Tues.’s Devo - Healing Waters

Read: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40; Acts 27:1-20; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 18:22
Today we finish the geneologies of Issachar, Naphtali, Ephraim, Asher and Benjamin. In almost every tribe there was a significant person who made Biblical history. In Issachar it was Samuel. Issachar means “he will bring a reward” and is noted mainly for their soldiers who would bring a reward from the battle.
Naphtali which means “my wrestling” is the only tribe that only has four descendents and it made sure we knew that these were the descendants of Bilhah which was Rachel’s maid. Bilhah’s other son was Dan and he isn’t even mentioned in this list. Bilhah was the concubine that Reuben slept with that lost him his inheritance. It makes me wonder about Bilhah. Bilhah means weak and decrepit. Delilah means the same thing. I think they had the power to put their weakness on people they were associated and make them weak. Rachel died because she was not strong enough to live through child birth and Bilhah was her servant.
Joshua, the leader who followed Moses was from the tribe of Ephraim. Remember that Ephraim and Manasseh were not born of Jacob but of Joseph. Through his sons, Joseph became two tribes. Joseph means double fruit and his double fruit came through his sons. Joseph was Israel’s favorite son and his next favorite was Benjamin because they were Rachel’s offspring.
Asher was listed next. He was a son of Leah’s concubine, Zilpah. Asher’s line produced brave warriors and outstanding leaders.
Benjamin had a huge line of descendants and is a picture of the Ecclessia, the Church. In verse 8 it says that sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. Shaharaim means “double dawn” which looks like being born again to me. If you think of Benjamin’s line as a type of the the Church then to be reborn you would have to divorce your old wife (Romans 7). His wives had been Hushim and Baara which mean “violence” and “stupid, sensual, and having no conscious”. That sounds like us before we were born again. We have to divorce that to marry Jesus. His new wife was Hodesh which means “new moon” which is a picture of being reborn. In the meaning of Hodesh’s six sons we see the plan of God. Their names translate to say that tears will be shed but God will lead his people like a gazelle to his waters that will cause them to forget their devastation. They will take counsel in their King and he will take captive their rebellion. That sounds like deliverance!
Just a note to meditate on… I’ve heard it said that there are no tears in heaven but that is not what scripture says. It says that God will wipe away all tears so tears will be shed but then like the names of the sons, God will lead us to his healing waters and wash away the memory of every pain.
In Acts, Paul is on his way to Rome and has been put under the care of Julius. He must have been told that Paul was innocent because he gave him privileges he wouldn’t have been able to give a criminal. It is noted that sailing became dangerous after the Fast. The Fast is pertaining to Yom Kippor or the Day of Atonement where the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies to receive forgiveness for the nation and pray for atonement for the next year. Obviously, there was no atonement found since the nation had not received the only one who could atone for their sins, so the land and the seas were responding to this rejection. They faced storm after storm…sounds like our nation right now.
Lord, thank you for every trial we have to go through that makes us more refined and free.