The Twelve Tribes of Israel: What Happened to Them?

What Happened to the 12 Tribes of Israel?

The tribes were named after Jacob’s sons and grandsons. They were Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Judah and Benjamin. Of these 12, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin survived. The 10 “lost tribes” are the ones that inhabited the kingdom of Israel but were exiled by the king of Assyria, who conquered Israel in 721 B.C. Historians and biblical scholars have come up with numerous theories on the ultimate fate of these people. Scholars speculate that the tribes lost their distinct qualities when they were assimilated by various captors. Different religious groups have had their own theories about this over the centuries, but there is little agreement among them. The descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin have survived as Jews because they were allowed to return to their homeland after the Babylonian exile of 586 B.C.   

Whatever happened to the 12 Tribes of... | Almanac.com

 Its interesting that only two of the twelve survived. However, the above gave us little information about why they were important enough for God to include them in His Word. 

Not being a bible scholar myself, I have to sometimes just take bits of the bible at a time in learning things that I have never studied before, and that is what I am doing with this series. My next question will be posted on Thursday, Feb 2. about why they were important to be included by God.  

Thank you for coming by and have a blessed day.

Whatever happened to the 12 Tribes of... | Almanac.com

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

 Map of the Twelve Tribes

  The Twelve Tribes of Israel. Who Were They?

Good question. Truthfully, my study of them is limited at best. And so, I think it is time for me to find out what I can about these tribes.

To get started we find that the twelve tribes are as follows:  Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim and Manasseh.

 But where did they come from? 

got questions.org explains it this way:

The twelve tribes of Israel came from the twelve sons of Israel. “Israel” is the name that God gave Jacob (Genesis 32:28). His twelve sons are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 35:23-26; Exodus 1:1–4; 1 Chronicles 2:1–2). When the tribes inherited the Promised Land, Levi’s descendants did not receive a territory for themselves (Joshua 13:14). Instead, they became priests and had several cities scattered throughout all of Israel. Joseph’s tribe was divided in two—Jacob had adopted Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, essentially giving Joseph a double portion for his faithfulness in saving the family from famine (Genesis 47:11–12). This means the tribes who received territory in the Promised Land were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. In some places in Scripture, the tribe of Ephraim is referred to as the tribe of Joseph (Numbers 1:32–33).

After King Solomon died, Israel split into two kingdoms. Judah, to the south, included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The other tribes combined to make the kingdom of Israel in the north. In the ensuing years, many Israelites in the north emigrated to Judah in the south to flee the apostasy in their homeland (see 2 Chronicles 11:16; 15:9). Eventually, Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, and most of the Israelites were either killed or deported; the Israelites who remained most likely integrated with Judah as many of the faithful before them had.

Jesus was from Judah, Paul was from Benjamin, and John the Baptist was a Levite, but, since the diaspora in A.D. 70, identifying the tribe of a modern Jew is a little more difficult. That doesn’t mean that the tribal divisions are irrelevant. During the tribulation, when most of the world has abandoned God and is following the Antichrist, 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God. This number comprises 12,000 from each tribe. So, even if we don’t know who is in what tribe, God has kept track. The tribes are listed again in Revelation 7:5-8, but they are not the same tribes that were given land in Joshua. Manasseh is there, and Ephraim (under Joseph’s name). But instead of Dan, Levi is included. No explanation is given as to why.

This gives us some information about the tribes. But do we know what happened to them?  

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Come back tomorrow as we find out more about these tribes

Slam The Door Shut?

 The Covid virus has hit much of the world and many people have stopped doing the things they used to love (or not love) in public.

It happened this week to my home and in fact this makes the second time in a year that it did.

I know you are probably wondering "Huh. What happened?"

Most of us have had people from Jehovah Witness organization, come to our doors to try to get converts for their church.

It seems (although I don't know this for sure) that Covid has put them out of commission. 

Ok, that may be false about Covid taking them out of commission. 

Perhaps it is the increase in crime that has stopped these people from going out in the neighborhoods.

Whatever the reason, they haven't stopped altogether around my part of the country no matter the reason., Someone from the JW church is using snail mail to try to contact people.

