Wed.’s Devo - Benjamin

Read Gen. 49:27-33 Benjamin is called a “ravin wolf”. His tribe had a reputation for bravery and skill in war. They were famous for their left-handed slingers. (Judges 3:17: 20:16, 1 Ch. 8:40) Ehud, Saul, Esther, and Paul were all from the tribe of Benjamin. God loves to hide things in a mystery so that only those who are serious in seeking will find. I think Benjamin’s prophesy is one of those hidden things. It makes you think that Benjamin is a violent godless man but nothing could be more wrong. Benjamin whose name means “son of my right hand” is a picture of the bride. We are to be girded with truth, our feet shod to prepare the good news, our head covered with a helmet of salvation, a breastplate of righteousness over our hearts, and a sword that has two edges sharp enough to divide bone to the marrow. Of course, this is all figurative and talking about our stance in Christ but we are to be ready to fight. The prophecy says that “in the morning he shall devour the prey”. Jesus is known as the morning star that is given to us. In the morning, in Jesus, we will devour the devil and his plans. Night is a time usually associated with evil and the devil’s time to shine but as overcomers it will be a time when we will divide the spoil of what we have taken from him. God gave the children of Israel a fire to walk in during the night. This was light that dispelled darkness. God wants us to shine in the darkness and rule over the dark. We are to be children of the light who shine as lights in the darkest of times. After Jacob had given out his blessings he gave his burial instructions. He wanted to be buried in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham purchased to be a burying place for Sarah. So Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and now Jacob would be buried there. This is where they would abide till Jesus died and took them to heaven - “gathered to his people”. The last verse gives us the impression that he commanded his sons, then commanded his body to die. There is so much about death that we don’t understand. I read 1 Thes. 4:13-18 this morning in my regular reading and as many times as I have read it I still have so many questions. We look at things and measure them by time when Jesus sees everything as right now, all happening simultaneously, which makes the wording hard for us to comprehend. All I know is that “our times are in the Lord’s hands”. Lord, may we comprehend the important things and leave the rest to you.