433 - Viewing Life from the Twelve Tribes of Israel - Benjamin#
(JP 文字组 - shalom 整理)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival.
We are now conducting the final lecture on viewing life from the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelfth lecture - Benjamin.
Genesis 49:27-28:
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father spoke to them, and he blessed them; he blessed them according to their own blessings.
The twelve tribes of Israel are the twelve sons of Israel. Through these twelve sons, we see different people, different lives, and different endings. Although they all believe in the same Lord, their lives, forms, states, and outcomes are vastly different.
Everyone has their own weaknesses and shortcomings. By looking at these twelve tribes, we can see where our shortcomings lie, allowing us to correct, renew, and change. At the same time, we learn from their strengths in relying on God, so we can receive promises from God, because the promises in the Bible are not only for the Israelites but also for all believers.
Jacob blessed each child according to their different personalities and lives. We need to know ourselves more in Christ, while striving towards the standard of Christ, becoming more like Christ, and receiving more blessings from above. Benjamin is Jacob's youngest son, the second son born to Jacob's beloved wife Rachel. His arrival brought suffering and death to his mother and pain to the family.
Let’s take a look at Genesis 35:16-18:
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel, and when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear; you will have this son also." 18 And it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
From this, we can see that although Rachel belonged to grace, most of her life was spent competing for Jacob's affection with her sister, and she did not live very happily. If she had understood God's grace, that Jacob loved her very much and that God loved her too, her life could have been very fulfilling. Instead, she lived a life of true grace in a very miserable way.
When her last son was born, she was in great pain, so she named him Ben-Oni, which means "son of my sorrow," simply put: this child has caused me too much anxiety and pain! However, his father named him Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand" or "my strength," and in Arabic, it also means "fortunate."
The son of the right hand, the Bible mentions many right hands, God's right side, God's right hand. What does this refer to? Victory, glory, honor, strength! Therefore, Jacob, inspired by God, named his son Benjamin, showing hope in God even in this terrible environment!
So, when Jacob was old, he had already understood some of God's grace. Through the current pain, he hoped for change, so he named his son Benjamin, a name representing courage and hope, reminding him that among his twelve sons, this one is precious and beloved. He could not let the loss of Rachel make this son live constantly in sorrow and grief. Therefore, Benjamin's birth actually compensated for the death of another person. Perhaps because of Benjamin's birth, Rachel died in childbirth, thus Benjamin's life, due to Jacob's favoritism, underwent many changes.
Let’s look at Benjamin's character traits.
Genesis 49:27: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil."
Why did Jacob say such words about Benjamin when blessing his son? In the Bible, wolves are never portrayed positively, whether they are wolves in sheep's clothing or otherwise; they are adversaries to sheep. In Christ, God calls us sheep but never hopes for us to become wolves.
In contrast, many marketing strategies and books in the world advocate becoming wolves. The wolf's combat style is to attack in packs. Of course, lone wolves are also very powerful, but they all share one characteristic: they are predatory! They seize what they can and show no mercy when dividing spoils.
At his death, Jacob described his youngest son Benjamin as a warrior, which is reflected in his descendants. We will soon mention the battles caused by the sins of Gibeah against all the other tribes. Of course, there are other events that can also demonstrate that Benjamin is indeed a warlike tribe. The tribe of Benjamin had many warriors, such as archers and slingers, and many outstanding figures, including Jehu, King Saul, and his son Jonathan. In the New Testament, Paul is also from the tribe of Benjamin, meaning that this tribe has many remarkable figures, but they all share one characteristic: they are warlike.
"In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." This indicates that Benjamin's nature is selfish, fond of seizing others' possessions for himself, lacking compassion and a spirit of helping others.
In contrast, Jesus embodies selfless love, willing to die so that others may live. Early Benjamin was almost the opposite of our Lord Jesus, entirely self-centered, even willing to seize others' possessions. Why is this? It is related to the excessive pampering he received from Jacob after Rachel's death. Perhaps because of the loss of his beloved wife, Jacob poured all his love onto his youngest son Benjamin, resulting in this child lacking empathy, love, and a willingness to share joy with others. Doesn't this resemble many only children today?
