Yeah I'm really sorry - you'll know I'm pants at keeping things up-to-date by now!
So. Sunday.
We started off looking at the answers to some of the questions Jamie asked in his last post:
The first one was about when the Assyrians came down and took the Northern kingdom into exile, and what about the other tribes?
Well, looking at 2 Chron 11:16, "And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers." , we find that the the tribes who were faithful to the real God, the LORD God of Israel, came down into Judah to worship at the proper place - Jerusalem, capital of Judah. We find out who those tribes were in 2 Chron 30, when Hezekiah (a good king) is calling for all the faithful tribes to come down and serve at the temple for the Passover. (v8,9 - "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.") We see then that it really is a plea for the faithful to not just come down for the Passover, but to come down for good. In v11 we find out who responded to this call - "11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem" along with the tribes already in Judah.
Hope that helped!
Next question Jamie'd asked was whether there were 14 tribes - different lists missed out and included different tribes...! So we looked up all the lists of the tribes we could find, and put all alongside each other in a spreadsheet. I've copied it so you can see our big list. Hm ok I haven't - copying it didnt work. I have no idea how to attach it... aha hold on: I THINK it's worked... (thanks to Kirsty for filling it all in by the way!). Yeah I'm pretty sure there aren't 14 tribes, but guys I really need your help figuring out what we're supposed to get from this! Sorry Uncle Norman, I'm um floundering here..! My excuse? I was kind of coming down with the whole bug thing that morning... and was kind of sleepy, and hadn't been there last lesson. So come one guys, help!
Ok mum's helping me =P.
Right, so Kirsty - about the nine and half tribes when it lists 12, that was because 2 and half tribes (Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh) decided not to live actually in the Promised Land - they stayed on the east side of the Jordan.
Yeah I'm sorry but I'm not sure what I'm meant to be doing - I hand over to you guys - please please help!
5 comments:
ahh thankyou (about Gad, half of Manasseh and Reuben).
(by the way,.. you put the grid up twice...)
i think this is just to start us off - looking at all the different lists - i'm hoping that we'll find out why some are missing out of each list.
does it say anywhere why each chose not to live in the Promised Land? (I'm talking about Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh) - my first thought to why Reuben chose not to was because he had 'defiled his fathers bed' and so he didn't receive the inheritance for the firstborns - and so he didn't want to live in the Promised Land? i don't know - i bet i've got it all wrong.
Two things that might help to clear the confusion.
First the "14" tribes:
Jacob had 12 sons;
Levi was not given a specific area of land (but cities within each of the tribes)- that gives us 11 sons for tribes;
Joseph did not have an inheritance bearing his name - that gives 10 sons for named tribes;
in Joseph's stead, his two sons (blessed by Jacob) were given an inheritance - now we are back to 12 tribes named with an inheritance.
You might like to consider if Ephraim and Manasseh replacing Joseph is the 'double portion' of the first born (which you have noted Reuben did not receive because of his behaviour).
Second piece of information to add to what you already have on the 2.5 tribes - go to Numbers 32 and you will see how they came to have land on the east of Jordan.
i think they just liked the east side better?
Dad is a bit grieved that his comment hasn't appeared... so let's try again:
the 14 tribes question:
you have twelve sons of Jacob, but Levi didn't get a land inheritance because it was a priesthood who were everywhere.
that gives you 11 tribes with inheritance
then Joseph doesn't get a tribe of his own (leaving us with 10 tribes) but he gets a double portion through His sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) and we have 12 tribes again.
There's a reference to the 9 and 1/2 tribe situation in Num 32.
There. hope that's cleared things up a bit? =)
Kenneth, sorry - didn't realise there was a comment to be moderated - it usually lets me know about these things... maybe I missed it?
Moderator
oooh i like how Ephraim and Manasseh could be the double portion - just after we looked at the firstborn rights at the glasgow c intercity yesterday :)
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