I have received two letters in n the past year from a lady that probably would have come to my door, but maybe she feels it is not safe to go door to door now.  Included with the letters were pamphlets from the Watchtower.

Now basically I identify as a Baptist. And if this lady knew that she would not want anything to do with me.

Just for the moment, let's forget Covid or crime or any other reason that may keep these people from going door to door and assume they still are.

I know there are many ways a person can deal with these people. My deceased Father-in-law used to threaten them to get off his property, or he would physically throw them off.

Other people misght slam the door on them or curse them out.

However, as a Christian, what should we do when someone shows up at our door, or in my case at this time, receive a letter from someone that is a JW.

For those that come to our door, we know that they do not bring the truth and we do not have to listen to them. In fact, it is better that we don't listen to them or even invite them in. Actually, if we do invite them in, they would probably refuse unless they could "witness" to us. They do not want to hear what we believe.

Years ago, I asked some that came to my door if I could pray for them. That was a big no-no and never again in that home that we lived in, did they come there again. 

Its no doubt maddening to some people that these people come and interrupt their day trying to preach to them. And so, they use negative ways to get them to leave.

But I think that if they come it is much better to show our own love for Jesus Christ and believe me in doing that, it is quite enough to send them on their way.

For this lady that sent me these letters, I intend to reply to her with my own faith in Jesus Christ. I expect she will tear up my letter when she realizes that it will not agree with her. But that is okay because I will have written it the way that God wants me too, and if she rejects that, she will be rejecting Him. I have no control over that, but I will have tried. And who knows what seeds it may plant. Maybe none. But there have been people that have been saved out of the JW organization because someone they visited planted seeds of doubt about what they believed and gave them the gospel of Jesus Christ instead.

Who am I to judge? No one.

Thanks for coming by Friends God bless you.

Cross Roads

 I am at a crossroad in my life. Do I go this way or that way?  Do I decide to trust the Lord, or do I decide there is no God? For if He even exists, He doesn't care for me, or He would not have let this situation enter my life.

Now imagine that this is you asking those questions. Or any other you can think of that comes into your mind.

Perhaps you might ask, why me God? Why not someone else?

Sadly, too many people ask those questions instead of trusting God.

I have a friend who is going through some hard things in her life. Granted she probably has a right to complain. And she does, believe me. Instead of leaning on God through it, she doesn't seem to see Gods hand in it. And instead of trusting God, she complains.

I don't want to seem harsh with her for I can be like that too. Wondering why God has me in this situation in my life. I can be critical and unforgiving. Not to mention questioning God.

Life is not easy at times. And the Bible does say to share one another's burdens. We get into our own messes and feel the need to complain. We want someone to listen to us complain. 

But instead of doing that, why don't we go to God's Word?

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

 I pray that for this coming year, I will do less complaining and instead go to God's Word instead. And remember that God is still working on me.

What about you? Can you just trust God and not complain and yet know also that He is still working on you as well?

Just some food for thought. Thanks for coming by. God bless you!

A New Years Prayer

 Sometimes God sends someone into our lives for a reason that we don't always understand and may not understand until we get to Heaven, and we get to know the answer.

Other times we find out at some point in our lives even if we don't know right away.

Several years ago, I met a woman that I only know over the internet, but she has become a wonderful Christian friend to me. At the time we started emailing each other, we knew it was a God thing because of the circumstance of how we came to know each other.

However, as far as I am concerned, I know now at least partially why God brought us together as friends.

It is because of her friendship over the last few months since my husband died. Everyone else I knew could judge that situation. Either for him or against him. Either what I did or didn't do that brought us to that fateful night that he took his life.

My friends and extended family have tried to comfort me. But there were some people that I felt judgement from. On both sides they judged both my husband and myself.

Not so from my email friend. Because she did not know him. And yet she has allowed me to talk to her through my email without coming back with judgement for either my husband or myself. 

I have had a bad weekend. I have felt the despair of losing my husband and am honestly not sure when I will get back to really living again. 

