Imagine being born into the tribe of Levi. From childhood, you hear the story: your great-great-great-grandfather and his brother committed a horrific act of violence, and because of their sin, your entire tribe was cursed. You don’t get what the other tribes get. You don’t have your own territory. You’re scattered because of somebody else’s sin.
This is the hard reality of Genesis 49. Jacob, on his deathbed, curses rather than blesses Levi and Simeon. Their violent response to their sister’s rape was sin compounded upon sin. Instead of seeking justice, they sought vengeance and massacred an entire city. The consequence? “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”
Here’s what we must understand: sin has consequences that often extend beyond ourselves. We live in a culture that wants to believe our choices only affect us, but that’s not reality. When we choose sin, we’re not just hurting ourselves. We’re potentially setting up patterns, legacies, and consequences that our children and grandchildren will have to navigate.
This truth should sober us, but it shouldn’t lead to despair. Why? Because this isn’t the end of the story. God specializes in redemption. The same God who pronounces judgment is the God who transforms curse into calling. The tribe of Levi learned this, and so can we.