1 Ch. 8: Saul's Folks

1 Chronicles 8:33 "Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal."

We got the geneaology of Saul in here, from Benjamin himself, on through the sons of Ulam. They were archers, which is neat. You gotta have archers.

Jg. 21: Benjaminites De-pwned, Marry

Judges 21:23 "So that is what the Benjamites did. While the girls were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them."

The book of Judges, which to this point is the Bible's action movie, ends with another tragic mess compounded on other tragic messes. And it started so well, darn it.

Because of the rash actions by both sides (Israel in not being reasonable with Benjamin, and Benjamin not coughing up a few rabble-rousers), they were stuck with even more rash vows, like "Don't give daughters to be married to Benjaminites," and "Whoever doesn't show up at assembly must die." I don't recall God commanding either of those two, but here we are. Benjamin didn't show up because they were probably still burying all their dead that the other tribes slaughtered, and re-mudding their huts or whatever. Benjamin (Jabesh Gilead) was busy or dead. And the other tribes mourned for them, but then had to go kill the rest of them for not showing up.

I'm sure God was pulling his hair out at this point, and thats how comets were formed. Don't quote me on that, thats just an assumption.

So Israel sends fighting men to the city and they slaughter the males and all non-virgin women. The process in discovering which of the women were virgins and which weren't...I don't want to speculate on, because it just kind of seems ... Anyway, the Benjamites returning from battle didn't have enough women to go around.

This led to more mourning, because the tribe had a gap. Because of the vow they made. So they allowed their daughters to be kidnapped by the Benjamites during Shiloh, a festival to God.

This is what happens when people go and do stuff outside of what God has commanded...without a clear leader. They create their own laws and vows, and have to play everything by ear. God has plans laid out, and while they appear to be messy, they tie up neatly. Israel, at the end of Judges, is still trying to figure out just what is going on. Everyone did as he saw fit...which is the problem.

Jg. 20: Benjaminites Pwned

Judges 20:13 "Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel."

Well, apparently this whole unpleasantness with the Levite's wife led to a big blow-up between Israel and Benjamin. The Levite sent these pieces of his concubine out the other tribes, demanding justice. The other tribes convened, and tried to convince Benjamin to produce the rapists, but they refused. I don't know why, it could only lead to war.

And what a war.

The Israelites slaughter the crap out of each other for what they would think is justice. No one really consulted God. They just kinda figured they had to destroy Benjamin. So they go for it, but the first two battles belong decisively to Benjamin. Finally, God tells the Israelites that He will give them victory, and Benjamin is almost completely destroyed. Because of this one incident, Israel almost lost an entire tribe.

It's a sordid affair really. The leaders wanted blood. Benjamin wouldn't give up these clowns because of their own pride and unwillingness to step up. And Israel slaughtered each other. When you want to fight, you want to fight, I suppose, and this war bypassed a few failsafes to keep peace, but pride killed, and so did an overinflated sense of justice.

Jos. 18: The Division Ben

Joshua 18:3 "So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?"

For whatever reason, be it laziness or complacency or fear, the Israelites had still not taken possession of the land, even though it was all conquered and handed over by God Himself. God had this great gift for the people, and the people didn't want to accept it. How heartbreaking or angering it must have been for God to see this happen.

Joshua takes charge and says, "All right, this is how it's going to happen." He has his crew go out and survey and map the land, and then by lot the land will be divided among the seven remaining tribes. The casting of lots removed human meddling, and apparently put the division of land back into God's hands.

I wonder how often I do this myself. I look forward to something great, and then I have the chance to take it and I chicken out or back down. How often when someone offers us a gift out of the goodness of their heart, do we look at it and say, "I won't accept that. You don't have to do that." Has that happened to you? For Pete's sake, take the gift, and don't refuse someone's generosity.

Then Benjamin gets his land.

Ge. 44: Who's Got The Silver Cup? Benjamin's Got The Silver Cup.

So after the feasting and joy is all done, Joseph, unbeknownst to his brothers, gives similar instructions as in chapter 42. Fill the sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put the silver back. I don't know if Joseph mentioned these were his brothers to the stewards, or if the stewards caught on, or what. Perhaps they were used to crazy orders from a capricious Pharaoh. You know, like, "Dig up that tree, and move it ten feet to the left." Or "Execute this slave with a flaming arrow, but force-feed him this pineapple first."

This time, Joseph tells them to put his silver cup in the youngest one's sack.

