July 2021

The History of Ancient Israel: Part 2 – The Twelve Tribes of Israel

May 23, 2023

JACOB, LEAH & RACHEL

Now after Jacob (through subtlety) received the blessing that was meant for his older brother Esau, their mother Rebekah wished for Jacob to flee. For she believed that Esau might kill Jacob for taking away the blessing that was meant for him. So, Rebekah spoke to her husband Issac of how weary she was thinking what would happen if Jacob took a wife from the daughters of Heth. So, Issac called Jacob and blessed him, and told him not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Rather Issac sent Jacob to Padan-aram in upper Mesopotamia, to the house of Rebekah’s father, and Jacob was to take a wife from the daughters of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. And Issac prayed that God Almighty would bless Jacob and make him fruitful, and that he would become a multitude of people. So Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and went on to Padan-aram.

Jacob would go on to marry not just one of Laban’s daughters but two. For Laban had two daughters: the name of the eldest was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Now Leah was plain, but Rachel was beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel and pledged to serve Laban for seven years to take Rachel as his wife, and the agreement was made. After the seven years were fulfilled Jacob asked Laban for Rachel. Laban then made a great wedding feast. That evening however, Laban put Leah and not Rachel in Jacobs quarters. The next morning when Jacob saw it was Leah and not Rachel, he spoke to Laban as to why he would do this since he worked seven years for the hand of Rachel and asked why he would trick him. Laban replied that in his country you should not give in marriage the younger before the first-born. Laban then told Jacob to serve him for another seven years and then he could marry Rachel. Jacob did so, and when the seven years were fulfilled, Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel and she became his wife.

THE TWELVE SONS OF JACOB

Now Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb that she might be fruitful, but Rachel was barren. Leah would go on to bare four sons by Jacob in close succession to one another. The first son was named Reuben, the second Simeon, the third Levi, and the fourth son was named Judah. As time went on and Rachel bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. So Rachel gave Jacob her handmaid Bilhah to wife, so Rachel could have children by her. Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son, and Rachel named him Dan. Bilhah conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son, and Rachel named him Naphtali.

Now Leah noticed that she had ceased from bearing children. So, Leah gave Jacob her handmaid Zilpah as a wife, to beget children through her. Zilpah would bare Jacob two sons: the first son was named Gad, and the other son was named Asher. Later, Leah would begin to bare again and she brought forth two sons, Issachar and Zebulun. Leah also brought forth Jacob’s one and only daughter, Dinah. After this God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. Rachel conceived and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So Rachel brought forth her first son and named him Joseph. Rachel would conceive again and bare a son, but she died while in labor. As she was departing, Rachel named her son Ben-oni, but his father Jacob called him Benjamin. All in all, Jacob would father twelve sons – six sons by Leah, two sons from Bilhah, two sons from Zilpah, and two sons by Rachel. Later, these twelve sons of Jacob would be known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. For Jacob’s name would be changed to Israel, and his descendants would be known as the Children of Israel.

ISRAEL – HE WHO STRUGGLES WITH GOD

Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob wanted to leave Laban his father-in-law, and have a portion of country for himself, his wives, his children and his flocks. After some difficulty with Laban, the Lord intervened. The Lord spoke to Jacob and told him to return to the land of his fathers and that He (the Lord) would be with him. So Jacob went his way along with his family. As they came near the land of Seir, which is the country of Edom where Esau and his family dwelt, Jacob was fearful of his brother Esau that he would kill him along with his family. So they traveled cautiously. One night when Jacob was alone, a man came and wrestled with him until daybreak.

And when the man saw that he was not overpowering him, the man touched Jacob’s thigh and his hip came out of socket. The man told Jacob to let him go, but Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Then the man asked Jacob what his name was. When he replied that his name was Jacob the man told him thus: “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28). At this place the man blessed Jacob who would also be known now as Israel. So, Jacob called the name of that place Peniel, which means: I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

MAN, ANGEL, OR GOD?