Why does this situation arise? It is because he is the only child in the family, and his parents give him everything, indulging him. The family thinks this is love. Looking at the fruits of the Spirit, the first is love, and the last is self-control, which tells us that if love lacks restraint, it will ultimately become indulgence. Children raised in indulgence easily become selfish and warlike. Benjamin is a very unique representation of this.
There are many children like Benjamin in our country. It cannot be said that these children are inherently bad; it is because of the environment they grow up in. Everyone hopes to give them the best, and when such children enter a crowd, they do not know how to share with others. They always feel that others' kindness towards them is deserved. Brothers and sisters, this is incorrect.
Many people, after entering grace, also have this mentality, thinking that they have suffered too much under the law, and now that they are in grace, in a grace church, everyone should take care of them, help them, and love them. When they encounter difficulties, everyone should give their all to comfort and encourage them. As for what they should give to others, they never think about it. They feel that grace is just about receiving continuously from others. Therefore, many people, when they do not understand grace, loudly proclaim: grace is about receiving, constantly receiving! This gradually causes people to lose themselves and become wolves. What kind of wolf? A ravenous wolf, thinking that others helping and loving them is a given. Benjamin is like this; the long-term pampering from his father and the care from his brothers gradually turned Benjamin into a ravenous wolf.
Brothers and sisters, this is not God's intention. Later, we also see that the tribe of Benjamin received the least land among all the tribes. The self-indulgent nature of the tribe of Benjamin nearly led to their extinction. What caused this? Previously, because their father was there, the brothers tolerated him, and the father pampered him. Gradually, their proud, unloving, and predatory nature was exposed, and everyone no longer tolerated him.
Here, I want to tell all parents that when children are very young, they must be taught what rules are, what can be done, and what cannot be done. If they are not taught when they are young, one day when they enter society, society will teach them, but the cost will be very high, and it may be something you and they cannot bear!
The tribe of Benjamin encountered such events. Let’s look at Judges chapters 19 to 21, which record the reasons for the decrease in the population of the tribe of Benjamin. Since the text is relatively long, I will briefly explain the background of the story. When reading Judges, you will find a characteristic: there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes! God was originally their king, but during the time of the judges, everyone was self-centered because God was invisible, so they lived however they wanted.
Doesn't this resemble many people under grace today? After all, God does not remember my sins, so I can live however I want. You shouldn't criticize me or impose any rules on me; I don't want to listen to you; that's all law stuff! During the time of the judges, everyone acted according to their own preferences, leading to extreme stubbornness.
There was a Levite living on the other side of the hill country of Ephraim who took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as a concubine.
This concubine was not very virtuous and left her husband to commit adultery. Later, this Levite went back to bring her home. While they were lodging in Gibeah, the local thugs threatened to rape this Levite. Hearing this, doesn't it remind you of a very similar place, Sodom? When Lot received the two angels, wasn't it like this? That night, the men of the city came out to have sexual relations with these two outsiders, and in the end, God was angry and directly destroyed Sodom.
This incident happened again later. When this Levite entered Gibeah, an old man took them in, and the thugs of the city came out and said: "Bring out this Levite!" It is easy to imagine that the situation was already very serious. The old man who received them suggested offering his daughter and the Levite's concubine in exchange. In the end, the Levite pushed his concubine out, and those men abused her all night until morning. The next day, when the Levite opened the door, he saw his concubine lying at the door, showing no compassion, he was very indifferent, saying: "Get up, we are leaving!" The woman did not answer, clearly dead. He then put her on a donkey and went back home. He cut her body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout the territories of Israel, meaning: the people of the tribe of Benjamin are so brutal, we must rise up and attack Benjamin! The other tribes united to attack Benjamin.
Let’s look at Judges 20:12-17:
12 And they sent men to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has occurred among you? 13 Now therefore, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14 And the Benjaminites gathered from their cities to Gibeah to go to battle against the people of Israel. 15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered seven hundred chosen men. 16 Among all these were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair's breadth and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword.
When reading this, doesn't it seem unbelievable that such things happened among God's children? The Benjaminites did such things, and the other tribes came to hold them accountable, saying: "What evil has occurred among you?" The other tribes hoped the Benjaminites would deliver up those worthless fellows to be put to death and purge the evil.
