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Home , Tribe of Issachar, Tribe of Simeon, Tribe of Zebulun, Zebulun

Refine Women’s Ministry Genesis 49 ’s Dozen: Twelve Tribes as a Unit Lesson 2: January 22, 2020 by Kim Peelen That [there be] no immoral or godless person like , who sold his own birthright for a [single] meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Heb. 12:16-17 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, [as] stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial. Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. Exodus 28: 12, 29

Our study is Genesis 49 in which Jacob bestows God’s prophetic blessings on each of his twelve sons. Jacob, not his older brother Esau (who despised his birthright and Jacob tricked out of ’s blessing), continues the line of succession of his grandfather through whom God specifically promised a land, a nation, and a blessing. Jacob’s father Isaac forbids him from marrying a Canaanite (pagan) woman, so sends him to the land of his mother (and Abraham) to find a wife. On the way to , God tells Jacob that he is the son of the promise, through whom the covenant will continue. Unmarried at the time, Jacob vows that if he returns safely to his father Isaac, then “the LORD will be my God” Genesis 28:21.

God Confirms His Promise at Bethel: Genesis 35: 11,12

Jacob does return to his father in after 20 plus years, with two wives and their two maids and 12 sons and at least one daughter. On the journey, God appears to Jacob again at Bethel, reminds him of his new name Israel (given at Peniel), and restates three elements of His covenant - land, nation (seed), and blessing: God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. "The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you." Genesis 35: 11,12 Soon after, his favorite wife dies giving birth to the youngest son and Jacob settles between Bethlehem (where Rachel died) and Hebron (where his father lives). Genesis 35 concludes with a detailed list of Jacob’s wives, concubines, and children, and the burial of his father Isaac in the family plot (cf Genesis 49:31).

Now there were twelve sons of Jacob-- the sons of : , Jacob's firstborn, then and and and and ; the sons of Rachel: and Benjamin; and the sons of , Rachel's maid: and ; and the sons of , Leah's maid: and . These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

1 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. Genesis 35: 22 – 27

The Twelve Tribes of Israel –Gatherings and Garments

Before studying the specific prophecy and its fulfillment associated with each of the twelve sons of Israel, we will examine two areas where they are viewed as an entire unit – the tribal encampment around the and the garments of the high priest. Note: Both of Joseph’s sons ( and Manasseh) receive a portion of land (“double portion”), while the Levites have no inheritance in the land, making twelve allotments of land (Gen. 48:17- 22; Ex. 32:25-29).

GATHERINGS: Tribal Encampment During the Wilderness Journey - Numbers 2

The chronicles the wilderness wanderings of the twelve tribes of Israel over 39 years, with emphasis on the second and fortieth years after leaving Egypt. The LORD communicates to His people through , who has divine authority. By this time the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting, is fully functioning with Aaron as the high priest (Exodus 29:4-8). Moses directs the tribes to arrange themselves in specific order as they move from place to place during their wanderings, with Judah in the lead and Dan in the rear guard:

"Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab, "Those who camp next to him the , and the leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar, "[Then comes] the , and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon, "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies. They shall set out first.

"On the south side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Reuben by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur, "Those who camp next to him the , and the leader of the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, "Then the , and the leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel, "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their armies. And they shall set out second.

"Then the tent of meeting shall set out [with] the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their standards.

"On the west side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim Elishama the son of Ammihud, "Next to him the , and the leader of the sons of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, "Then the , and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni, "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their armies. And they shall set out third.

2 "On the north side the standard of the camp of Dan by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, "Those who camp next to him the , and the leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran, "Then the , and the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan, "The total of the numbered men of the camp of Dan [was] 157,600. They shall set out last by their standards." (Numbers 2).

God specifically appoints a hierarchy of tribal leaders to implement God’s organized departure procedure for the multitude to follow. God is so thorough and organized!! The East Group is the first to depart with the as leader, Issachar and Zebulun following. The South Group is next, with Rueben leaving first, then Simeon and Gad. The Levites are in the middle, transporting the Tent of meeting and all its implements (Numbers 3, 4 for the specific duties assigned). The West Group comes after the Levites and Tabernacle, with Ephraim leading Manasseh then Benjamin. Finally, the North Group breaks camp last with Dan first, then Asher and Naphtali. Knowing your tribal heritage was essential during this Desert Wandering period.

Connected to the specific marching order, is the predetermined plan to set up camp and surround the Tabernacle - God’s logistical mandate to keep the group from scattering.

The middle of the camp was the Tabernacle and the priests and Levites immediately around it. The east side had Judah (eldest of group), Issachar, and Zebulun The south side had Rueben (eldest of group), Simeon, and Gad The west side had Ephraim (elevated to firstborn of Joseph), Manasseh, and Benjamin The north side had Dan (eldest of group), Asher, and Naphtali. [See handout]

William Varner describes the significance of this arrangement:

The arrangement of Jacob’s descendants may appear, at first glance, to be without any purpose. Upon closer examination, however, the three tribes in each set are the nearest blood relation to each other. Since Levi is not included in the four sets, Gad, who is born through the maid of Levi’s mother Leah, takes his place alongside Levi’s closest brothers, Simeon and Rueben. Each set of three, furthermore, is lead by the most prominent tribe of that group - Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan. In three of the cases, this is because the tribal founder is the oldest of the three brothers. Ephraim, however, is placed above his older brother, Manasseh. Thus, Jacob’s prophecy about Ephraim being greater than Manasseh is already finding its fulfillment (Genesis 48:19 -20). [page 72].

