Same and Mighty

DEVOTION

GENESIS

SMALL AND MIGHTY

Gen 49:27

27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."

NIV

After having such a full blessing on Joseph who has been shown to give us many pictures of Jesus, we come to the last son of Jacob, the youngest son. History of this tribe reveals their portion of land was indeed a border portion which would put them in a position of having to defend the border of the Promised Land from outside intruders, or invaders. Throughout the Old Testament we find records of this tribe engaging in war often. King Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. The Apostle Paul was also from the tribe of Benjamin. Although it was the smallest tribe in the nation of Israel, this tribe contributed a great deal to the nation. There was also another Old Testament man named Ehud from the tribe of Benjamin, for whom it was recorded to have been a  deliverer of Israel. What we can learn from this blessing on Benjamin is we do not have to be a great person, a large person of fame and fortune to have an effect on the world. We do not have to be a famous person to devour the prey and divide the plunder, although several very famous people did belong to this tribe of Benjamin. But also we can see the need to be a border tribe, to be the one who protects the rest of the nation from intruders. This could apply to our family and to our church. We can be the ones who guard, who go to war against the forces of evil that continue to attempt to attack and intrude in our nation, our family. There are  all sorts of bad theology, false teaching abounding, not just in the world as a whole, but within Christendom. Look at the war King Saul waged on intruders. Look at the war Paul waged on false teachings which invaded the early church. We must wage war on those who would infiltrate the hearts and minds of our family with their false brand of Christianity. That first requires that we must not get caught up in such deceptions. We must stand firm against the enemy. Although we may be small, we can be mighty warriors.