The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10)
My daily Bible readings brought me to the Book of Joshua this week. Joshua is the first of the “historical” books of the Bible. It records the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land and the conquest of the lands promised to them by God.[1] Once the Israelites conquered most of the land – because they never completely conquered all of the land God promised them – they permanently set up the Tabernacle – the portable dwelling place of God – in Shiloh.[2]
The name, Shiloh, rang a bell. I remembered that the first mention of the name appeared back in Genesis where Jacob (Israel) blessed his sons. To Judah, he said, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:8-10, emphasis mine). Here we understand that “Shiloh” is a person, specifically the coming Messiah – “and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” “Shiloh” (שִׁילֹה), Strong’s H7886, is defined as “he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquillity [sic].”[3]
However, Shiloh in the Book of Joshua, is a place, not a person. Here, Strong’s assigns a different number and definition. “Shiloh” (שִׁילֹה), Strong’s H7887, is defined as “a place of rest.” Notice that both Hebrew spellings are exactly the same. So, why the difference in definitions?
The third definition in H7886 is “tranquility,” and the first definition in H7887 is “a place of rest.” It seems clear to me that “tranquility” and “rest” ultimately define the word.
In Genesis, Shiloh is He to Whom it belongs, unto Whom the gathering of the people shall be – the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. The Prophet Isaiah predicted, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7, emphasis mine).
Prince of Peace fits the idea of “tranquility” and “a place of rest” – Shiloh. Those of us who have placed our faith in the finished work of Christ (a.k.a. Messiah) find our “peace” and “rest” in the assurance that soon, either by death or by Rapture, we will enter that eternal place of rest in His presence forever. I am ready. Are you?
Reader, if you want to know that kind of peace, I encourage you to read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”
Notes:
[3] Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, (Published in 1906; public domain).
Ernie's Musings 