Behold, A Son!

Today we take a look at the first of the 12 tribes of Israel, Reuben…

Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said,
“Because the Lord has seen my affliction…Genesis 29:32

Perhaps it is because time hasn’t slipped very far from the season of Advent, when the ancient prophecy is repeated “…Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 KJV, that makes me think of Jesus at Leah’s declaration…you see, Reuben means Behold, a son! in the Hebrew language.

My favorite Christmas sentiment - a small tract I have kept for years

It’s that word “Behold” that He uses to link the two for me…and I know I must find out more about this word…hinneh in Hebrew, pronounced hin-nay’. It is first found in Genesis, at the Creation, on the evening of the sixth day, when He looks at all He has made – including man – and declares it “very good”.  It is found 1326 times in the King James Bible.  It is a bidding to attend to what is being said; to look; to see.  There is a liveliness, a vivacity associated with the word…think of a young mother, delighted that the Lord has blessed her, and “showing off” her baby, when you read the name “Reuben”.  Imagine the Lord extending His figurative hand at all of Creation and with passion, even excitement, bidding us to actually, really see what He has done…and demonstrating the same delight and anticipation as He announces the plan for the coming of His Son.  He points specifically, gives detailed description, helps to direct our gaze, focuses our attention to what He has provided for us!

“Behold, a Son” to “Behold, His Son”…

and in this is the foundation, the beginning,

of His dealings with His people,

with those who embrace the Son,

with me…

it all begins with Jesus…

And God bids us to LOOK, to SEE, to FOCUS…

to behold Jesus…

and as we do so, we enter into worship, almost without effort,

because as we behold Him,

we receive a fresh revelation of Him…

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld (– to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate,  take a view of as when meeting with a person, to learn by looking, to see with the eyes, to perceive – )His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,  full of grace and truth.         John 1:14

 God looked across time, because He saw our affliction, 

sent His Son,

and cried out...

BEHOLD!

Tithing the year...

I posted this on the ministry website, but thought I would share it here, too...
I wish there were a way that the post would automatically publish in both places...maybe if I was more "techy" it would?  But, here is the body of what I wrote as well...no need to "click over" - smiles!

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This is what He said, what He wanted for me at the first of this year,
was to give to Him the first of the year,
“…the tithe of time for this year“.

36 days! One tenth of 365…

I counted it – all the way to February 5th (or 6th).

 10 days in I know how easy it is to fail…

which is always the reason I must fall on grace.

 I NEED grace continually -
the walk of faith means walking in recognition of my constant need for Him,
returning to Him anew, every moment I find that I have strayed from His side…

And my creativity is to be His (I believe He guides this anyway); 

I am to attempt to share more of how these twelve tribes reflect His love and promises towards us….

36 days. 3 x 12. The numbers even tell a story – “3″ the Triune God 

and “12″ – the people who became the nation that displayed:

His worship,

His will,

His kindness,

His covenant,

His promises,

His redemption.

The nation which would bring the Messiah to the world…

I am part of that nation by faith ...

3 x 12 = the product of the Trinity's faithfulness in my life!
3 x 12 = the poem He is writing through me...

  It’s not too late…

 would you like to tithe the time with me?

Tomorrow begins the deeper reflection over these twelve tribes…

More on the name....

In the days of antiquity, soon after the foundation of the earth was laid, 12 Tribes of people - all descendants of one man who had received a tremendous promise - emerged from all of humankind as one nation through which all of world history can be viewed.

12 Tribes is a celebration of the legacy this ancient people left for those of us who live today!

These 12 Tribes originated from the sons of Jacob, the Biblical patriarch....12 in number from different mothers. Their story is far from being dry or boring...the human drama excels the best plot-lines of even modern dramas, action-adventures, and romance!

For this post, I am simply sharing their names...and the idea that each of their names hints at a wonderful legacy for us to inherit.

You see, in Biblical times, great care was taken in giving a child their name. Frequently, inquiry was made to God on what name a child should be given. The name of someone was believed to represent 3 ideas: the very person; all that is known about the person, and the very presence of the person...you can see how incredible this concept is when considering that Christians asked to pray "in Jesus' name"! To find the meaning of someone's name was to know quite a bit about the person and the destiny of that person.

So, relating this to the 12 sons of Jacob, first we investigate the meaning of their names. The Tribes (in order of birth) and the meaning of their names are as follows:

Reuben - viewing (or behold) the son
Simeon - hearing and obeying
Levi - joining or cleaving to
Judah - confession or praise of God
Zebulon - home or dwelling place
Issachar - reward or what is given by way of reward
Dan - judging
Gad - a company
Asher - happy or blessed (blessings). This word is always in the plural form.
Naphtali - a wrestler or striving with
Joseph - added, an addition
Benjamin - son of the right hand


After some prayer and a leading to reduce the meanings of the names to one word which would convey the same idea in more modern terms for our use here, I developed the following list:

Reuben - Adore/Worship
Simeon - Wisdom
Levi - Embrace
Judah - Praise/Declare
Zebulon - Abide
Issachar - Reward/Treasure
Dan - Discern
Gad - Fellowship
Asher -Blessings
Naphtali - Conqueror or victory
Joseph - Increase
Benjamin - Honor