Philadelphia Saints of Revelation                                 Issue 6
Truth of Scriptures
Copyright 1993, P.S.O.R, Inc.

Nevertheless, what saith the Scriptures? (Galatians 4:30).  Regardless of what we believe and why we believe, what do the Scriptures actually communicate?

Who are the children of Israel?  Are they all the children that were either born in the country Israel or of Jewish ancestry?  Allow me to take you through Scripture to prove this is NOT SO.

If the children of Israel are not natural Israelis, born in the country of Israel, then who are the children of Israel?  The Bible explains the children of Israel are the direct bloodline descendents of Jacob.  God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Therefore, Jacob's entire lineage is the bloodline of people who God has set apart. They are known throughout the Bible as the children of Israel.

I want go through Scriptures and present the children of Israel and to show they are the sons of Jacob, which include their families.

Genesis 35:10-12, And God said unto him, "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name" and He called his name Israel. And God said unto him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land."

God told Jacob He was changing his name to Israel. God told him to be fruitful and multiply and that he would be a nation and a company of nations would come from him. He told him kings would come from his loins. God told him the land, which He had given to Abraham and Isaac would also be given to him and his heirs.

1 Kings 18:31, And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the Word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be thy name"

Elijah used twelve stone, which represent the number of the tribes or the sons of Jacob, to whom the Lord said, "Israel shall be thy name."

In the next Scripture we find Jacob (Israel), along with all his children and their families entering into Egypt. Joseph was Jacob's (Israel's), youngest son and his brothers had sold him to an Ishmaelite for twenty pieces of silver. Therefore, Joseph was already in Egypt when the rest of his family entered (Gen. 37:28).

Exodus 1:1-5, "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

These Scriptures clearly relate that Jacob and Israel are one and the same. Joseph was not included in the naming of the sons for he was already in Egypt before the others came in. At the time they entered into Egypt they numbered a total of seventy (70) people.

Jacob and his children were held in bondage in Egypt for many years before God decided to bring them out. When they left the Egyptians were trying to overtake them and force them to return. God appointed Moses as their leader and when they got to the Red Sea, Moses parted the water and they crossed on dry land. After they crossed the sea God told Moses to have the water of the sea return to its natural state. When this happened the Egyptians were destroyed (Exodus 14:21-31).

God set apart or separated the children of Israel (Jacob). Why did God do this? As we read on this will become clearer.

Deuteronomy 32:8-9, When the Most High (God) divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portions is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.

God separated and set apart His people and they are a specific bloodline, which is of (Jacob) Israel. Jacob and his families are God's portion, remnant, or inheritance. God gave them all specific boundaries. Jacob and his family were separated from the sons of Adam.

Genesis 35:23-26, The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's first-born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

These are Jacob's (Israel's) twelve sons. They were also known as the men of Israel, the Israelites (taken from his name Israel), the twelve nations, and the twelve tribes of Israel, and the children of Israel.

This begins with Jacob (Israel) getting a wife. He knew a man whose name was Laban and he had two daughters. The eldest daughter's name was Leah and the younger was Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel and he designed an arrangement with Laban to work for him seven years and in return he would earn Rachel for his wife. He filled his obligation of work to Laban and instead of obtaining Rachel for a wife, Laban deceitfully gave him Leah. It was the custom of Laban for the eldest child to be wed first. Jacob accepted this situation and stayed on and continued to work for Laban another seven years in order to get Rachel for a wife.

There is quiet the story that transpired between Laban and Jacob then between Jacob, Leah, Rachel and their handmaids. It can be read in Genesis 29-17-43, Genesis 30: & 31:1-18.

Deuteronomy 7:1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou.

There were people who were here during the time of the Israelites. There is a definite distinction between the children of Israel and the others who are mentioned. There were seven nations and they were greater and mightier than the children of Israel were. If you continue to read the next few Scriptures in Deuteronomy 7, you will find God delivered all of these nations to the hands of the children of Jacob (Israel).

God wanted the children of Israel to be separated from the heathen nations, which is what He called them. The children of Israel were a select group of people and a specific bloodline from the loins of Jacob (Israel).

Exodus 13:1-3, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, "Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel both of man and of beast: it is Mine." And Moses said unto the people, "Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage…

Moses was instructed to set apart or sanctify all the first-born that opens the womb among the children of Israel for God. Regardless of whether of man or of beast for it belongs to the Lord.

Numbers 32:13, And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed.

The families of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) wandered in the wilderness for forty years because they did evil in the sight of the Lord. This also relates that a generation is equivalent to forty years. They had to remain in the wilderness until all that had done evil of that generation had died.

Hopefully it is becoming clearer that the twelve nations of Israel, the twelve tribes, or the children of Israel are literally the twelve sons of Jacob and their families. The children of Israel are the bloodline of people that came out of the loins of Jacob whom God set apart for Himself. Israel, here, is not a country or the nation Israel where Jerusalem is located.