Here is a very key phrase: "But the Benjaminites would not listen." Everyone can think about why they would not listen. Did they think this was not a big deal? They were willing to do this. From this, we can see how stubborn they were, but they overlooked one thing: the times had changed; they no longer had their father's protection, could they still be so stubborn? Just like many spoiled children who leave home and live in a group, they still act as if they are at home, saying whatever they want, hitting whoever they want. This is no longer acceptable; others' advice must be listened to.
The Benjaminites did not listen at all, and they gathered troops from all cities to fight against the other tribes of Israel. The Benjaminites mustered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, and from Gibeah, they mustered seven hundred chosen men, totaling about thirty thousand; the other eleven tribes mustered four hundred thousand men! It is easy to imagine that this battle had almost no suspense. After that battle, the men of the tribe of Benjamin were nearly wiped out, leaving only about six hundred men. From then on, the tribe of Benjamin could not stand up again.
From this, we want to talk about something spiritual. In fact, throughout the history of the church, there have been similar people from the tribe of Benjamin. These people are very willful in the church, unwilling to listen to the church's rules, disregarding others' advice, doing whatever they want. However, most people in the church are tolerant and patient with such individuals, which leads to some people becoming more and more unruly, especially those under grace, who feel increasingly indulgent and reckless, thinking there is nothing wrong with it.
These people later encounter all sorts of problems and think the church lacks love, that God does not love them, and they question God, complaining against Him. Their results, to put it harshly, are indeed self-inflicted, and it also shows that their spiritual lives are too immature! A person who always hopes others will understand, tolerate, and comfort them has such a small life!
Only a baby, held in arms, cries, makes noise, and has no sense of time; family can only tolerate and care for them. But if a child is eighteen years old and still cries and makes noise, wanting to do whatever they want, it is a problem with their life.
So brothers and sisters, we cannot always be spiritual infants. Like Benjamin, it is clear that the Benjaminites are like children who have not grown up, with immature lives, acting selfishly, always wanting to take and unwilling to give. Therefore, when Jacob finally blessed Benjamin, he said he is a ravenous wolf, devouring in the morning and dividing in the evening, which is actually all others' possessions. It is truly distressing! I hope brothers and sisters do not end up like early Benjamin, as this will cause your friends to eventually disappear, and you will lose family and friendship.
Too many people only care about immediate benefits in this life, neglecting the love, giving, and grace that comes from God. Is it true that Benjamin will never have the chance to stand up again? Not at all. After a series of hardships, Benjamin finally learned to repent.
Last time, I talked about Joseph. Both Joseph and Benjamin belong to those under grace. Their mother was under grace, so their father spoiled these two sons very much. However, Joseph left his parents early and entered into suffering. More than ten years of hardship completely changed Joseph and taught him how to rely on God.
His brother Benjamin was the same. Later, the Benjaminites went through countless setbacks and tribulations, and they finally learned to humbly rely on God. Therefore, in life, if everything goes smoothly, and everything succeeds, it is easy to become arrogant, as if one can achieve anything and feels invincible, especially for those only children who are spoiled. They have a mentality of: there is nothing I cannot do; everyone must yield to me! When these people encounter setbacks, they begin to learn how to turn around and understand others. Benjamin was just like this; he truly understood God's grace later on, as can be seen from Moses' blessing upon him.
Deuteronomy 33:12: "Of Benjamin he said: The Lord's beloved shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and he dwells between His shoulders."
Look at Moses' words; they are very important: "The Lord's beloved." When we often use this phrase, we say: you are loved by God! When can we know we are loved by God? From God's perspective, He loves everyone, but why do only some people know they are loved by God? After going through some things and experiencing life, they realize they are loved by God.
In the New Testament, there is a book called the Gospel of John, where John often refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. If you look closely at John's character, he was initially called the Son of Thunder, with a very fiery temper. If someone said something unpleasant, he would not accept it and would want to call down fire like Elijah to consume them. However, such a person, after experiencing many dealings in life, understood God's grace and knew he was loved by God.
If one does not know they are loved by God, they will take God's grace and blessings for granted. When people's prayers are not answered by God, they begin to complain, saying: where is God? God does not love me; why does God bless him and not me? This indicates that they do not know they are loved by God.
