D33-14: Do You Know The Tribal Territory Where Yeshua Was Born? (HINT: It Ain’t Judah)

Alrighty folks, I’m going to be moving fast and furious today as we continue to work our way through the Blessings of Moses.

Let’s take a look at the blessings of a whopping total of six more tribes.

Here you go.

ZEBULUN & ISSACHAR
Zebulun has always been associated with trade merchants and Issachar has always been associated with herding and ranching.  This is the reason why Zebulun was told to rejoice in their journeys and Issachar was told to rejoice in their tents (herders lived in tents because they were mobile).  Verse 33:19 tells us that Zebulun and Issachar formed a powerful alliance that allowed both of them to prosper greatly.

GAD
Recall that Gad was one of the three tribes that decided to settle in territory outside the Promised Land.  That turned out to be a great blessing because Gad ended up acquiring some of the most fertile and high-quality pasture and crop lands in the entire region.  Note verse 21 which says “He chose the best for himself”.  The “best” here is referring to prime and excellent real estate.  Verse 20 which says “Blessed is he who makes Gad so large” is prophesying how Gad’s population will enlarge.  The part where it says “he lies there like a lion, tearing arm and scalp” is referring to their incredible military prowess. Gad possessed fierce warriors who had a reputation for having some of the most highly trained troops in the region.

DAN:
Dan’s blessing is short.  We’re told “Dan is a lion cub leaping forth from Bashan”.  Similar to Gad, this is referring to the Tribe of Dan’s nimbleness and lion-like power on the battlefield.  The territory of Dan bordered Philistine territory which meant they were constantly attacked by the Philistines.  As a result, they decided to move to the northernmost tip of the Promised Land where they took over the a pagan city called LAISH and changed its name to Dan.  Unfortunately, Dan’s history is not positive from the Lord’s perspective.  They ended up falling away from Hashem and into idolatry.

NAPHTALI:
Naphtali should be familiar to us all for it is the territory that contained the town of Nazareth where Yeshua was raised.  Naphtali was located just west of the Sea of Galilee.  Being next to the sea gave Naphtali many advantages.  First, the land itself was very rich and fertile and the cooling effect from the ocean resulted in a comfortable and cool climate.   If anyone reading this has traveled there, I’m sure you can attest to how calm and peaceful the area is, literally a perfect relaxation spot for a vacation. 

ASHER:
Like Naphtali, since Asher was situated near the ocean (they settled in the upper Galilee between the Mediterranean Sea and Naphtali), their land was also very rich and fertile.  The part where it says “and bathe his feet in oil” is not and I repeat is NOT referring to petroleum here folks.  It’s actually referring to olive oil.  “Bathing one’s feet in oil” is referring to just how incredibly abundant the olive oil was in Asher territory.  Another characteristic of Asher territory is that they occupied a major trade route and military highway that came with both its advantages and disadvantages.  Hence, Moses prays that God will bless Asher to have the wisdom and strength to economically benefit from the trade route while at the same being able to protect themselves from attacking foreign enemies.