But I believe that God sends us just what we need from Him when we need it. And He did over this weekend from my email friend.

She had sent me a prayer that she found on the internet and wanted to share it with me. She had said that I did not know at this time last year what I would be facing in 2022 and that was probably for the best. And I would add that to this year as the pastor of my church said in service this morning. we don't know what we will face this coming year. But God does and He is faithful. 

So, I will share this prayer with you as a reminder of Gods love for us.

NEW YEARS PRAYER

Almighty God, I ask for your blessing in this new year. I do not know what it will bring us. I do not know what joys we will experience or trials we will face. You alone know this, Merciful Father. And You see the beginning, the duration, and the end of our lives. You guide us all through time into eternity. 

Grant me the grace to abide with You always, to walk faithfully in the way of Your commandments. I want to remain devoted to You, in Your power, to do calmly, humbly, and confidently what pleases You and what belongs to me. I do not know what is in store for us this year, but I know that all things work together for good for those who love You. And that is enough for me.

​​​​​​​Father, You love Your children. May I begin this year in Your love and remain faithful to You. Do not let anything separate me from Your love. Guide me according to Your holy will. I will find peace in You and Your choice, for Your will is our eternal peace.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Friends, I do not know what the new year or the rest of my life on earth will bring. But I do know my time here is not over. There are things I need to do and I do know what those things are. So far as the rest of it which God has not revealed to me yet, I love that hymn that says: I know whom I am believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. That hymn is a praiseworthy song right out of 2 Timothy 1:12.

 For the which cause I also suffer these, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

God is taking me through a storm right now but He promises me that He will not let them overtake me. Isaiah 43:2

In the mean time, I am thankful for my friends and especially for the friend that God introduced me to through email several years ago. 

Thanks for letting me share with you today. God bless you!

 

 

A Know It All World

It started eons ago. It started in the Garden of Edon. It started because a woman named Eve decided to become a know it all.

We read in the following verses:

Genesis 3:2-7

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the e

yes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

With that act of disobedience to their Creator came the beginnings of a know-it-all world.

Lies, falsehood, craziness came forth. Even God's very Word is distorted in so called Christians Churches today. Not even to mention the cults that have cropped up.

And in our own families? Our teenagers think that they know more than their own parents do. 

Yes, the know-it-all attitudes exist even there in many many and I mean many homes. 

But why?

It goes back to Genesis 3:1-7. Eve could not resist what Satan had told her in verse 1.

 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

His lie and her greed along with her husband's greed for knowledge was the downfall of the world to come. And until Jesus comes back to claim His church, the world will go on living in this lie. 

Thank God for His Son's redemption of all of us that believe. The truth is written for all that choose to not believe the lie, but choose instead to believe the truth. 

Jesus is the only way to God and we can have access to Him who died on the cross that day on the cross. 

Thanks for coming by, Friends. God bless you and your families.

Making Our World Better

 Our world would be a much better place to live in if indeed we would do for others as the Bible tells us to do. Take for instance the following story that I found in Reader's Digest this morning:

A couple of years ago, I stumbled off the subway in Upper Manhattan, exhausted after a long and stressful day at work, dreaming about the warmth of my bed. I stopped in a 7/11 on the way to my apartment to buy a bag of popcorn (treat yourself!). A man about three times my size stood in front of me at the register buying a pack of cigarettes and turned toward me, telling me I looked tired. I smiled uncomfortably and became noticeably more alert, as a young woman does when a strange man starts talking to her at night. He turned toward the cashier and said that he was going to get my snack too. I politely declined and was already pulling out my wallet, but this man wouldn’t allow me to say no. He handed the cashier a couple of extra dollars to cover my popcorn and told me that he hoped my night got better. He walked out of the store and I never saw him again.

(30 Stories About the Touching Kindness of Strangers That’ll Make You Tear Up}

Granted, nowadays this situation can be a scary one. Thankfully for her, the man was really trying to do something for her. A bag of popcorn. No big deal. But perhaps it made a difference in her day. 