After Benjamin went through many things and faced setbacks, he came before God and finally realized he was loved by God! This phrase is not just a verbal expression; it is truly hoped that everyone can understand early on that you are loved by God. This means that whether you succeed or fail, whether you are strong or weak, God will not forsake you. You cannot live recklessly. Understanding that you are loved by God will lead you to choose to act according to God's words. If a person, to this day, still acts recklessly, arrogantly, and disregards others, it indicates that they do not know they are loved by God and cannot dwell in peace with God.
Realizing that you are loved by God allows you to dwell in safety with the Lord, meaning to walk and live with God. The disciples who followed Jesus walked and lived with Him, constantly observing how Jesus acted and spoke, and ultimately, their lives changed, becoming more like Jesus.
Our faith life is not just about listening to sermons; it also requires fellowship. What kind of fellowship? In the church and in small groups, can you give out the love you have received? When you see weakness, can you support? When you see someone struggling, can you comfort them? When you see someone who has made a mistake, do you need to lovingly remind them behind their back? Only when everyone has this heart can they experience the joy of dwelling with God. Hallelujah.
Psalm 4:7-8:
7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
The psalmist here says, "You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased." How many people can understand the true meaning of this sentence? Many people are only happy when they have an abundance of grain, new wine, and oil, but do not find their joy in God, even surpassing those who have plenty!
Brothers and sisters, when we have Jesus, we have everything; all that is in heaven belongs to you. But you must take Jesus as your all, find your joy in Jesus, rather than in the blessings of Jesus. Most people believe in the Lord to receive Jesus' blessings but do not want Jesus. This is indeed a great loss. Only when you know that our Lord is your joy will your joy be lasting and continuously flowing. When you understand that God is your reliance and the source of all your blessings, you will lie down in peace and sleep.
This passage also contains a method for treating insomnia. Why are so many people in today's society suffering from insomnia? Because of too much pressure, too many worries, and too many troubles. What should be done? They do not know God; that is why they are like this. You are different; you are a beloved child of God. You must know that our Lord is still reigning today, still in control. Tell Him your matters, find your joy in God, and you will surely lie down in peace and sleep.
Do not place tomorrow's worries on today; tomorrow God will naturally make a way for you. We should have this heart, relying on our Lord like Joseph, relying on the grace of the Father like Jesus, because only the Lord makes me dwell in safety. Only our God can make your heart so joyful and dwell in peace. Why can it be like this? He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. This God is your Lord; how could you not rely on Him and still be in worry? What a pity!
Benjamin used to rely on himself to seize things, a ravenous wolf. Later, he understood that all blessings are given by God and should find joy in God, thus dwelling in peace with the Lord! The Benjaminites have learned to rely on God in all things. I hope everyone can become such a Benjamin, as they will experience more of God's wonders and grace.
The Bible mentions that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. What does this mean? The proud are self-centered, thinking their strength is sufficient, using all their means to seize others' possessions, unwilling to rely on God. This pride blinds them to God's grace; the humble know they cannot, so they seek God's words in all things and, in turn, receive more.
Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul is also from the tribe of Benjamin. He saw that before, his name was Saul. Under the law, Saul had a very prominent identity and status, completely self-centered and disregarding others. Doesn't this resemble early Benjamin? Relying on his abilities, wisdom, and status, he did not regard others at all, seeming to have nothing he could not accomplish. Later, God personally subdued him to save him, making him understand what he was like. He finally learned to lie under God's wings, which is what we want to share.
The second phrase: "The Lord will cover him all day long."
Later, the Benjaminites knew their weaknesses, so they looked up to God, willing to hide under God's wings, willing to be protected by God. This is something we must learn! Jesus came to the Israelites with the grace of the Father, but the Israelites were unwilling to come under God's wings, resulting in many hardships that could have been avoided.
We must learn from these lives in the Bible; some paths do not need to be taken. Paul, we see in his ministry life, had a lot of self in the early stages. Some paths should not be taken, but he still insisted on taking them, thinking his faith was great and his life strong. He encountered many setbacks, but later he became humble, fearing that his revelations were too great and he would become too proud. This is also a part we need to be cautious about!
Many people receive a little revelation and feel as if they have insight into the mysteries of heaven, thinking they have seen God. They pray for others as if they are fortune-tellers. It is not wrong to do this, but what is your motive? Is it to show yourself or to show Christ? That is what is important. If it is to show yourself, then that is pride. If Paul constantly sought to show himself, he would eventually revert to his previous state.
