THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN: A PEOPLE OF INCREASE

06/13/2013

"Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were... Parah" (Joshua 18:21,23).

If you have been following the devotional for the past week, by now, you must have come to terms with the truth that the tribe of Benjamin is a foreshadowing of the Church. Benoni, meaning, "son of my pain" which was the name associated with Benjamin's natural birth, is symbolic of the labor that everyone who comes to this world receives as a license to live from their mother. 

Benjamin, on the other hand, means "son of my right hand," and it was bestowed on him by his father as a symbol to us who are born again that we have been elevated to the sonship of our Heavenly Father because of His word. 1 Peter 1:23 NIV says, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 

Just like his father, Jacob was motivated by love to alter Benoni's destiny by changing his name to Benjamin, our elevation to the sonship of God's right hand is a product of the Father's boundless love for you and me. 1 John 3:1 KJV says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."

We have also realized from the word of God that the term 'city' or 'cities,' in Bible speak, refers to an assembly of people with specific qualities. In Psalm 87:3, the Bible says, "Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah" analogous to an assembly of people in whom God dwells (and you can find further study references in Psalm 46:4; Psalm 48:8 and Hebrews 11:10). 

So when the Bible in today's theme scripture refers to the cities of the tribe of Benjamin, it is referring to certain qualities that the Church must embody to fulfill its destiny. As a quick refresher, the destiny of the Church on Earth is to rule and reign by divine order. Prophesying about us, Jacob says, "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil” (Genesis 49:27)

Quality number 8 that the Church must embody to fulfill its destiny as mentioned in the eighth city of the tribe of Benjamin is Parah. Parah means to increase, grow or be fruit-bearing. God's people must be fruit-bearing and to be fruit-bearing means to be so inundated by the Word of God until growth is a natural occurrence with you. 

Hear me, growth in God is not forced, it happens via consensual intercourse, and by consensual intercourse, I mean getting to know God deeply through His Word. All increase in God, whether it be an increase in strength (see Proverbs 24:5); increase in fortune (see Proverbs 24:4); increase in prayer results (John 15:7), and any other type of increase, only happens by intercourse with the Word of God. 

Your rulership and dominion in the realm of the Spirit are tied to how much of God's knowledge you have in you and how immersed you are in knowing God. Like the Christians in Berea, the key to embodying Parah is through rigorous fellowship with the Bible. Acts 17:11 says of them, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

Remember, all increase in God, is precipitated by a rigorous engagement in and with God, first through the scripture and then, in prayer. 

Have a fantastic day.

Faith-Filled Confession

I am a person of increase. I increase on all sides as I fellowship with the Lord every day. My life experience is constantly enhanced as I behold the glory of the Lord in the mirror of His Word so that I grow from strength to strength; grace to grace and glory to glory, even by the image that I continually behold of myself in Christ. Hallelujah!

 One-Year Reading Plan: Ezra 1-2; John 19:23-42