Exodus 19:5-6, The Lord is speaking, "Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine. And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

The Lord states if they will obey His Voice and keep His Covenant they will be a special treasure to God above all the people on the earth. The Lord states the earth is His and Israel shall be to Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Another place that tells us that the children of Israel are the twelve sons of Jacob is in Numbers 1. The Lord commanded Moses to take a census (head count), of all of the children of Israel from the age of twenty years and upward that were able to go to war.

Numbers 1:19-46, As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war. Those that were numbered of them even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. To verse 23, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. To verse 25, Those that were numbered of them even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty. To verse 27, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. To verse 29, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. To verse 31, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. To verse 32, Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, . . . To verse 33, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred. To verse 35, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. To verse 37, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. To verse 39, Those that were numbered of them, even the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. To verse 41, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred. To verse 43, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes (leaders) of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers. To verse 46, Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

Remember in Genesis 35: that God had told them to be fruitful and multiply? When Moses took the census of them, you will notice that their number had increased tremendously from the first count of seventy souls that first entered into Egypt (Exodus 1:1). They had increased their number to six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty (603,550). These that were numbered were only the men that were twenty years old and older that were able to go to war.

If one compares the names of the twelve sons that were given in the Numbers 1, to the ones in Genesis 35:23-26, one will determine that they are not the same names and there is a reason for this and it will be explained next.

Genesis 41:50-52, And unto Joseph were born two sons. . . And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh. . . And the name of the second called he Ephraim. . .

Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob (Israel). His mother was Rachel whom Jacob had obtained while working for Laban, her father, for fourteen years. Joseph had two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. These two sons were counted in the numbering or census of the tribes that Moses took of the children of Israel.

However, the tribe of Levi, another son of Jacob's was not counted or numbered with the men that were able to go to war. As we read on through the Scriptures we will understand why the tribe of Levi was set apart from their brothers when the census was taken and why Joseph's two sons were included in numbering of the twelve tribes.

Numbers 1:47, But the Levites (tribe of Levi) after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

The tribe of Levi would not inherit land as their brothers did because the Lord was their portion of inheritance.

Numbers 3:12-13, The Lord is speaking, "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel therefore the Levites shall be Mine. Because all the first-born are Mine; for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I am the Lord."

God has decided to take the Levites and set them apart from the children of Israel instead of the first born among the children of Israel. Therefore, the Levites shall be His because all first born are His.

The Lord first related that the day He smote every first born in the land of Egypt that He hallowed to Himself all the first born of Israel both of man and beast. However, instead of this He will take the tribe of Levi and they shall be hallowed unto Him.

Joshua 18:7, But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. . .

The Levites, or tribe of Levi, have no part or portion with their brothers for the priesthood of the Lord is their share and inheritance. In this next Scripture we will read how the appointment of this position for the tribe of Levi and what it means.

Numbers 1:50-53, The Lord is speaking to Moses, "But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof: and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle setteth forward (moves), the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel (Jacob), and the Levites shall keep the charge (have in their care), of the tabernacle of testimony" (a tent where they met with God).

The Lord has appointed the tribe of Levi with the responsibility to oversee the Tabernacle of Testimony, which is the Ark of the Covenant. They are to look after all the vessels and all things that belong to it. They were also accountable for transporting or carry the Tabernacle and it's vessels. They were in charge of the Tabernacle and they encamped around it.

When the Tabernacle moved forward the Levites would take it down and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched the Levites will set it up. If a stranger came near the Tabernacle they would be put to death. The Levites would set up their tents around the Tabernacle of Testimony so that there be no wrath come upon the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites would be responsible for the Tabernacle of Testimony.

Deuteronomy 10:9, Wherefore Levi hath no part, nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him.

God has determined that the tribe of Levi will have no part or inheritance with their brothers, for his brothers had all received a portion of land. The Lord is the inheritance of the Levities as God has promised them.

Deuteronomy 18:1-2, The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part, nor inheritance with Israel (their other brothers): they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His inheritance. Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance, as He hath said.

The Levites were commissioned with the work connected with the Tabernacle. God led them by a Cloud and when the Cloud moved they were to take down and move the Tabernacle and when the Cloud stopped they were to set it up again. This was their specific job and no one else was allowed to touch any part of it or they would die.

The Levites placed tents around the Tabernacle where they met with God. There was a wall separating the Tabernacle from the other members of the congregations of the children of Israel.

The Levites did not inherit land as their brothers did so God told their brothers to give them cities to dwell in from their inheritance of land, as we shall read in this next Scripture.

Numbers 35:2, The Lord is speaking to Moses, "Command the children of Israel (Jacob), that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them."

