Preaching the Word
Preaching the Word
Twelve Sons / Tribes of Israel - The Mysteries of God's Word
Explore the transformation of the twelve sons of Israel into the twelve tribes, as we unravel tales of heroism, family dynamics, and spiritual legacies. Have you ever wondered about how the prophecies of the tribes came about? Reuben's courageous beginnings and eventual downfall, Simeon and Levi's shared history of violence, and Judah's prophetic lineage that leads to Jesus Christ—all these narratives provide rich insights into their lasting influence on history.
As we journey through the tribes of Israel, we turn to the intriguing list in Revelation, chapter 7, exploring why certain tribes such as Ephraim and Dan are notably missing. We also discuss the future blessings and spiritual significance for the tribes as described in Ezekiel, where the gates of the city memorialize their names. This episode offers not just a historical perspective, but a prophetic glimpse into the enduring legacy of the tribes of Israel. Join us for this captivating exploration and deepen your understanding of these foundational biblical stories.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
Thank you again for joining me for the Mysteries of God's Word. This week we're going to be looking at the twelve sons of Israel and how they became the twelve tribes of Israel. Last week we saw Jacob having eleven of his children while he was working for Laban, and those eleven children came through Leah, rachel and their two servants, bilhah Zilpah. While we haven't yet seen the birth of Benjamin, I wanted to take a break and familiarize ourselves with the twelve sons, or twelve tribes of Israel. Now let's look in detail at each of these sons. Look in detail at each of these sons.
Speaker 1:Reuben, the firstborn of Israel through Leah, means behold a son. When Reuben was young, he found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother, leah. We see this in Genesis 30.14. Then, later, when he was older and his brothers were plotting to kill Joseph, reuben was the one who stood up for Joseph and said let's not kill him. Then, later in the story of Joseph, reuben was the one to take responsibility for Benjamin if the brothers would not bring him back to Jacob. But then we see a turn with Reuben. Reuben, in Genesis chapter 35, sleeps with his father's concubine, bilhah, and when Jacob was about to die, he both blessed and cursed Reuben. Jacob blessed Reuben because of his strength and his dignity, recognizing how Reuben stood up for his brothers when they were in danger. But he also cursed Reuben for going into his bed and sleeping with his concubine. The tribe of Reuben was strong in helping to take possession of the promised land and they were given land east of the Jordan River, and the tribe of Reuben is often mentioned first in the list of tribes, which is a place of honor, as they were a critical part of taking the promised land. But the tribe eventually lost its place of standing and prominence. As Jacob had prophesied, there is no outstanding judge, prophet or ruler that ever came from the tribe of Reuben.
Speaker 1:The second son of Israel is Simeon, also born through Leah. Simeon means heard or the Lord heard me. Simeon and his brother Levi were known for their rage and their violence. One time they slayed an entire city because the prince of that city, shechem, the prince of the Hivites, raped their sister. Dinah, raped their sister Dinah. Simeon was also the brother that Joseph had bound and kept in Egypt, while he sent his other brothers to go and get Benjamin and bring him back. When Jacob was blessing his sons, he actually cursed Simeon for his violence with his brother Levi. In Genesis 49, 5 through 7, jacob says Simeon will be divided and scattered. Jacob's prophecy came to pass centuries later, after Israel had taken over the promised land. The tribe of Simeon was small and it was forced to share a territory with Judah, which was a much larger and more powerful tribe.
Speaker 1:The third son of Israel is Levi, also with Leah. Levi means to attach, as we learned with Simeon. Levi and his brother Simeon were known for their rage and violence, and the tribe of Levi did not receive an inheritance of land in the promised land. However, the tribe of Levi was the tribe to stand with Moses when Israel worshipped the golden calf at the Mount of Sinai golden calf at the Mount of Sinai. And for that God set apart the tribe of Levi as the priests of God. While they did not receive a physical inheritance for their faithfulness with Moses, god says their inheritance will be the Lord. Deuteronomy 10, 8 and 9 reads At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord and to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless his name. Therefore, levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord, your God, said to him. Moses was a descendant of Levi. Also, the priest Ezra was a descendant and John the Baptist was also a descendant of Levi.
