\n9 Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “Take heed and listen, O Israel: This day you have become the people of the Lord your God.
\n10 Therefore you shall obey the voice of the Lord your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”
\n11 And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying,
\n12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin;
\n13 and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/012618_2021_TEAMEBAL1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
For the sake of read-time I will not go into the purpose of the names of both mountains, but let’s look at the tribal divisions as to who was told to stand at which mountain, to represent either blessing or cursing. Understand that the Lord never said entire tribes would be cursed or blessed, but lots of folks standing in front of each mountain provided a clear image that curses and blessings had to do with actual living people. Still the question is asked: Why which tribes at which mountain?<\/p>\n
The Blessing-Representing Tribes (at Gerizim): Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin
\nThe Cursing-Representing Tribes (at Ebal): Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali<\/p>\n
Afforded the luxury of biblical history, we can clearly see that the first group (Team-Gerizim) provided most of the major players in scriptural progress: Jesus, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Saul\/Paul, etc. This doesn’t mean that no one from Team Ebal did anything great, but we can’t help but get the point.<\/p>\n
So why the “unlucky” designation, by God, as to who stood at which mountain, especially Team-Ebal? Gad, Asher, Dan and Naphtali were offspring of concubines, not the legal wives of Jacob: And that leaves Zebulun. The root of the name Zebulun emanates from the Hebrew word for “gift” \u2013 connoting an unearned kind of thing. So why was Zebulun drafted by God onto Team-Ebal? Zebulun may well have been designated by our great God, at Ebal, into a place of “blessing-less” low-position, with the odds against them, so that the glorious and redemptive gift of God, completely unearned, might glorify Him (and encourage us) as later revealed at the cross of the One who bore the curse for “whosoever will”.<\/p>\n Matthew 4:13-16<\/strong> Some of us might at times think we were drafted onto Team-Ebal. Wow again, God.<\/p>\n All scriptures NKJV<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Something bigger than any one topic in the word of God, is God Himself. He only does marvelous things (Ps 72:8). Follow along w me\u2026\u2026 The captivity by Babylon was a fulfillment of harsh discipline warned by God in Deuteronomy … Continue reading
\n
\nAgain: Team Ebal<\/strong> – Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali
\nReuben \u2013 forfeited his inheritance through incest:.
\nGenesis 49:3-4<\/strong>
\n3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
\nMy might and the beginning of my strength,
\nThe excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
\n4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,
\nBecause you went up to your father’s bed;
\nThen you defiled it\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n
\nGenesis 35:25-26<\/strong>
\n25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali;
\n26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.
\n<\/em>Incest and Illegality had sadly placed a mark on those tribes.<\/p>\n
\nWhat about Zebulun?<\/p>\n
\nI am looking into this, but my first inclination is sufficient quite frankly for me.<\/p>\n
\n13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
\n14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
\n15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
\nBy the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
\nGalilee of the Gentiles:
\n16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
\nAnd upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
\nLight has dawned.”<\/em><\/p>\n
\nWe were called to inherit a blessing, and we have, and we will.
\nThat is the plan of God, who only does marvelous things.<\/p>\n