If you have ever had this happen to you maybe you can identify with her. A complete stranger in a grocery may pay for some groceries for you. A man may pay for an ice cream order at a dairy queen for someone they have never seen before. Perhaps a  elderly couple may buy that child in the check-out line ahead of you that treat that it was obvious his mother did not have the money for it.

Or something as simple as a smile or a "Have a nice day, Sir" to someone may mean a lot to someone that has had a hard day. 

The new year of 2023 is a good time to do something for other people that may be a little out of our comfort zone. But read what Luke 6:38 says to us.

 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete

 withal it shall be measured to you again.

It may be easy for us to give to those we know. Our family and friends. But what about those in the world that we don't know. I believe that our giving does not stop with those people that are in our circle of friends and loved ones. But should extend to those outside of it. Sometimes those people are the most needy of all. Especially if they do not know Jesus.

And if we can extend our hand to someone else, God can do amazing things through it. Not only for us. But for someone else. And our world can become a much better place in which to live.

Thanks for coming today. God bless you!

Your Dash Matters

Every week I watch the worship service online of the church I used to belong to. I don't attend there anymore because I have moved to a different state. But I love that church and the leaders that have taught me so much.

There are several men that pastor there. It is a large church and yesterday, Pastor Joe had preached, and he had an interesting topic. It was: Your Dash Matters

I am certain people like me probably wondered what that meant. Dash? I had no idea. 

But it did make sense as he explained it. 

On the tombstones in cemeteries, they usually give the date the person was born, and then in the middle a dash and then the date the person died on. 

The dash stands for the life we live after birth and before death. And those years matter. 

As I think about those years in my own life, what did matter?  Has it been the years that contributed to my family by working as much over time as I could.

No. For as much as we needed me to work at that time, I have nothing to show for it, then a few awards I received during that time.

What did matter about that time? I had worked at a group home for adult women and there were times that I could speak about Jesus to the women that lived there and other staff members. 

That is what mattered.

What about my family life? What mattered?

The material things we gave our kids.?

No. While some of those material things were needed, it was our love for them and the fact that during the years that we were raising our kids, it was going to church as a family and teaching them about Jesus.

That is what mattered. 

I could go on and on. But you get the picture. 

The dash in our lives is what matters. One day we will get to that date that shows when we died. Do we want to make it count for Jesus?

Or don't we? What do you think?

Thanks for coming by, Friends.

God Bless you!

Was 2022 A Roller Coaster Ride For You?

 Have you ever felt as if your life has been a like a roller coaster ride? Up and down, you go. Swerving this way and that. Screaming to no one in particular but just for the fun of it.

And then suddenly you get a jolt unlike you have never experienced before and the screaming starts. Maybe not out loud. Maybe just within your mind and heart. 

In 2022 that is how I felt. Oh, I have had up and down times throughout my whole life. I am sure most people do.

But this past year, it has been a jolt unlike I have never experienced in my whole life when my husband without warning had passed away.

I don't go around screaming. Not even in my mind and heart. Because I know that God is with me. But so many times I will see or hear something that reminds me of him, and I tend to sob my heart out until it passes.

And yet, even in those dark moments of grief I know that God is with me.

Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT).

Thankfully, I can remember what God's word tells me and that give me comfort.

The following was written for Christianity.com by Vivian Bricker and I think it is so appropriate for those that have experienced tragedy in their lives:

When David says that God is keeping his tears in a bottle, David is referring to the fact that God remembers all of our sorrows, pains, and griefs. God remembers every single tear that we shed, and He will never forget the great amount of tears that have streamed down our faces.

The year 2022 brought both joy and sorrow for me. He answered prayer. And yet, he allowed a few curves that threatened to throw me off balance.

And then came the jolt.

But through it all, I can honestly say that through my tears I am trusting in Him. He has my life under control when I don't know which end us up. He has and is taking care or me.

What will 2023 bring? What will it bring for you?

Only God knows. I pray there will be no more jolts. But if there is, I know he is with me always. Collecting those future tears, I may shed in His bottle.

Thanks for coming today, Friends. I hope to now continue on with my blog. God bless you in the New Year.