The TRIBE of DAN - the DOWNFALL of the Israelites - 18 July 2019
Prov. 14:12 "There is a PATH BEFORE each person that SEEMS RIGHT, but it ENDS in DEATH."
The Good News Translation says "What you THINK is the RIGHT ROAD MAY LEAD to DEATH."
Gen. 25:20-22 "Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah ... and Isaac PRAYED much to Yahweh for his wife because she was unable to bear children; and Yahweh GRANTED his PRAYER, and Rebekah his wife became pregnant. TWO CHILDREN STRUGGLED TOGETHER within her; and she said, 'IF IT IS SO that Yahweh has heard our prayer, WHY AM I LIKE THIS?' And she went to INQUIRE of Yahweh."
SEPARATION of TWO PEOPLES HAS BEGUN:
Gen. 25:23 "Yahweh said to her, The FOUNDERS of TWO NATIONS ARE IN your womb, and the SEPARATION OF TWO PEOPLES HAS BEGUN in your body; the ONE PEOPLE shall be STRONGER than the OTHER, and the ELDER SHALL SERVE the YOUNGER."
TWO SEEDS - TWO NATIONS:
Two babies were STRUGGLING (wrestling - fighting - kicking) inside of Rebekah - two seeds and two nations would come from Jacob and Esau. a GODLY SEED and an UNGODLY SEED ...
RED AND ALL OVER HAIRY - like a GARMENT:
Esau was born first says Scripture ... RED HAIRED ALL OVER LIKE A GARMENT (Gen. 15:25) - "EDOM" (RED) - the FATHER of the EDOMITES.
Jacob was born holding Esau's heel ... (Gen. 15:26) - the FATHER of the ISRAELITES.
ESAU - A CUNNING HUNTER:
When the boys grew up, Esau was a CUNNING (sly, calculating, shrewd, scheming, foxy, guileful, crafty, sneaky, deceitful, wily, devious, manipulative, conniving) and SKILLED HUNTER - a man of the OUTDOORS - says Scripture in Gen. 15:27.
JACOB was a PLAIN and QUIET MAN, DWELLING in TENTS (Gen. 15:27b).
ISAAC LOVED to EAT ESAU'S GAME:
Isaac was PARTIAL and LOVED ESAU BECAUSE he had a TASTE for Esau's game says Gen. 25:28.
REBEKAH LOVED JACOB.
Rebekah, who knew what Yahweh had told her before their sons were even born, LOVED Jacob (Gen. 25:28b).
We all know the story - of how Esau despised his birthright, "selling" it to Jacob, but when the time came for the firstborn blessing from his father, he forgot all about it.
LIVING at the WELL of the OATH - BEERSHEBA:
ESAU MARRIED CANAANITE WOMEN:
Isaac and his family lived in the area of BEERSHEBA at the well of the OATH when Esau - forty years of age - married two Hittite wives - Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. (Gen. 26:34)
JUDITH and BASEMATH MADE LIFE BITTER and a GRIEF of MIND AND SPIRIT for ISAAC and REBEKAH:
Gen. 26:35 "And they (the daughters in law) MADE LIFE BITTER and a GRIEF OF MIND AND SPIRIT for Isaac and Rebekah, their parents in law."
Jacob fleeing from his brother, ended up working fourteen years for his uncle Laban in order to marry Rachel. He loved Rachel from the moment he laid eyes on her and the Bible said in Gen. 29:30 "And Jacob LIVED with Rachel ALSO as his wife, and HE LOVED RACHEL MORE than LEAH and SERVED Laban another SEVEN years for her."
TAKING MATTERS IN OWN HANDS:
But Rachel was barren, and when Leah bore Jacob four sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah) she became jealous - gave her maidservant Bilbah to Jacob in order that she too may have children. This SON that was BORN was named DAN thinking that Yahweh had heard her prayers, but in the future, the tribe of DAN would be the ones who brought other god worshipping into Israel.
The UNGODLY KINGDOM of DAN:
The tribe of DAN was the SECOND LARGERST TRIBE when they left Egypt (Num. 1:39) only outnumbered by the tribe of Judah. They INTRODUCED IDOLATRY INTO ISRAEL and their idolatry started right at the beginning when they secured an inheritance in the promised land. (Judges 18:1-2, 29-31). They even NAMED their IDOLATROUS "KINGDOM" DAN.
DAN BECAME a CENTER of OTHER GOD WORSHIPPING:
King Jeroboam SET UP ONE OF HIS IDOLATROUS GOLDEN CALVES IN DAN (1 Kings 12:26-30) and later DAN BECAME a CENTER of IDOL WORSHIP in ISRAEL.
The tribe of Dan's HERITAGE - DAN is as a SERPENT:
In his old age, when Jacob prophesied over his son Dan, he disclosed the tribes heritage - describing them as a SERPENT. He then cried out for SALVATION for his son and his descendants.
Dan is LEFT OUT of the LISTING OF TRIBES REGARDING THE 144 000 in Rev. 7:5-8!
Prophecy over Dan:
Gen. 49:16-18 "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a SERPENT by the way, a VIPER by the PATH that BITES the horse's heels, so that the rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation (Yeshuwah), O Elohim!"