Well, the brothers were up with the sun, and gone with the wind. They didn't get far when Joseph sends his steward to go catch up to them and ask them why they repaid generosity with thievery. Why they took the cup the master uses for divination. Not sure what that's all about, perhaps to keep up the deception?

Of course the brothers are like, "Whatever, we didn't do anything. Why would we do that? Tell you what, if anyone has that stuff, he will die, and we'll be your slaves." Their certainty and impetuousness with these vows has got to stop. I would never promise myself as a slave to anyone, regardless of how sure I am the sun revolves around the earth.

Wouldn't you know it, the cup was in Benjamin's sack. D'oh. So they tore their clothes in agony and returned to the city. Remember what they promised Jacob?

Joseph, who wants to make these people suffer or something snaps at them, but only says he'll keep Benjamin as a slave. Judah, who had made a pretty intense vow tells Joseph the whole story about what he told his dad in chapter 43, mentioning how closely bound their father's life is with the well being of his youngest son. I think these guys' hearts are finally melting.

Pretty agonizing for them. Now they have to return to dad empty handed, exactly as they promised they would not.

When is Joseph going to put an end to this madness? His big reveal: Tomorrow.

Ge. 35: Jacob's Refuge; Birth in Bethlehem

In spite of Jacob's fear, God yet again proves His faithfulness and His covenant in chapter 35. Still reeling from his sons' devastating Shechem offensive, Jacob is visited by God and told to go back to Bethel, the place where he had that weird Angel Stairway Dream back in Gen. 28:12. Why would God tell Jacob to go back there?

I believe because Bethel was established as a place of refuge. Jacob found a place to rest there in fleeing Esau. He had a meaningful encounter with God there, in which God grabbed a hold of Jacob's attention by conferring upon him the covenant He had made with Jacob's forefathers. This was a new chance for Jacob's family to go back to that place after many years, and sort of recenter, refocus, and refresh themselves. It would be a time of purging, of cleanliness.

They changed their clothes, rid themselves of any foreign Gods or charms they may have been taking with them, and set out for Bethel.

Verse 5 is amazing. Can you imagine being in that caravan, making your way to Bethel, and as verse 5 says, "The terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them." What deliverance! The towns? No one came after Jacob out of fear. I wonder if this is similar to the fear that God put into the animal kingdom in regard to man waaay back in Gen. 9:2. God has certainly established Himself as the protector of those who fear him. Lets not forget that these towns may have had an interest in exacting vengeance on Jacob (Gen. 34:30). When you know without a doubt you can have no fear, what amazing opportunities open up to you, and you can focus on the beautiful things of life, and what God has planned.

Jacob arrived there, and built another altar to God, calling it El Bethel, or God of Bethel, in a display of humility and rededication.

Verse 8 mentions the death of Rebekah's nurse, and that she was buried under the old oak tree in Bethel...not sure what that's all about. Maybe this was in time past...and they remembered Deborah. Or maybe she was traveling with the posse. Not sure. If I had to guess, I'd say this is a current (for the time of the story) event.

God appears to Jacob again, and reiterates the covenant, and the name Israel. God repeats the covenant. When I see repetition in the Bible, it seems to be either important, a challenge or both. I don't remember precisely, but I think Isaac got a review. I know Abraham did.

Verse 11, where God says, "I am God Almighty..." Wow. If that sends my spine a-quiver, then I can't fathom being there at that time with God saying it directly into my ear. Whether God was yelling it, or whispering it, I imagine there would be no difference in awe.

Hmm.

Anyway, God blesses Him, and tells him to be fruitful and multiply. And Jacob set up another pillar, oiled it up real nice, and called it Bethel. Again.

While Israel was traveling from Bethel to Ephratah, a very pregnant Rachel went into labor. And there was great difficulty in childbirth for Israel's offspring. Birth pains, big time. "Don't be afraid, you have another son," the midwife said to Rachel. Rachel called her son Ben-Oni because she was dying. Israel renamed him Benjamin. So the child's name goes from meaning "son of my trouble" to meaning "son of my right hand." So, a pretty important son is born with trouble in Bethlehem, where Rachel is buried.

Israel moves on to Midgal Eder. While they were there, Leah's oldest, Reuben goes in a sleeps with Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Israel, cool as ever, heard about it, as the Bible says, but the Bible doesn't report anything further.

Rather there is a genealogy of Jacob.

With Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
With Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin
With Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali
With Zilpah: Gad, Asher

Finally, Jacob makes it home to his father Isaac in Mamre. Isaac live to be 180 years old. And Jacob must have reconciled with Esau and explained his little detour in chapter 33, because they both bury their father.

Isaac: 2038 - 2218