LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JACOB #71 ：DAN
written by: Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3572
LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JACOB #71
JACOB'S PROPHECIES ABOUT THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL #6
DAN
As the Israelites came into the land of Canaan, by lot certain areas of territory were assigned to each tribe.
The tribe of Dan was given a tract of land that was smaller than the other land grants but was fertile and also had a boundary along the Mediterranean Sea where there was fishing and commerce available to them.
But Dan could not subdue the Canaanites there. And so they went up north to set their own territory in rebellion against God's orders through Joshua.
This earned them the stigma of being non-team players and idolaters with an independent spirit.
The history of the tribe of Dan is especially instructive to us in that it contains multiple examples of the tendency of people to follow man-made religion over biblical faith in God.
This is utterly contrary to the Scriptures that teach us “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” (Romans 3:20) and “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
Later in the history of the Hebrews, the kingdom was divided after the reign of Solomon. The kingdom split into Israel’s ten tribes in the north and Judah’s two in the south.
The people of Dan were in the northern kingdom of Israel. We learn in 1 Kings 12:25–33 that King Jeroboam was afraid that those who lived in his kingdom in the north would still go down to the southern kingdom to worship at Jerusalem since that was where the temple that God had authorized was located.
So Jeroboam built two additional altars for the people of his nation to worship. He established worship in the south at Bethel and in the north at Dan. He built a golden calf at each location and instituted special days and feasts when people would meet. Sadly, this man-made worship at Dan has been one of its lasting legacies.
Today, many people follow various man-made religions and are convinced that all ways lead to God.
Unfortunately, these groups follow the ways of the tribe of Dan.
What can we learn from the tribe of Dan?
Let us study their prophecy in Genesis 49:16-18.
Dan: A serpent by the way.
“Dan shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
a. Dan shall judge his people: The tribe of Dan did judge his people. They supplied one of the most prominent of the Judges, Samson (Judges 13:2).
b. Dan shall be a serpent by the way: Dan was a troublesome tribe. They introduced idolatry into Israel (Judges 18:30). Jeroboam set up one of his idolatrous golden calves in Dan (1 Kings 12:26-30), and later Dan became a center of idol worship in Israel (Amos 8:14).
Some think the serpent by the way refers to the idea that the Antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan (based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16).
Dan is left out of the listing of tribes regarding the 144,000 in Revelation 7:5-8. But Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial roll call of the tribes (Ezekiel 48). This is a remarkable sign of God’s redemption.
c. I have waited for your salvation, O LORD: The Hebrew word for salvation is “yeshuwah.” At this point in the prophecy, when Jacob was near death, he called out for God’s salvation. Knowingly or not, Jacob called out for Jesus.
“What a happy breathing-space is this! When you and I also are near our journey’s end, may we be able to say, as Jacob did, ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’” (Spurgeon)
To learn from the mistakes of Dan would be to worship the God of the Bible alone and live for Him by faith.