The man that wrestled with Jacob is believed by many to be an angel. Others hold to the position that this “Man” was none other than the Word of God Himself: the pre-incarnate Christ. It would seem that Jacob believed it was the Lord, considering how he named the place Peniel: I have seen God, and lived. Also when Jacob asked the man if he would reveal his name, the man rebuked him a bit and didn’t tell Jacob his name. The significance of the man not revealing his name connects with other places in scripture that refer to Christ. A reference of Christ in Revelation 19:12 states that, “..he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” So just as the person that blessed Jacob had a name that was not revealed, so too does Jesus Christ have a name that only he himself knows.

 

References:

Brenton. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. (London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851).

Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).

Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

The History of Ancient Israel: Part 1 – Origins

May 23, 2023

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to part one in the series on the history of ancient Israel. In this installment we will attempt to trace the origins of the Children of Israel going all the way back to the days of Noah. Beginning with Noah is significant, even though Noah was not an Israelite. In fact, the name Israel would not even appear until the patriarch Jacob would assume that title several generations later. What is significant about Noah is the fact that one of his three sons would be the direct ancestor of the Israelite race. Let us now take a closer look into these claims as found in the first book of the Holy Bible – Genesis.

WHAT IS A SEMITE?

After the Flood, the only human survivors were Noah, his wife, Noah’s three sons and each of their wives: a grand total of 8 souls. From these three sons of Noah would the entire earth be populated once more. The names of these three sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Japheth and his descendants would go on to populate the areas of Europe, Ham the continent of Africa, and Shem the territories of the Middle East roughly speaking. Noah’s son Shem will be the person of interest for this study. Now, one of Shem’s descendants was Eber who’s descendant was the patriarch Abraham. What is important about Shem, Eber, and Abraham are the racial names or identities they would carry. For instance, the Bible states that Abraham was a Hebrew (Genesis 14:13); the reason being due to Abraham’s descent from Eber or Heber where the name Hebrew derives it’s origin. Shem is also important to the origins of the Children of Israel again based on their racial history. In fact the title Semite is derived from the name Shem, making the Children of Israel Semitic peoples. The Israelites would also be called Hebrews because of their shared genealogy and racial descent from Eber and Abraham. Now that we have traced the blood lines from Shem to Abraham, let us examine the identities of nations other than the Children of Israel that would also stem from Abraham, making them Semitic peoples as well.

THE NATIONS OF ISHMAEL & THE SONS OF KETURAH

Now Sarah, Abraham’s wife was barren and Abraham had no physical heir. However, God did tell Abraham that one day his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven, and Abraham believed in the word God spoke to him and the Lord counted his faith as righteousness. But as time went on and no child was conceived, Sarah had the idea to give her Egyptian handmaiden to Abraham as a means to produce an heir for him. So Abraham hearkened to the voice of his wife Sarah and went in unto Hagar, Sarah’s handmaiden and she conceived and brought forth a son, who the Lord named Ishmael. Further on Abraham and Sarah would conceive a child in their old age according to the Word of the Lord, and the name of the child would be Isaac, who would be the father of Jacob. Soon strife built up between Sarah and Hagar over their two sons Isaac and Ishmael. So, at Sarah’s insistence Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away into the wilderness. Nearly at the point of death an angel appeared and informed Hagar that God would make her son Ishmael into a great nation. The Bible goes on to list twelve descendants of Ishmael and specifies them as princes according to their nations (Genesis 25:12-18). After the death of Sarah, Abraham took another wife who’s name was Keturah, and she bore Abraham many sons. So we see from the Biblical narrative that other nations through Abraham have Semitic origins, not just the Children of Israel.

ISAAC – THE CHILD OF PROMISE

After giving all that he had to Isaac and giving gifts to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, full of years, and was gathered unto his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron…the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. Now Isaac, the half-brother of Ishmael, would hold the title of the child of promise. For it would be through the lineage of Isaac (not Ishmael) that the Messiah would descend from.