YESHUWAH - SALVATION in Hebrew:
When Jacob called out "I HAVE WAITED FOR your SALVATION (YESHUWAH), O Elohim (God)" he most probably did not know it but was CALLING OUT FOR YAHSHUA the SAVIOR. Salvation in Hebrew is "YESHUWAH"
JUDGE to his PEOPLE:
SAMSON - from the TRIBE of DAN:
SAMSON, of the tribe of DAN - was the LAST of the JUDGES and fulfilled the prophecy over DAN as a JUDGE TO HIS PEOPLE, BUT he gave in to his fleshly LUSTS for women by marrying a Philistine woman that eventually lead to Delilah and ultimately to his death. Samson's single-man war against the Philistines lasted for 20 years and he did not always obeyed YAHWEH.
(A nazarite is someone being SET-APART - dedicated to YAHWEH God. (Num. 6:8). There were two groups of Nazarite's. Those who who were divinely appointed (like Samson) and those who made a "VOW" to YAHWEH - like Hannah who was bitterly grieved for she was barren - then had SAMUEL (1 Sam. 1:10). The nazarite-vow could be for a specific period of time or life-long.)
The DANITES:
TAKING MATTERS IN OWN HANDS:
A WIDE STRIP of land, extending from the west of the tribe of Benjamin to the coastal plain at Jaffa was given to the tribe of DAN (Joshua 19:40-46) but the DANITES took matters in own hands - forsaken the land that was given them and SENT out SCOUTS in search for themselves where they would live.
They migrated NORTH and conquered Leshem (Laish) and RENAMED it DAN. (Joshua 19:47).
Judges 18:1 "In those days there was no king in Israel, And in those days the TRIBE of the DANITES SOUGHT FOR ITSELF an INHERITANCE TO DWELL IN, for until then no [sufficient] INHERITANCE HAD BEEN ACQUIRED by them among the tribes of Israel.
:2 So the DANITES sent from the whole number of their tribe FIVE BRAVE MEN ... to SPY out the LAND and TO EXPLORE it."
THEIR OWN god(s):
A SINFUL LEVITE (false priest) in Micah's house - with his CARVED IMAGES of IDOL gods became their PRIEST:
Judges 18:3 "When they went by the house of Micah (not the prophet), they recognized the VOICE of a YOUNG LEVITE, and they turned aside there and said to him, WHO BROUGHT YOU HERE? And WHAT DO YOU DO IN THIS PLACE? AND WHAT HAVE YOU HERE? (they saw the CARVED IMAGES of IDOL GODS he had) ...
:4 And he (the Levite) said to them, THUS AND THUS MICAH DEALS WITH ME and HAS HIRED ME, and I AM HIS PRIEST.
:5 And they said to him, ASK COUNSEL, we pray you, of GOD that we may know whether our journey will be successful. (They saw the idol gods but wanted to KNOW from these gods what a RIGHTEOUS YHWH says!)
:6 And the priest said to them, GO IN PEACE. The way in which you go is before (under the eye of) God. (He didn't inquire of YAHWEH but immediately told them to go forth in the name of God).
:7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt securely after the MANNER of the SIDONIANS, QUIET and FEELING SAFE ...and they had no dealings with anyone.
:8 The five men came back to their brethren ...
:9 They said, ARISE, LET US GO UP AGAINST THEM for we have seen the land and behold it is very fertile. ... DO NOT BE SLOW TO GO and ENTER IN and POSSESS the land.
:11 And there went from there of the tribe of the DANITES ... 600 men with weapons of war.
:13 And ... they came to Micah's house."
A few individuals' sin of idolatry had SPREAD into the LIVES of the ENTIRE TRIBE OF DAN:
Judges 18:14 "Then the FIVE MEN
who HAD GONE TO SPY out the country ...
said to their BRETHREN.
Do you KNOW
THAT THERE ARE IN THESE HOUSES
AN EPHOD, TERAPHIM, A GRAVEN IMAGE,
and A MOLTEN IMAGE?
Now there, consider what you have to do.
:15 And they turned in that direction
and came to the house of the young LEVITE,
at the home of Micah and SALUTED him.
:16 Now the 600 DANITES
with their WEAPONS of WAR
stood at Micah's gate.
:17 And the FIVE MEN
WHO HAD GONE TO SPY OUT THE LAND
WENT UP and ENTERED the HOUSE
AND TOOKE THE GRAVEN IMAGE,
the EPHOD, the TERAPHIM,
and the MOLTEN IMAGE
while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate
with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.
:18 ... and the priest said to them,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
:19 AND THEY SAID TO HIM,
BE STILL,
PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR MOUTH,
AND COME WITH US,
and BE to US A FATHER and a PRIEST.
Is it better for you to be a priest of one man,
or that YOU BE A PRIEST TO A TRIBE AND FAMILY IN ISRAEL?
:20 And the PRIEST'S HEART WAS GLAD,
and HE TOOK the EPHOD, the TARAPHIM (an idol in human shape – large or small in the likeness to the images of ancestors which were revered by the pagan nations) ,
and the GRAVEN IMAGE
AND WENT IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE."
Judges 18:28c "... then the people of the tribe of Dan
REBUILT the TOWN and LIVED there.
:29 They RENAMED the town DAN
after their ancestor, Israel's son,
but it had originally been called LAISH.
:30 There they SET UP the CARVED IMAGE, ...
:31 So Micah's CARVED IMAGE
WAS WORSHIPED by the TRIBE OF DAN ..."
O Abba, I am asking for DISCERNMENT - for WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING to FLOOD Your people. Help us Father, to tread the Godly road, to LISTEN and to OBEY and FOLLOW You. Help us to TURN AWAY from the WORLD and the WORLDLY and TURN to You wholeheartedly in Yahshua Messiah's name. Amen.