Here it says: "A thorn was given to me in the flesh." What is this? A messenger of Satan constantly attacking him. This is a good thing. How so? Because of the abundance of revelations Paul received, his work in the gospel was excellent, but there were always some adversaries behind him to pick at him and attack him, which allowed him to calm down and not become arrogant. So from this perspective, enemies occasionally attacking you, picking at your weakest points, is precisely where our shortcomings lie. We need to reflect on whether we have such issues, rather than immediately retaliating and condemning when others point out our weaknesses.
Sometimes enemies observe things more closely than we do. When Jesus preached, the Pharisees always tried to find faults with Him. Unexpectedly, the faults they pointed out revealed the glory of Christ because Jesus Himself had no issues. But we are different; we have weaknesses, and we must admit this. If enemies attack us, we should calm down and pray in a quiet place: "Lord, do I have such problems? If I have such weaknesses, please help me overcome!" How wonderful that would be.
Paul said, "Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me." This means he was willing to give up everything for the Lord, but he did not want these messengers of Satan to constantly attack him and undermine his work. Our God did not remove these messengers of Satan but said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
Everyone can ponder carefully what "My grace is sufficient for you" means. This grace we see, God will continuously give us more grace. Even with attackers, God's grace is still sufficient, and God's grace can still lead to victory. If there were no attackers, would many people stop moving forward? Would they stop striving? If there were no enemies, animals in the forest would gradually degenerate and not run fast. If there are always wolves and lions chasing them, those animals remain healthy and run fast.
This is the problem. Brothers and sisters, from this perspective, we can also understand why God has not cast Satan into the abyss but uses them to build us up, making our character increasingly close to perfection. In this process, we will see our weaknesses. Only when we see our weaknesses can we sincerely rely on God!
Isn't there a shadow of Benjamin in Paul? Later, Paul also learned to rely on God's grace in all things, no longer boasting. "I would rather boast in my infirmities," what does this mean? It means: with so many weaknesses, God has not forsaken me. With so many weaknesses, I need God's grace even more! He takes pleasure in weaknesses, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses.
When I say this, do you understand the meaning of this sentence? It absolutely does not mean: "Lord, in comfort, give me some weaknesses, give me some diseases, give me some pain, so that I can be happier..." That is not the meaning! It absolutely does not mean that. It means that Paul, in the process of preaching the gospel, saw his weaknesses, encountered reproaches, needs, persecutions, and understood that these were his weaknesses, relying on God's grace to overcome them because God's grace is sufficient.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong." What does this mean? Whenever Paul saw his weaknesses, he relied on God's strength in that area, and in that area, he became strong. Is it not true that Paul would become stronger and stronger?
If we clearly know our weaknesses but cover them up, that weakness still exists, and the problem remains. When will it be resolved? You rely on God, face your weaknesses, resolve them, and rely on God's strength to overcome them. This is what Jesus wants to completely resolve for us. Hallelujah! Only when a person sees their inability can they humble themselves and wholeheartedly rely on God.
Many people say they do not know how to rely on God! When faced with situations that leave you at a loss, you will know how to rely on God. For example, if a person falls into a pit, they will not call out for help until they are truly thrown into the pit. Then they will know how to cry out for help! This does not need to be taught.
In times of peace, a person says: "I do not know how to ask others to save me!" That is because they are not in that environment. Only when a person is weak and helpless will they know how to rely on God and how to look up to God's grace.
Next, let’s look at the phrase: "He dwells between His shoulders." What does this mean? "Between His shoulders" actually refers to the back. It does not mean on the head; it indicates that the Savior rejoices because of our repentance, just as the Benjaminites repented, and God lifts them up on His shoulders. If this is still not clear, I will illustrate it with a story from the New Testament.
Luke 15:4-7:
4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
This speaks of the faith of repentance. That one sheep left the flock, and there could be many reasons for its departure. It might have thought there was a patch of grass by the roadside that was so good that everyone else missed it. It stayed behind, eating, and then could not find the flock, or it simply did not want to follow the group, thinking it could manage on its own.
Regardless of the reason, it is clear that it was not centered on the shepherd but rather on itself, which led to its departure from the flock. If it always followed the group, keeping its eyes on the shepherd, it would not leave the flock.