JACOB & ESAU

Now Isaac would father two sons, in fact twins who while in the womb of Rebecca (Isaac’s wife) struggled together within her. Rebecca was puzzled by this and went to the Lord to ask Him why this was happening. And, “the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.” And when it was time for Rebecca to give birth to her two sons, “the first came out red all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob.” When the boys grew up Esau became a hunter while Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob.

Now it came to pass one day as Jacob was making stew (red lentils to be specific) that Esau came in from the field and was faint. The Bible states that, “Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom – meaning red. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swear unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

The holy scriptures go on to say how Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing that would have fallen to the eldest son Esau. So it would be through the younger son Jacob that the promised Messiah would stem from. Esau went on to take a wife from the daughters of Ishmael and his descendants would be known as the Edomites, again another Semitic people group. Jacob (who’s name would be changed to Israel) went on to father twelve sons. These twelve sons of Israel and their families would be known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

 

References:

Brenton. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. (London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851).

Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).

Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).

Concerning the Resurrection of the Dead

May 23, 2023

Stretching all the way back in sacred history to the beginning of creation, we see that in the Garden of Eden man and woman were created in the image of God, and were also formed after God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26). However, though humanity (the crown of God’s creation) was originally made in a blessed state of body and soul, the transgression of the Lord’s commandment would soon plunge the entire world into a fallen condition. For the very moment our first parents Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, death entered into their bodies and bled over into the rest of creation, and as a result mankind was expelled from Paradise. Fortunately, God promised us that one day a deliverer would be born to heal fallen man of his sin sickness and that the Messiah would also trample down death, a condition which is foreign to the very nature of God and which was also foreign to man’s initial spiritual and physical makeup. Through the birth, death, (and most importantly) the resurrection of the promised Messiah, have we all been given a chance at immortality. For just as Jesus Christ rose from the dead, so too will all people from all the ages be risen from the dead at the end of this world. Some will be raised to everlasting life, while others will be raised to eternal condemnation. That being said, let us now take a closer look into these Biblical passages concerning the resurrection of the dead.

In Hebrews 9:27, it is stated that, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” However, in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel according to St. John it is written that Lazarus died and that Jesus raised him from the dead. Going further, we find in the seventh chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel that a widow’s son was also risen from the dead by Jesus. So since the Bible tells us that it is appointed unto men once to die, then why did Jesus raise people from the dead? We also know from holy tradition that Lazarus did indeed die again many years after his resurrection, so is there a contradiction here? Now it must be noted that Jesus loved Lazarus very much, and used the death and resurrection of His dear friend to foreshadow His own resurrection. As to the son of the widow of Nain, the Gospel tells us that Jesus had compassion on her, and so raised her only son from the dead. So it seems that even though God has established both spiritual laws and laws of nature, in His love towards mankind the Lord at times breaks these laws so that miracles may happen.

Concerning the resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that, “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). From this passage it would seem that some people living at the last day will not experience a physical death, but will instead be caught up in both body and soul to meet the Lord in the air. Now the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). So when the Lord returns in all His glory, this most powerful manifestation of God may be so intense that those living at the time of the second coming may in fact experience a physical death by being overcome by the epic majesty of God. Speaking on this most awesome of experiences St. Paul has this to say, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). This change that the living will go through at the end of time, must be nothing else but the putting on of incorruption which St. Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 15:53. For if flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, then a physical change is indeed needed to be able to withstand the awesome holiness of God. Though it appears that those living at the time of the resurrection will not die, there will definitely be a change in their bodies which in a form resembles a physical death, or that of a movement from corruption into incorruption.