The Levites did not inherit land but they were allowed to dwell in the land that was given for them to use by their brothers and also land for their cattle.

How was this particular tribe of Levi chosen to do the work of the Lord from the other tribes? Quibbling had arisen among the tribes of Israel because they were of the opinion that Moses and Aaron thought that they were better then the others. The Lord had to choose a tribe in a way that would stop the complaining. This is how the Lord chose the tribe of Levi.

In Numbers 16, it states that there were two hundred and fifty princes (leaders) of the assembly that gathered together against Moses and Aaron. They were men of renown and were famous among the congregation of the children of Israel. The leaders told Moses and Aaron that they were taking too much upon themselves, and that they were lifting themselves up above the rest of the congregation. This is how God settled the dispute.

Numbers 17:1-8, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel (Jacob), whereby they murmur against you." And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

God had proclaimed that the one that He chooses would blossom. The tribe of Levi, Aaron's rod, was the one that blossomed, therefore God chose the Levites. In verse 10, of this same chapter, God instructed Moses to bring to Him Aaron's rod and to place it in the Tabernacle of Testimony. This was to be kept as a token against the rebels to take away their complaining to God and that they would not die. For this reason the tribe Levi inherited the priesthood of God.

Numbers 18:1, And the Lord said unto Aaron, "Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood."

The Lord informed Aaron, Moses' brother, that he and his sons along with their heirs were responsible for the Sanctuary and the priesthood. They would suffer the consequence for any mistakes.

Exodus 40:13-15, The Lord is Speaking, "And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats. And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

The Lord's instructed Aaron to put on the Holy Garments and be anointed and sanctified, set apart, so that he could minister to God in the office of the priest. This also included Aaron's sons who would also be anointed and wear special clothing just as their father was. They too, would hold the office of the priest. The Lord states their anointing will be everlasting throughout their generations.

There is another place in the Bible that we can determine that the children of Israel are the actual children of Jacob and his descendants. There was a time when the tribe of Benjamin was almost obliterated by the other children of Israel. We can read about this event in Judges 19.

We begin reading about a Levite, his wife, and his servant who were returning home. It was getting dark and the Levite did not want to stay in the city of a stranger. So they continued traveling until they came to Gibeah which was a village of the tribe of Benjamin their brother. They went into the village to spend the night however; there was not one person that would take them into their house for lodging.

An old man came in from working in the field. He lived in Gibeah, but he was not a Benjamite. The old man took them home with him. He fed them and their animals and gave them places to sleep. As they were drinking the men of the city seized the house from all around and beat on the door. They instructed the old man to bring forth the Levite that had come into his house so they might know him, which tells us that these men were gay. The old man went out to them and told them not to do such a wicked thing since the Levite was his guest. Instead the old man offered them his daughter who was a virgin and his concubine who was like a second wife, but the men would not listen to him.

Ultimately the Levite did not go out, but he gave them his own wife. These wicked men ravaged and abused her all night. In the morning, at daybreak, they let her go. She came to the old man's house and fell down at the door where her lord was until it was daylight. In those days their husbands were know as their lord. When her husband (lord), rose up and opened the doors of the house the woman, his concubine, was fallen down at the threshold. He instructed her to get up and get going but she did not answer him for she was dead. He put her on his donkey and went home. When he arrived at his house he took a knife and divided his wife into twelve pieces along with her bones and sent each piece of her to a tribe of Israel.

Judges 19:30, And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

The children of Israel had never before seen such a deed done as what the Levite did when he divided his wife and sent her pieces to each of them. In Judges 20, the children of Israel asked the Levite to relate to them what had happened. He told them that he came into the city Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin, with his wife to spend the night. He stated that the men of Gibeah rose up against him to slay him and that they raped his concubine who is now dead.

The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that is done among you? Now deliver us the men, the children of Beliah which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel" (Judges 20:12).

However, the tribe of Benjamin would not listen to the words of their brothers. Instead the tribe of Benjamin gathered together outside the cities to prepare for battle against their brothers the children of Israel.

The Benjamites (tribe of Benjamin) began the battle with twenty six thousand men (26,000) from their tribe and another seven hundred (700) chosen men from the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were all left handed and could sling stones at a hair breath and not miss (Judges 20:15-16). The Scriptures related that the men of Israel, not counting their brother Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand (400,000) men that drew a sword and all these were men of war (Judges 20:17).

The other eleven tribes petitioned the Lord about who should go up first against their brother, the Benjamites. The Lord said, "Judah shall go up first" (Judges 20:18). On the first day of the battle the other eleven tribes of the children of Israel lost twenty two thousand men.

Again, the eleven tribes of Israel prayed to the Lord and wept until evening asking counsel of the Lord saying, "Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother?" And the Lord said, "Go up against him" (Judges 20:23). That day they lost eighteen thousand (18,000) men. There were many killed and it looked like the tribe of Benjamin would win.

