Walking With Christ

The Law versus Salvation

Let’s tie a couple of major bible stories together and see how they overlap.

Abraham was commanded by God to leave in UR, modern day Iraq, and travel to Canaan, modern day Israel (and surrounding areas, the promised land). Abraham had Isaac. Isaac has Jacob who is also called Israel.

Jacob had twelve sons by four different wives. These sons would be the beginning of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
1. Reuben by Leah
2. Simeon by Leah
3. Levi by Leah
4. Judah by Leah
5. Dan by Bilhah the servant of Rachel
6. Naphtali by Bilhah
7. Gad by Zilpah the servant of Leah
8. Asher by Zilpah
9. Issachar by Leah
10. Zebulon by Leah
11. Joseph by Rachel
12. Benjamin by Rachel

After Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (specifically Judah who came up with the idea to sell him), Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt to seek help with getting the grain they would need because of a famine in the land. Jacob couldn’t bear to send Benjamin because he was the only remaining son he had with his favored wife, Rachel after she died giving birth to Benjamin. Joseph challenged his brothers and demanded that they bring the youngest brother as proof of their honesty. When Benjamin arrived, Joseph decided to test them again to see if they had changed. He had his personal cup hidden in the grain sack that Benjamin was carrying. Joseph obviously knew the cup was there since this was the test. Joseph had his servant go to accuse the brothers of theft. They denied the theft and said that they could kill whichever brother was found to have the cup. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s grain sack, the brothers knew that the death of Benjamin would probably kill Jacob. Judah had promised Jacob that he would protect Benjamin with his own life on the journey and so, offered to take the place of Benjamin. It was ultimately this offer of sacrifice that convinced Joseph that his brothers had changed. It was this moment that saved them all. This kind of sounds familiar, no? Someone from the tribe of Judah offering to take the place of the guilty one.

Little did they know that through Joseph, the one sold into slavery, they would end up in slavery themselves.

Fast forward a bit to the time of Moses. One spy from each tribe was sent into the promised land. Only two spies, Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Joshua from the tribe of Jacob through Ephraim, came back with positive reports. Those were the only two spies who were allowed to enter into the promised land. This will be important later.

Fast forward again to after Solomon. The kingdom of Israel divided into the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom was led by Jeroboam I of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph). It consisted of all of the tribes other than Judah, Benjamin, and parts of Levi. The Levites were distributed between the other tribes since they were the only priests for all of the other tribes and the law applied equally to them all. The northern kingdom quickly abandoned the law and began to worship the golden calf just like the one Aaron made while Moses was on the mountain for forty days.

The northern kingdom would be captured and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The scattering of the people caused them to lose their cultural identity to the point that they are all considered to be lost.

The three remaining tribes (Judah, Levi, and Benjamin) would become known for the largest tribe, which was Judah and they would be called Jews afterward. The southern kingdom would fall to Babylon in 586 BCE but they would not be scattered like the northern tribe was. They maintained their cultural identity.

Let’s put it all together. The children of Israel followed Joseph into slavery. Moses and Aaron were Levites. Moses is the one who was used to bring the law to the children of Israel. In other words, God used the law to free the slaves from captivity. The law protected and guided them in the wilderness, but the law could not lead them into the promised land. Joshua from the tribe of Joseph through Ephraim led them back to the promised land but could not bring them salvation. Judah, who offer himself up for sacrifice in the place of Benjamin, would be able to provide the ultimate sacrifice for all in Jesus Christ. When the children of Israel tried to follow the descendant of Joseph again, it led to utter destruction and the scattering of the people. The remaining tribes once more followed the law. This time it ended with them going into another form of slavery and they forgot about the sacrifice that was promised for their freedom.

It’s interesting to me to note that Benjamin was the favored son of Jacob because he was the last son with the favored wife, Rachel. Judah had offered to sacrifice himself to keep Benjamin safe. The tribe of Benjamin was the only full tribe other than Judah that was saved from scattering because that tribe joined with Judah to form the southern kingdom. In essence, Judah kept Benjamin safe once again.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Jesus, the lion of the tribe of Judah, became the sacrifice for all. When the children of Israel were under Roman rule, they were more slaves to their own law than to the Romans. The law was intended to be a framework for living. Instead, it was turned into the bars of their self-made prison.

Galatians 3:23-26 (23)Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. (24)So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (25)But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, (26)for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.(ESV)