Another instance where people have died, and then later are risen back to life, appears in the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation. The two witnesses, believed to be prophets Enoch and Elijah, are the only two people in history who have not experienced a physical death, even though they have been alive for thousands of years. Their death will indeed fulfill Hebrews 9:27 which states that it is appointed unto men once to die. Though they are killed, they rise from the dead three days later and ascend into heaven, signifying that their resurrection must be one in which they are given new incorruptible bodies. For if they would have been risen without a change, their sinful flesh and blood could not have withstood the glory of God. Additionally, at the time of Christ’s resurrection the Bible tells us that saints from the Old Testament also rose from the dead, and came out of their graves and went into Jerusalem, and were seen by many (Matthew 27:52-53). However, the Bible is not clear as to the condition of the bodies of these saints who rose from the dead after Jesus. For instance, we know that Lazarus was raised from the dead, but not with an incorruptible body. Whereas the two witnesses are raised from the dead with an incorruptible body. So the nature of the resurrected bodies of the Old Testament saints is indeed a mystery. Going further, it has also been speculated that these risen saints still walk among us even to this very day.

The second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead at the end of this world, will be the most intense, and most awesome, and most dreadful day in history, for it will mark the end of history. Some of us will be resurrected to everlasting life, while others will be resurrected to eternal damnation. On Judgment Day none of us will be able to make excuses, for the truth will trump all efforts to cover-up our sins. Everything will be laid bare, both our good works and our evil deeds. God is not partial and will judge us all fairly, playing no favoritism towards anyone. But by living a life of repentance the Lord in His mercy will take pity on those who cry out to Him day and night. For as it is written in Luke 9:56, “…the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them…”

The Garden of Eden

May 23, 2023

When the Lord God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, man was given the commandment to subdue the Earth. This meant that Adam had to use the mind God gave him to manage creation. When the Lord saw that man was alone and that this was not good, God took a rib from Adam’s side and made woman, a helper for the man, so that together man and woman could function as caretakers of the Garden of Eden.

God and humanity working in harmony with one another in a relationship of love. In order to be successful in this work, the Lord endowed Adam and Eve with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. This being proven by the Bible where it states that humankind was created in the image and after the likeness of God, male and female created He them. As all believers know, God is by nature good, wise, all knowing, and the very definition of the word love. Going further, the scriptures teach that God himself IS love. So if man was created with the attributes of the all holy, wise, and loving God, just think of the blessed state Adam and Eve shared with their creator before the fall.

But since God’s plan for humanity was for us to live on Earth and have dominion over nature, we in turn were given responsibility and accountability. Along with the blessed state of mind, Adam and Eve were given free will and a very famous rule which in its transgression would ultimately change the course of the very nature Adam and Eve were given and the world their descendants were destined to inherit.

The rule God gave Adam and Eve that they would later break was very simple. All fruit bearing trees in the garden were fit to eat from, except for the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil which grew in the midst of Eden. The breaking of the covenant through the subtleties of the serpent, shifted the world into an alienation from life itself. Remember God said, “The day you eat of its fruit you will surely die.” Mankind was created to live forever, but by taking the fruits in the aspiration of becoming wise and to become gods, death entered into the world. Now remember, Adam and Eve were already formed in the image and after the likeness of God, so what would possess them to eat of this fruit that they knew was forbidden and would lead to death?

The answer: Pride, the sin of Lucifer the archangel who in his conceit, desired to take the place of the Almighty, and as a result of his vanity was cast down out of Heaven like lightning and by his rebellion against Holy God, this once beautiful archangel became the father of lies; that age-old serpent, called the Devil and Satan.

So because man chose to listen to the devil over the voice of God, sin entered into the heart of every living man and woman from Adam and Eve to each of us now in the present and to everyone to come after us in the future.

But hope for fallen man came in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ came to seek and to save, not to condemn. He came to bring mankind back to Eden, back to Paradise, and back to God. The Four Gospels contain the very words of Christ. These words are life and give life. The teachings of Jesus Christ found in the Holy Gospel give us guidance in all aspects of our lives. Christ taught through His actions. His teaching in word was backed up by His works, and His works proved that His word was truth. And that truth which Christ taught and demonstrated will set us free, releasing us from the bondage of sin and death and from all the machinations of the evil one.

Joseph, or Imhotep?

