THE ELEVEN STARS (6).

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*THE ELEVEN STARS (6).*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Gen 42:36 *And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

The eleven stars, because of their envy, waged war with the persons they were and the persons they hoped to become.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

The twelve sons of Jacob called Israel became the twelve tribes of Israel.

The sons, namely. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

each became tribes under the unified nation called Israel.

The early war within the family ( the hatred between Joseph and his brothers which started in Gen 37) was just a tip of the iceberg. It would escalate into tribal wars against peace among the twelve tribes and would go unabated throughout the history of the nation Israel.

Jacob, at a point, no longer believed who his sons were, what they could do or not do, what would remain of them or what they would eventually become.

In Gen 42:36, he had concluded on the loss of Joseph, assured himself that Simeon was no more and now the request to take Benjamin away.

No wonder he told Pharaoh *".....few and evil have the days of the years of my life been,....."* yet he has not lived the years his fathers.father's. Gen 47:9

Worse enough was the split between the unified nation of Israel to the Northern Kingdom after the death of Solomon in the reign of his son Rehoboam (consisting of ten tribes with capital in Samaria) and the Southern Kingdom (comprising of Judah and Benjamin with capital in Jerusalem, (1 Kgs 11:11–13, 1 Kgs 11:31–35).

The Northern Kingdom was given to Jeroboam, a servant of Solomon who fled during the life of Solomon, (1 Kgs 11:26-40).

The Northern Kingdom was famously referred to as Israel while the Southern Kingdom was referred to as Judah.

1 Kgs 12:19 says *So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.*

After a long war (2 Samuel 3:1), David succeeded in uniting all twelve tribes (5:1-5).

The foundation of peaceful coexistence was destroyed from their youth and it was very clear that the tribes could not live together. Over the years ahead, something must happen perpetually to spike hostilities, hatred and rebellion.

Jacob sowed a long-lasting hatred when Esau told their father, Isaac *"And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob."*

Edom (Esau) dispossessed Israel of their possession and Israel must *".....possess their possessions."* (Ob 1:17).

We must be careful when raising up children.

We must let them know that God had created them independently but must succeed needing the cooperation of each other.

You can make it independently but not independently of cooperating with each other and seeing to the good of each other .

God who had brought them into the world had plans for their greatness long before they were born..

Gen 15:13 , where God tells Abram, *"Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years."*

The seed was in Isaac, Rom 9:7.

Though Jacob became the nation of Israel, (the twelve sons) and through the twelve sons they multiplied to be strangers in Egypt and they served for four hundred and forty years and were freed , Exd 12:40-41 just as God had said in Gen 15:13.

What is our problem as humans?

God already knew whom each of them would be but helping themselves to outspeed or overtake God came with harsh consequences.

Most likely that children who often show wrong attitudes in their childhood age would grow up being so unless we pray and discipline such children to avert such wrong attitudes.

To leave a child in his wrongful attitude all in the name of ' he is just a child'' is preparing or encouraging such a child in the same wrongful attitude that would shape his life when he grows us.

The eleven stars eventually became great and shined but there was too little to desire of them. They warred against each other and killed each other. The civil war of other tribes against Benjamin triggered by the brutal gang rape and murder, was most horrific, Judg 20.

You can not exceed personal boundaries without exceeding God's set boundaries.

Rebellion, grudge, lack of contentment etc are against God's expectations of any human boundaries how much more His set boundaries.

Are you within God's expectations for your life?

*Remorse corner.*

Children are each born with special independent abilities but when sets of desires are not aligned with God's will there will be contradictions.

*Call to Word action.*

You can not shine brighter than how God has ordained for you.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

The eleven 'shined' a bad light before their God ordained shine.

*Prayer.*

Lord, help me not to help myself against Your will for my life. Let not my life be a contradiction to Your will for me, in Jesus name.

God bless you.

Shalom.