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance. The Levites, however, were not numbered among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

3 Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, every one by his family according to his father's household. Numbers 10:11, 36

Standards are flags that identify the 4 encampments, while banners (emblems) were additional flags to mark individual tribes. Though Scripture does not describe these flags in detail, Jewish tradition reveals how later generations viewed them. Each tribe had a color associated with its gemstone in the high priests’ breastpiece (explained in next section); for example Dan would be blue as it is sapphire. The four standards displayed the three colors of each triad plus a living being assigned to it (perhaps influenced by cherubim in Ezekiel’s vision in Ez. 1:10) – Judah’s is a lion, Rueben’s a man, Ephraim’s an ox, and Dan’s an eagle [Varner, page 72].

GARMENTS: Clothing of the High Priest - Exodus 28

The twelve tribal identities are essential for keeping the multitude organized and accounted for during the long years of wandering in the unknown. But these tribes also represent the unbreakable covenant God made with Abraham - the promise of a land, a nation, and a blessing. So, as the Hebrews began formally worshipping the LORD, Moses instructed the people to incorporate specific elements to honor God, including the garments of the High Priest. God appointed Aaron (brother of Moses) and his sons to be the first priests of His people, clearly defining in the law their duties and even their attire as they served God’s people. See handout. Note: specific gem type/ color is debated, but clearly there was one assigned to each tribe.

Ephod - Exodus 28:4, 9-12

4 "These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. 9 "You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth. 11 "As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree [settings] of gold. 12 "You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, [as] stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.

Although God NEVER forgets, people do, so God incorporates a visual reminder of His everlasting promise to the twelve tribes of Jacob with the shoulder stones on the ephod (robe).

In your groups discuss Exodus 28:15-21, 29, 30, the description of High Priestly Breastpiece.

4 15 "You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen you shall make it. 16 "It shall be square [and] folded double, a span in length and a span in width. 17 "You shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row [shall be] a row of ruby, topaz and emerald; 18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. 21 "The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be [like] the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes. 29 "Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 "You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.

1. In verse 15, the workman is to make the breastpiece of judgment out of what materials?

2. What is on the breastpiece of judgment (listed in verses 17 – 20)? Comment on the value of these stones – is it little or great? What do these stones represent?

3. The arrangement of the stones are four rows with three stones each– what other arrangement did God use for the tribes that was four groups of three?

4. The tribal names are not specifically assigned to the gems in this passage, how do you think the stones were arranged? [Exodus 28:10 gives a hint: six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth]

5. What did the priestly garments communicate about God and His relationship to His people then? What does it communicate to followers of Jesus today?

Summary: The high priest represented all Israel when he ministered in the Tabernacle (especially on Yom Kippur/the Day of Atonement, see Leviticus 16). His garments included two onyx stones, one on each shoulder, that bore the names of the 12 tribes before the LORD as a memorial

5 (Exodus 28:12) as well as the breastpiece of judgment – a pocket which held the Urim and Thummin stones that were used to seek God’s will for decisions (specifics on how this was accomplished is uncertain, but examples of its use are in Leviticus 8:8; No. 27:31; Deut 33:8). The outside of the breastpiece of judgment displayed 12 precious stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel in four rows of three stones each. It is assumed that the names were in order of their births, as with the onyx stones on the shoulders, with Rueben (firstborn) in the upper right corner (Hebrew is written from right to left), then Simeon, Levi. Next row is Judah, Dan and Naphtali; third row Gad, Asher, Issachar; and bottom row Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. “Thus, the nation as a whole rested on the high-priestly person and work (on his shoulders); on the other hand, he carried them individually and lovingly into God’s presence (on his heart).” William Varner, p. 70

In Genesis 49, Jacob is about to bless his sons with the prophecy and promise of God, which the LORD spoke to him, and to his father Isaac, and to his grandfather Abraham. His twelve sons are only recently reunited with each other after years of estrangement due to their cruel selling of Joseph to Egyptian traders. God‘s plan for the sons of Israel is determined and will not be shaken, even through the 400-year cruel enslavement of their descendants, their miraculous extraction from their Egyptian masters, and their years of wilderness wandering. During this formative history, God establishes constant reminders of His faithfulness to establish Abraham’s descendants with a land, a people, and a blessing through Jacob’s twelve tribes as they move about the wilderness and learn to worship God through the guidance of the law and the high priest.

Homework 1. Read Numbers 10 which is the first time the 12 tribes move camp– record any thoughts.

2. Read Genesis 29:15 – 30:24. Who does Jacob marry? List the children, their mothers, and birth order and any thoughts.

3. Read Genesis 37. Summarize the story. Which brothers are names? Who is there, but not specifically named? What details does the author give about the slave traders in v. 25-29, 36?

Resources Jacob’s Dozen: A Prophetic Look at the Tribes of Israel by William Varner, 1987. John MacArthur Study , NKJV, 1982 Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, & Time Lines, 2005. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary of the Whole Bible, 1997

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