why Judah?

In our “Burning Hearts” 2026 bible reading plan, right now, we’re wrapping up our selected readings from Genesis. What we are reading is wonderful and challenging and intriguing, but what pains me is what we’re not reading (for time’s sake): we’re skipping some amazing chapters! Though not part of the plan per se, if you’re able, I encourage you to read the chapters we’re skipping as well.  

For instance, if you didn’t read the chapters we skipped, that means you missed most of the story of Judah. If you read today’s reading (Gen. 49:8-12), you might be wondering why Judah gets the best blessing when Jacob is about to die. Judah is the one who the brothers shall praise. Judah is the one like a regal, powerful lion. Judah is the one from who the scepter will not depart.

You might be asking two questions: why is he so favored, and why does it matter?

I’m glad you asked.

It’s too long to really explain in this short blog, but here’s a quick ‘why him?’ answer:

Because Judah is the one that grows to reflect God’s true character.

Where we really first meet Judah is in Gen. 37, when the brothers want to kill Joseph but Judah hatches a better scheme: not to kill him, but rather, to profit off of him by selling him into slavery.

Judah hopes to gain by trading away his brother’s life into slavery. Kind of ugly.

The next time we see Judah is in Gen. 38, where Judah is involved in a scandalous story where, to make a long story short, he has sex with (and impregnates) a prostitute who, unknowingly, was his daughter-in-law (who, incidentally, he was supposed to care and provide for but who he left hanging out to dry).

Kind of ugly.

Where things start to turn for Judah, however, is that in his abhorrent behavior, he realizes that he is the guilty one, the one to blame, and takes full responsibility for what he’d one.

Growth.

The goal of Judah’s redemption arc comes in Gen. 44. Joseph, now basically in charge of Egypt, is playing an elaborate game with his brothers and has taken Benjamin, the youngest brother, captive. Knowing how this will crush his father Jacob, Judah pleads for Benjamin’s release. Finally, in order to secure Benjamin’s release, Judah offers to give his life to be a slave in return for Benjamin’s freedom (44:33). This is what makes Joseph give up the game, weep so loudly that everyone can hear him, and at last, reveal himself to his brothers.

We have to see the growth in Judah here. It’s why he’s the favored one in Jacob’s blessing.

He went from being someone who wanted to trade his brother’s life into slavery so that he could personally gain, to being someone who offered to trade his own life into slavery so that his brother and father would be saved.

Substituting his life for his brother’s, Judah offered himself in self-giving love.

Does that sound like someone else we know?

The answer to the other question above, why any of this matters, is because it sets the pattern, precedent, and path that Judah’s very famous descendent would follow:

Jesus.

Jesus is from the line of Judah, and as Revelation 5:5 tells us, is the ‘lion of Judah’ who is uniquely able to “open the scroll” and thus unveil and enact God’s plan to save the world.

Why is he uniquely able? Well, as 5:5 tells us, it’s because he has “conquered.”

How has he conquered? Like his ancestor Judah, it was by giving his own life in self-giving love and in doing so, saving and restoring others (5:9-10).

This self-giving love is what reveals God’s true character, and it’s the thing that Judah learns and grows into.

It’s what we’re all called to.

When it comes to reading all of Genesis, it’s why you shouldn’t skip it!