427 – The Twelve Tribes of Israel – Berean Baptist Church

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: BIBLE SURVEY II LESSON # 27

THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Read Gen. 46:8-27 . As a companion study, read lesson 27 in the book MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

INTRODUCTION:

1. When you speak of the house of Jacob or the house of Israel, you are referring to the same people.
2. Keep in mind that this may not always be synonymous with the nation of Israel.
3. During the era from the division of the nation to Israel’s fall to Assyria, the title “Nation of Israel” speaks only of the Northern Kingdom. (I Kings chapter 12)

I. JACOB BECOMES ISRAEL

1. The name Jacob means supplanter – a treacherous and devious person.
2. Israel means a prince with God.
3. His name was changed, not by his own design, but by God’s purpose and Jacob’s dependency. (Gen. 32:24-32

)

II. THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

1. They are, with variation, the names of the sons of Jacob.
2. Note the names of the sons going into Egypt with and before Jacob (Gen. 46:8-27

): Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Naphtali and Levi (12 in all).
3. The tribes coming out of Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Levi (who was given no portion of the land), Ephraim and Manasseh (the 2 sons of Joseph) actually thirteen tribes in all, even though only twelve of them were numbered, Levi was not.
4. In Rev. 7:4-8, we

find Juda, Reuben, Gad, Aser, Nephthalim, Manasses, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph and Benjamin.
5. It may be that the names of Dan and Ephraim are dropped at the time of Assyrian captivity because of their particular part in idolatry. Read I Kings 12:16-33

i. One of the golden calves was placed in Bethel and one in Dan. (I Kings 12:29

)
ii. Obviously, Dan was in the inheritance of that tribe.
iii. It seems that Bethel was in the inheritance of Ephraim. (Joshua 16:1-2

)
iv. I am persuaded from many passages in the Minor Prophets, such as Amos 8:14

, that these two tribes not only shared in the common destruction of the Northern Kingdom, but also suffered the loss of their name as in Rev. 7:4-8

and Rev. 21:12

III. THE SO-CALLED “LOST TRIBES”

1. No doubt, you have heard of “The ten lost tribes of Israel.”
2. Such heretics as the “British Israelites” and their offshoots, such as the Armstrongs, claim that they are now located in Britain and the U.S.A.
3. What, if anything happened to these ten tribes?
4. Because of Solomon’s idolatry, God gave ten of the twelve tribes of Israel to a rebel, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, of the tribe of Ephraim. (I Kings 11:26-35

)
5. The tribe of Judah joined by Benjamin remained with the house of David, led by Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
6. The ten tribes became Israel (the Northern Kingdom) ruled from Shechem. (I Kings 12:25

)

i. Omri, the father of Ahab, later built Samaria and headquartered the nation there. (I Kings 16:24

)

7. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin became the nation of Judah, (the Southern Kingdom) headquartered at Jerusalem.
8. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) fell to Assyria in about 722 B.C. (II Kings 17:1-20

)
9. Judah fell to Babylon about 136 years later in approximately 586 B.C.
10. Meanwhile, Assyria had fallen to Babylon. Thus, the two nations are remingled in captivity.
11. When they return to the land, any Israelite who desired could return. (Ezra 1:2-4

)
12. However, from this point there was no tribal identity for any of those who turned away from the house of David.

Berean Baptist Church