Speaker 1:The fourth son of Israel is Judah. Judah means praise of God. Judah was the son who conspired to sell his brother Joseph to the Ishmaelite traders. Shortly after, judah went and married a Canaanite woman, who gave him three sons, two of whom committed evil in the sight of the Lord. Jacob's blessing on Judah prophesied that he is crouched like a lion, that he would be the greatest and that the scepter or the rule would not depart from him. It was through the tribe of Judah that the Messiah, jesus Christ, would come, who is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Speaker 1:The fifth son of Israel is Dan, with Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, the laws at the time of the patriarchs would have recognized a child born of a servant as the child of the servant's owner. Therefore, legally, dan would have been seen as Rachel's child. The name Dan means God has judged. The tribe of Dan was given a portion of the promised land between Judah and Ephraim, land between Judah and Ephraim bordering the Mediterranean Sea. However, the tribe of Dan was unable to secure that land, and they only gained control of the Valley of Zorah and Eshtol, especially after the Philistines started to settle in there. Eventually, the tribe of Dan migrated north and captured the city of Laish, renaming it the City of Dan, migrated north and captured the city of Lysh, renaming it the city of Dan. Much of this is found in Judges, chapter 18. Speaking of Judges, the judge Samson was from the tribe of Dan. Eventually, the tribe of Dan was given over to much idolatry and it became known as one of the tribes of Israel that was given over to idolatry.
Speaker 1:The sixth son of Israel is Naphtali, also born with Bilhah. Naphtali means I've wrestled. There's very little in scripture on the person of Naphtali. Means I've wrestled. There's very little in scripture on the person of Naphtali. Jacob's blessing of Naphtali implies that he was gentle of character. The tribe of Naphtali inherited northern Canaan, the high regions west and northwest of the Sea of Galilee. Naphtali did successfully conquer the region, but didn't completely drive out the Canaanites. Instead, they subjected them to forced labor. Judges 1.31.
Speaker 1:Within the boundaries of Naphtali's land there were three Levitical cities reserved for the family of the Gershonites 1 Chronicles 6.62, as well as Kadesh, a city of refuge, joshua 27. The prophet Isaiah wrote about how the Lord had destroyed Naphtali and brought the land into contempt, but he would one day make it glorious again. Isaiah 9.1 reads but there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish In the former time. He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the first coming of Jesus Christ, as he preached the good news to the people living in this region of Naphtali, we see that in Matthew 4, 13-15. We see that in Matthew 4, 13-15. And the fullness of Isaiah's prophecy will be fully revealed when Jesus comes again, setting up his millennial kingdom, sitting upon the throne of David over all of the earth.
Speaker 1:The seventh son of Israel is Gad, born to Zilpah. Gad means good fortune. The tribe of Gad, along with Reuben and the half-tribe of Israel, is Gad, born to Zilpah. Gad means good fortune. The tribe of Gad, along with Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh, settled on the east side of the Jordan River, and the region of Gad was in between the half-tribe of Manasseh, which was to the north, and the tribe of Reuben, which was to their south. The city of Ramoth was Gad's city of refuge Deuteronomy 4, 41-43. The region of Gad was an ideal place for raising large amounts of livestock, which they had. It also placed Gad on the boundary of Jordan and this was part of fulfilling Jacob's prophecy for Gad to be brave and strong against raiders Genesis 49, 19,. Jacob said to Gad Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. And before Moses had died he blessed Gad and compared Gad to a protecting lion that tears at arms and scalp. So Gad was a protector, a strong tribe that protected the rest of Israel on the boundary of Jordan.
Speaker 1:Asher, the eighth son of Israel, with Zilpah, asher means happiness. Jacob's blessing on Asher was that his food would be rich and he would provide many delicacies. That blessing is found in Genesis 49.20. And Moses' blessing on Asher was very similar In Deuteronomy 33, 24, and 25,. He said Let him be favored by his brothers and let him dip his feet in oil. The tribe of Asher inherited the land along the Mediterranean coast, from the city of Sidon to the north, to Mount Carmel in the south, and this was some of the richest soil in all of Canaan and the south, and this was some of the richest soil in all of Canaan. Asher produced grain, wine, oil and many other minerals that made them very rich. One of the people of note that came from the tribe of Asher is the prophetess Anna, who met the baby Jesus in the temple in Luke 2.36.
Speaker 1:The ninth son of Israel is Issachar, whom he had with Leah. Issachar means the man of reward. Jacob's blessing on Issachar was more like a curse and it implied that Issachar would become lazy in the promised land and that his prodigy would eventually become slaves again. When Moses gives blessings to the tribes, he only mentions Issachar in passing. When he blesses Zebulun, and he mentions that Issachar is in their tents, as well as the abundance of Zebulun, which would be on their border. The tribe of Issachar would inherit the eastern portion of the Jezreel Valley. Mount Tabor was to the north and the Jordan was to the east. You can find that in Joshua 19, 17-23.