Are there some Christians who also think they do not need to go to church every week, thinking they already understand many things, and then they start to do their own thing, ultimately falling into trouble? This is akin to that lost sheep.
The shepherd goes back to find it. If it has a heart of repentance and is willing to follow the shepherd back, it can return. If it is unwilling to repent and runs away when it sees the shepherd, it will never come back. For those who repent, they are willing to be found by God and willing to act according to God's words. This is repentance. When encountering such great troubles because they took the wrong path and left God's words, they are willing to return to God's words. Having this willing heart is repentance, and God will do something.
Look at verse 5: "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing."
This laying on the shoulders is akin to what we say today, "He dwells between His shoulders." This dwelling between His shoulders means God lifts you up, which is the repentance of the Benjaminites! Thank the Lord, we need to constantly remind and encourage each other because, if one is not careful, a person can easily become proud with a little achievement, thinking they are remarkable, and easily fall into the traps and pits set by others. However, after falling in, when brothers and sisters come to find you, when the shepherd comes to find you, if you are willing to return, willing to listen to God's words again, and live centered on God's words, you will once again return to God's shoulders, and God will be willing to lift you up.
Isn't being on God's shoulders a joyful thing? Isn't being under God's wings a good thing? Then why do some believers always want to stir up trouble? As a result, they get hurt, suffer pain, and still complain against God. This is not a correct faith life! Our salvation is just the beginning of our faith life; how to achieve victory is what we must continually experience throughout our lives. I hope every brother and sister can be like the later Benjamin, knowing they are loved by God, knowing to walk with God, willing to live under God's wings, and willing to be lifted by God, so that you can experience more of God's wonderful grace!
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Isaiah 41:8-10:
8 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, "You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away." 10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
The book of Isaiah is a prophetic book, and prophetic books have a characteristic: the people of Israel go astray, insisting on living according to their own ways, resulting in great suffering. God sends prophets to call them back, but often the result is that the people of Israel are unwilling to turn back and instead harm the prophets, abandoning those sent by God, which indicates they want to continue in their suffering.
When we read these letters, we should take them as a warning and also understand God's heart, which is willing for us to live under His protection. He does not want us to go astray because that path is not correct; it is the path to death, the path to failure.
You are also called by God, taken from the ends of the earth, summoned from the farthest regions. Why does God call you? God calls you to be His beloved child. He chooses you, hoping you will possess His life, enjoy His joy, and abundant blessings. He does not wish to abandon you, despite your many problems; He does not want to forsake you. How blessed we are to encounter this God and to be loved by Him! Just like Benjamin, whose father loved him so much, shouldn't you receive this love and give out this love? How blessed his life was!
Unfortunately, he only received and did not give, becoming selfish and harming himself and his descendants! If we are such people, our family and descendants will also be like this, and those around us may also be like this. Do you really want to live in self-centeredness? Is it all false affection? I guess no one wants that. So let’s start from ourselves, receiving God's love and giving out God's love, receiving and immediately giving out, becoming a channel of blessing would be wonderful!
No matter what problems you encounter, do not be afraid, for I am with you. May every brother and sister live a life walking with God every day. How do we practice this? We do as God's words say, we speak as God's words say, do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
When encountering any problems, do not be afraid; your Lord is still alive. He is your Lord. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Again, it mentions the right hand, which means He has already achieved victory; He has strength. Your hands have no strength, but He has. He will lift your hands, allowing you to continually experience His victory! Thank the Lord; I hope today's words can bring some help to everyone. May we renew ourselves through the twelve tribes of Israel and learn to rely on God in our lives.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us some warnings and examples through Benjamin's life. We are willing to learn from the later Benjamin, who has learned how to rely on God. May we learn to rely on God in our daily lives. Not being self-centered, please help me through the Holy Spirit, continually renew me, grant me a heart of self-control and perseverance, so that I may take Your words as the food of my life, continually supplying the food of my life! Walking with You in life, Your words are the standard of my life, experiencing You more in life, knowing Your grace, and living by Your grace. Thank You and praise You!
As a new week begins, may the Holy Spirit guide my path ahead. I am willing to walk in Your words, recognizing Your goodness more each day, and may I become a channel of blessing, a blessing to those around me! I receive Your blessings and give out these blessings. Thank You and praise You; may You receive glory! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.