Gad, Asher, and Naphtali || Jacob’s Family Tree – Revisited #6

Welcome back to the “Jacob’s Family Tree – Revisited” series. This series takes another look at the blessings Jacob gave to his children and how those blessings are showcased in the rest of the biblical story. In the last part, we examined Dan’s blessing and idolatrous ways. This blog will examine Gad’s, Asher’s, and Naphtali’s blessings.

Genesis 49:19-21

19           Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them when they retreat.

20           Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.

21           Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful dens.

Gad is a fighter. Asher is a foodie. Naphtali is a fawn? These blessings are getting weird. Let’s talk about them.

Deuteronomy 33:20

20           Moses said this about the tribe of God. “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory! God is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head.

This fits the fighter theme. Let’s talk about someone who was a fighter. Introducing Jephthah.

Jephthah could be depended on entirely and whose actions are consistent with their words. For him, his communication was just the beginning of his action. He approaches conflict with the full intention of settling issues verbally. Still, he won’t hesitate to use other means if verbal attempts fail. In his war with the Ammonites, his primary strategy was to negotiate. He wanted to clarify the issues that everyone knew about what caused the conflict in the first place.

There was a significant event that happened with his daughter that was hard to comprehend.

Judges 11:31

31           I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.

We don’t honestly know what happened to his daughter – whether she was burned as an offering or set apart as a virgin, thus denying Jephthah any hope of descendants since she was an only child. What we do know, though, is that Jephthah was a person of his word, even when that word was spoken in fear and even when it would cost him great pain.

Jephthah was controlled by the Spirit of God and a brilliant military strategist who negotiated before fighting. He was also a bitter person, holding on to the mistreatment given to him by his brothers. As seen above, he also made a rash and foolish vow that proved costly.

What can we take away from Jephthah and his character, and how he represents the descendants of Gad? Your background doesn’t prevent God from working in your life. I only shared a little about his background, but the point remains. There’s no specificity about how you should be for God to use you. As long as you believe and breathe, God has a more fantastic plan for you than you could imagine. Your gender identity, your sexual orientation, your wealth status, your social circle, your home life, or anything else that you think defines you means very little to God. Your heart is what he strives for. He wants that. If he gets that, look out, world.

We also learn to not make rash promises under heated emotions. Jepthah’s promise of a burnt offering cost him his daughter and any future descendants for his lineage. Granted, we most likely will never be put in a situation like that, but the point still remains. We can say things we don’t mean or do things that we later regret because we are so worked up emotionally. Take the time to strive for patience and calmness through God and allow his peace, which is different than any peace we ever had, to overtake you.

Deuteronomy 33:24-25

24           Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: “May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil.

25           May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze; may you be secure all your days.

Bathing one’s feet in oil was a sign of prosperity. Oil was used for MANY different areas of life during this time, so using it on one’s feet was a sign that more oil was available for all the other uses. Remember the story of the woman anointed Jesus’s feet with oil? (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50, John 12:1-8) An important story about the ministry of Jesus that appears in all four gospels, which I didn’t realize until writing this. The disciples were so upset that the oil was being wasted on Jesus. The oil was worth about a year’s worth of wages, and Mary Magdalene decided to open the bottle and pour them on the feet of Christ. No one realized the impact of that moment other than her and Jesus. The disciples saw it as a waste of resources; they saw it as an act of worship.

Asher’s tribe would prosper in this way and be secure and protected.

Deuteronomy 33:23

23           Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the Lord’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.

A critical person from Naphtali’s tribe was EliJAH the prophet. Not EliSHA, but EliJAH. Elijah was sent to confront, not comfort. Words weren’t his go-to like Jephthah was. Elijah spoke God’s word to a king who often only rejected what God had to say because Elijah was the messenger. He was still faithful to carry out his ministry for God, which caused significant tensions and animosity between him and the King. It got so bad that Elijah was on the run, hiding from the King, who was ready to kill him. Being on the run caused him to be deep in thought, wondering if he was the only one who faithfully followed God. Elijah received a warm message from God but still struggled with his feelings. God confronted Elijah’s emotions and told him what to do next. He gave him encouraging news to help with his feelings of loneliness.

Elijah was able to predict the beginning and end of a three-year drought. He was used by God to revive a dead child and reunite him with his mother. He also represented God in a unique showdown with the priests of Baal and Asherah. He thought he was alone in his fight. He also ran away in fear after Jezebel threatened his life. What do we need to take away from Elijah and his character, and how does he represent the tribe of Naphtali?

We are never closer to defeat than in our moments of most significant victory. It’s very easy to give up when things get tough, but in those moments, we take victorious steps towards achieving our goal. When we reach it, we often reflect on the times when we almost gave up and realize that it was always one decision away from feeling what we feel right now.

We are never as alone as we may think. God is always with us. God doesn’t leave our side regardless of what we have going on. The things we’re dealing with are things that God can connect with. The things we deal with aren’t unique to God but are things that God has helped others with before and has possibly experienced himself through Jesus.

God speaks more frequently in persistent whispers than in shouts. This I truly believe. God’s not going to yell at us to get our attention. That’s not the God he is. God will be sitting right next to us, and when we’re ready, we’ll hear that still small voice saying, “I am right here.” God whispers because he loves. God whispers because he cares. God whispers because he’s close.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the blessings given to Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. In the next part, we will look at the blessings given to Joseph. Until then, stay blessed!