Speaker 1:The tenth son of Israel is Zebulun. The name Zebulun means dwelling. When Jacob blessed Zebulun, he spoke of how Zebulun's prodigy would live by the seashore, that they would be a safe place for ships Genesis 49.13. And Moses' blessing on Zebulun spoke of how the tribe would go out and draw from the abundance of the sea Deuteronomy 33.18 and 19. Hundreds of years after Jacob's prophecy, the tribe of Zebulun was given their land in the Promised Land. The eastern border was the Sea of Galilee and the western border stretched all the way to the Mediterranean. Joshua 19, 10-16. And after settling in the Promised Land, the tribe of Zebulun became traders and sailors.
Speaker 1:The eleventh son of Israel is Joseph. There's much to say about Joseph, and we'll try to sum it up as best we can here. Joseph was loved by his father, israel, more than any of his other brothers, which brought about much jealousy from his brothers, which brought about much jealousy from his brothers. Furthermore, joseph was given a dream that he would be in a position of authority over all of his family, and that brought about even more animosity from his brothers. Eventually, his brothers plotted to kill him. His oldest brother, reuben, suggested they throw him in a pit rather than killing him, and then his brother, judah, suggested that they should profit from it rather than just leaving him in the pit. So they sold him to some Ishmaelite traders.
Speaker 1:Shortly after, joseph became the servant of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. But the wife of Potiphar began to regularly ask Joseph to sleep with her, and Joseph refused. Eventually, she grabbed him by the garment and demanded that he lie with her, but Joseph fled, after which Potiphar's wife lied about the incident and Joseph was thrown into prison. However, joseph was blessed by God because of his faithfulness in the land of Egypt. Even while he was in prison, joseph continued to have an ability to interpret dreams, which eventually brought him to a point of being honored by the Pharaoh and given a great position of authority, being second in authority in all of Egypt, only subject to the Pharaoh himself.
Speaker 1:Joseph had prepared Egypt for seven years of prophesied famine, and the famine affected a great portion of the land at that time, including the land of Canaan where his family lived. So they came looking for help, being that his brothers had sold him into slavery. Joseph tested his brothers as to their loyalty, their loyalty to their father and to his brother Benjamin. After seeing evidence that they had a changed heart, joseph revealed who he was and assured them that he had forgiven them. Then he instructed his brothers to bring back their father, jacob, and the whole family to the land of Egypt, to a place called Goshen, so that he could provide for all of them. The land of Goshen was the northeastern corner of Egypt when Jacob was about to die and he gave a blessing on Joseph. His blessing was an eternal blessing for Joseph's faithfulness to God in the midst of all this great persecution in his life.
Speaker 1:Verse 1. Jacob was also given a double portion of land inheritance through his sons, ephraim and Manasseh. Twelfth son of Israel is Benjamin, through Rachel. Benjamin was the only son of Israel not involved in the plot to sell Joseph. He's also the brother that Jacob kept back when the other brothers had to go to Egypt during the famine and he's later that brother that Joseph demanded be brought to Egypt if they wanted their grain. Benjamin becomes a central character in the story and plot of Joseph to test his brothers in Egypt. When Jacob was about to die, his blessing on Benjamin was that Benjamin would be a ravenous wolf in the morning and in the evening he would divide the plunder Genesis 49, 27. This prophecy was fulfilled as the tribe of Benjamin became famous for their skill in battle and their war-like nature. Descendants of Benjamin that we might know include Saul, the first king of Israel, queen Esther and the apostle Paul.
Speaker 1:As we're considering the twelve tribes of Israel and we want to summarize some of these points, the first point I would make is that the tribes of Israel for their physical inheritance on earth didn't include Levi or Joseph. When we examine the physical allotments of land portioned out to the tribes of Israel, what we will see is that we don't see the name of Levi or Joseph. Levi was set apart because the Lord was their inheritance and we don't see the name of Joseph because Joseph's blessing came through his two sons, ephraim and Manasseh. The second point I would make with regards to the tribes of Israel.
Speaker 1:In Revelation, chapter 7, starting at verse 4 through verse 8, we notice there are 12 tribes of Israel and 12,000 from each tribe are sealed, and often there's quite a bit of discussion over this as to why this list of tribes contains these names.
Speaker 1:Let me point out that Ephraim and Dan were known in the Old Testament for being given over to idols and that very likely explains their omission in this list of faithful tribes in Revelation, chapter 7. For information on Ephraim and Dan being given over to idols, you can see Hosea 4, 17-19, and Judges 18, 30-31. As we're wrapping up, the final point on the blessings of the tribes of Israel is that one day, through the mercy and grace of God, all the sons of Israel will receive a place and a blessing from the Lord in the millennial kingdom. In Ezekiel 48, 30 through 35, it speaks on how the gates of the city will have the names of each of the tribes of Israel, and the names listed here in Ezekiel are in fact the 12 sons of Israel and it does not include Ephraim or Manasseh. Thank you for joining me for this in-depth look at the 12 sons and tribes of Israel. God bless you this week.