May 23, 2023

In recent times some historians, Bible scholars, and even a few Egyptologists have proposed the theory that the character of Joseph as found in the Old Testament is in fact the ancient Egyptian architect and polymath Imhotep. Just as Joseph rose to second in command over all the land of Egypt, so too was Imhotep elevated to such an honor. Though there are elements to this comparison that may not hold water, it is still a fascinating parallel that deserves further study. That being said, may we gaze with a discerning eye and an open mind as we compare Joseph with Imhotep.

As every modern day Egyptologist will tell you, Imhotep’s mummy has never been found. And as every modern day Bible scholar will tell you, the bones of Joseph left Egypt along with the children of Israel during the time of the Exodus. For it is written: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straightly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.” (Exodus 13:19). So, according to the Bible the mummy of Joseph did not remain in Egypt, but was taken into the promised land through the efforts of the prophet Moses during the Exodus. So, since Joseph’s mummy was taken out of Egypt and the fact that Imhotep’s mummy has never been found, then this could be evidence that the Biblical Joseph and the Egyptian Imhotep are one and the same person.

Most Bible scholars place the date of the Exodus at around 1,200 BC, during the reign of Ramses II. However, according to the Bible the date of the Exodus is pointed out to have happened around 1,440 BC. For in I Kings 6:1 we are told that, “…It came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the forth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” The conventional dates of Solomon’s reign are roughly 970 to 930 BC. So if the fourth year of Solomon’s reign was in 966 BC, then according to the time frame given in I Kings 6:1, the date of the Exodus would be approximately 1,446 years before the birth of Christ.

The Bible also tells us how long the children of Israel stayed in Egypt, after the seventy souls came down from Canaan land and settled in the land of Egypt during the time of Joseph. “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” (Exodus 12:40). When adding the date of when the children of Israel left the land of Egypt, to the date of when the children of Israel settled in Egypt, we come to the year 1,876 BC as the date when Joseph and his family settled on the banks of the Nile. However, according to historians and other scholars Imhotep lived nearly a thousand years before Joseph in the late 27th century BC, or around the years 2,686 BC and 2,648 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser.

The Egyptian priest and historian Manetho, who lived in the third century BC during the Hellenistic period, wrote thus of Imhotep, “During Djoser’s reign, there lived a man named Imhotep who had the reputation of the Greek god of medicine and who influenced the art of building with hewn stone.” So here we see that Imhotep was a man of many talents, what we would call today a Renaissance Man. By scanning the scriptures it would seem that Joseph too was multi-talented. According to the Bible Joseph was very responsible, could interpret dreams, and was a master in business administration, very much the same as Imhotep.

The many legends concerning Imhotep and all of his grand abilities, led many to believe that the man Imhotep was simply a mythical character. However, in the 20th century archaeologists excavating at Pharaoh Djoser’s pyramid complex discovered the base of a statue with the name Djoser on it as well as the name Imhotep. Along with Imhotep’s name the inscription included a long list of titles. One such title read thus: “Imhotep, chief after the king.” This title of vizier first appears in Egypt with Imhotep and was also the title bestowed upon Joseph. Imhotep was also the architect of Pharaoh Djoser’s step pyramid and it’s surrounding complex. Built on the plateau of Saqqara, this step pyramid designed by Imhotep is believed to be the first Egyptian pyramid ever built.

Standing side by side, Joseph and Imhotep do indeed share similarities, but chronologically speaking they are separated by centuries. Interestingly, in Upper Egypt there stands what is known as the Famine Stela, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (305 – 30 BC). The stela bears the inscription of a famine which lasted for seven years during the reign of Djoser. Imhotep is also credited with having been instrumental in ending the famine, just as the Biblical Joseph saved Egypt from a famine that lasted for seven years. Though it may be difficult to confirm with certainty that Joseph and Imhotep are the same person, the parallels between the two are truly interesting to say the least. However, the argument to support the theory that Joseph and Imhotep are the same person is a cold case. But what is fair to say is that the life of Joseph is a mystery of the Bible, and the life of Imhotep is a mystery of history.

 

References:

Osman, A. The Hebrew Pharaohs of Egypt. (Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company, 2003).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).