Once again, the eleven tribes of the children of Israel petitioned the Lord, this was the third time. They wept and fasted that day until evening and they again gave their request to the Lord, for the Ark of the Covenant was with them in those days. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?" And the Lord said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand" (Judges 20:28).

On the third day of battle with the tribe of Benjamin they prevailed and all that was remaining from the tribe of Benjamin after the battle was six hundred (600) men and they fled to the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon where they lived four months. All the women and children were killed.

In Judges 21 it tells that the men of Israel swore that none of them would give their daughters to the tribe of Benjamin for a wife. Soon they were concerned that the tribes of Israel would now be short the one tribe.

Judges 21:2-17, And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore. And said, "O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?" To verse 6, And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?" To verse 15, And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, "How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?" And they said, "There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel."

They had to keep the bloodline pure to the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was without women because the battle had destroyed them. The other tribes had sworn that they would not give them any women from their tribes to their brother so they could not go against their word. This is how this dilemma was resolved.

The eleven tribes sent the remaining six hundred men of Benjamin to Shiloh to find a wife. Every year at Shiloh there is a feast of the Lord where the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances. When they came out to dance the Benjamites were waiting for them in the vineyards. It was determined that each Benjamite would take a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh and then return to their land, the land of Benjamin.

The children of Israel prepared an explanation for their behavior. When the fathers or brothers of the damsels, who were taken by the Benjamites, came to them complaining about the Israelites conduct that they would tell them to be favorable to the Benjamites because they did not reserve each man his wife in the war.

Perhaps you are wondering how they kept the true bloodline since the tribe of Benjamin took wives from Shiloh. First to explain that Shiloh was the central sanctuary of the Tabernacle. Then I will explain how they kept the true bloodline.

Joshua 18:1, And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there…

1 Samuel 1:3, And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh…

The Tabernacle found a temporary resting-place for it was set up in Shiloh. This is the place the children of Israel assembled together. Shiloh was a place that men went up yearly to worship and make sacrifices to the Lord. Together, these Scriptures relate that the tribe of Benjamin had taken the young women to wife from a place of Shiloh, but the people at Shiloh were the priests of God. They were of the tribe of Levi who had been appointed as overseers of the Tabernacle. This means that it was daughters of their brother, the tribe of Levi. Therefore, the bloodline remained pure.

There is one more scripture that states that the children of Israel and the children of Jacob are the same.

Ruth 4:11, … The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel…

Pretty plain isn't it? Rachel and Leah were the wives of Jacob later known as Israel. Rachael and Leah and their handmaids bore all of his sons. Jacob and his twelve sons and their descendants are what constitute the true bloodline of the children of Israel.

Why did God choose and pay special attention to the children of Israel?

Leviticus 20:24-26, … "I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people … I have separated you from the unclean … and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine."

Deuteronomy 7:6-9, "For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath (promise), which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen (slavery), from the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations."

The children of Israel are holy to the Lord. The Lord did not choose them because they were more in number than all the people of the earth, but because they were the fewest of all people. God had promised that He would keep His promise, which He had sworn to their fathers. The Lord brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and redeemed them out of the house of bondage and slavery and from the hand of Pharaoh the King of Egypt. God is faithful and keeps His covenant promises and has mercy upon them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.

Genesis 48:5- Jacob is speaking to Joseph, "And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine."

To clarify who inherited the tribe of Levi's portion. Israel and Rachael had two children Joseph and Benjamin. If you check through the tribes you will discover that Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen. 46:19-20). Joseph's two sons received an inheritance along with the children of Israel, but the tribe of Levi did not, for they belonged to God. Joseph and his each of his sons got a portion of the inheritance of the children of Jacob.

Genesis 49:1, And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and harken unto Israel your father."

When they were first naming the twelve tribes of Israel it included the tribe of Levi (Exodus 1:1-5) but made no mention of Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, but did later in Numbers 1:33-35.

After the Levites gave up their inheritance of land they received the priesthood for their service to the Lord. Their portion was given to Joseph's son's Ephraim and Manasseh (Numbers 1:32-34). Their father Joseph died while he was still in Egypt.

Gen. 5:26, So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

When Joseph took Manasseh and Ephraim to his father Jacob (Israel) to bless, Jacob (Israel) gave the blessings to the youngest son and not to the traditional firstborn son Manasseh (Gen. 48:17-20). To read more about this topic read "Blessing, the elder shall serve".

Joseph and his two sons were counted during the first census or numbering that Moses took. However, in Revelation 7:4-8, while naming all the tribes of Israel it includes Joseph and his eldest son Manasseh, now called Manasses, but does not mention or include the youngest son Ephraim to whom went the best blessings of Jacob (Israel).

Yours in Christ,

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