The Tribe of Benjamin

INTRO

We are about to go through the eighth chapter of names. In 1 Chronicles 7, we talked about six tribes, including Benjamin. Why are we going to talk about Benjamin again? It can seem daunting and repetitive, but there is a bigger picture here. When we slow down and study, we should ask God to show us what He wants us to see (1 John 2:20, 27). We need to position ourselves to go deeper into the word; move from the milk to the meat (Hebrews 5:13—6:12). We should be able to teach this stuff! We have literally gone over and over these names, because, for some reason, the writer needed us to learn something deeper.

The tribe of Benjamin was broken up into two groups. When the northern tribes broke away from Judah (922 BC), the tribe of Benjamin split its allegiance. After Rehoboam’s foolishness and Solomon turned away from the Lord, Ahijah prophesied that God would split the kingdom of Israel: “For this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes, but one tribe will remain his because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel’” (1 Kings 11:31-32). But when the kingdom did divide, some Benjaminites remained loyal to Judah: “When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized 180,000 choice warriors from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon” (1 Kings 12:21).

TEACHING

1 Chronicles 8:1–7: The Benjaminites were on the level of Judah and Levi. They were part of the returning remnant into the settlements. Ehud was a well-known Israelite judge who helped bring victory over the Moabite king (Judges 3:12-30). Geba (v. 6) was a Levitical city on the southern border of Benjamin, about six miles north-northeast of Jerusalem. King Asa fortified Geba during his reign but the city was repossessed by the Israelites during the early exile period (Ezra 2:26).

1 Chronicles 8:8-13: Several other locations were named: Moab (v. 8), Ono and Lod (v. 12), and Gath (v. 13).

1 Chronicles 8:14-28: The heads of families and chief Benjaminites set up their homes in Jerusalem. Their identity was in their family name and where they were from. Some of the remaining Benjaminites went north while others went south. They had messed up family lines and misplaced identity. We need to place our identity in the Son of David—Jesus, and not in our own name or lineage.

1 Chronicles 8:29-40: This family lived in Gibeon, which was near Jerusalem. Constable explains, “Gibeon became the central sanctuary where Saul began.”¹Gibeon wasn’t God’s choice for a sanctuary. God’s choice was Jerusalem. Saul wasn’t the chosen leader. David was.

The tribe of Benjamin is representative of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. Some went north and some went south. Some stayed in Jerusalem while some stayed around in Gibeon. They could not decide what they wanted to do.

The Benjaminites were always on the fence. Civil war started in Israel because of the Benjaminites. Judges 19—21 describes the account of the horrific death of a Levite’s concubine. The Benjaminites were the only tribe that didn’t see a problem with it. The other tribes united against Benjamin and almost completely wiped them out because of the Benjaminites’ refusal to turn in the perpetrators. After the small civil war, only six hundred Benjaminites were left. The Benjaminites were a great example of giving in to the flesh, of those who were going to do whatever was right in their own eyes. Jacob’s prophecy of Benjamin certainly came true: “Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey. In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the plunder” (Genesis 49:27). This verse describes three sets of two things:

1. Time frames: morning and evening
2. Actions: dividing and devouring
3. Outcomes: prey and spoil2

The Benjaminites didn’t know who they were. They weren’t from the north or the south. They weren’t from Jerusalem or Gibeon. James 1:5-8 could have described the Benjaminites: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” The Benjaminites who remained with Judah saw the hope of the future.

CLOSING

Just because you come from an unstable family doesn’t mean your identity is found there. You can be part of something bigger. Revelation 7:4-8 describes 144,000 slaves (servants) who all will come together, and Benjamin could be a part of this since this passage mentions "every tribe of the Israelites." The Benjaminites will also have their name inscribed on one of the gates of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12-13). This will only be possible because of the small remnant of the tribe of Benjamin who remained faithful to the Lord and pointed others to the Son of David.