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“Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.” (Gen 49:8) This was the prophesy of Jacob for one of his sons –Judah. The expression of a hand on the neck of one’s enemies is a powerful imagery of conquest over enemies. When your hand is on the neck of your enemy, he is incapacitated. Deprived of strength, he is absolutely powerless. If your hand in on the neck of your enemy, you are in a very powerful position. You are in full control. You are victorious!
In the light of the New Testament, this powerful imagery is applicable to the victory of Jesus of over the devil and the evil ones. God’s hand is firmly on the neck of the devil. The devil is paralyzed and powerless. This explains the fright and dread of evil spirits at the mere sight of Jesus (Luke 4:34). Inspite of the apparent evils and undeniable demonic activities in our world, God is in full control. Divine victory over the evil ones is absolutely guaranteed.
By extension, the evocative imagery of one’s hand over the neck of the enemy also expresses our decisive victory over the three inveterate enemies of human beings- world, devil and flesh. In spite of the unrelenting temptations coming from these three enemies, our hand is on their necks if we are rooted and built up in Christ (Col 2:7). With God on our side, our victory is all but certain (Rom 8:31).
This graphic imagery of victory over enemy is not applicable to fellow human beings we may perceive as enemies. No matter how obnoxious our enemies might be or how horrendous their malicious activities, our Lord Jesus explicitly commands us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). Our hands should not be on the neck of our human enemies but spread in ardent prayer for their conversion and salvation.
