When we speak of the restoration of the House of Israel what are we speaking of restoration to? The word "restoration" implies a former state of being that existed. If you take on a restoration project of a '65 Mustang or a piece of furniture, your goal is to take it back to original condition.
In Israel's history there were some times when the children demonstrated great unity. But, for the most part, the history of the House of Israel is an object lesson in what families should not do.
The tribal heads were born of one father and four separate mothers because of the competition of Rachel and Leah. As you may remember, Jacob did not originally marry his choice, Rachel. Instead, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah and serving another seven years for Rachel.
The names of the sons of Jacob reflect the intense competition between Rachel and Leah.
Leah bore the first son and named him Reuben, meaning, "The Lord has seen my affliction and now will my husband love me." When she bore a second son she declared his name Simeon, meaning, "This is because the Lord heard I was unloved and has given me this one also." Leah then gave birth to a third son and said, "This time will my husband become attached to me." And she named him Levi. After bearing a fourth son, Leah declared, "This time will I praise the Lord." So she named him Judah (praise).
Rachel, in her barren condition, must have yet remained Jacob's favorite. Though Leah bore a forth son and eventually a fifth and sixth; she probably never viewed herself as fully acceptable in Jacob's eyes. Leah had born sons and each time believed that the birth would give her a closer place to Jacob's heart than Rachel. Sadly, for Leah, the attachment that Jacob had to Rachel remained strong despite what Rachel or Leah did.
Rachel, in despair because of her inability to bear a son and further strengthen her place with Jacob, presented her handmaiden as a surrogate mother. Bilhah bore two sons by Jacob and Rachel viewed each birth as a sign that she was winning the contest to secure the affections of Jacob. She named the first, Dan (God has vindicated me!). The second she named Naphtali (A fateful contest I waged with my sister; yes, and I have prevailed).
Leah introduced her handmaiden into the competition. Again each name reflected the contest between Rachel and Leah. Leah's handmaid, Zilpah, bore Issachar (God has rewarded me) and Zebulun (my husband will give me presents).
When God remembered Rachel and opened her womb she bore Joseph and proclaimed, "God has taken away my disgrace, may the Lord add another son for me)
It is significant that the birth of Jacob's sons is divided between when he dwelt with his father in law and when he struck out on his own. For, it was not until Jacob left Laban that he had the encounter with an angel and was named Israel. And, it was not until the birth of Benjamin on the journey that Jacob/Israel participated in the naming of one of his children. To this point Jacob let Leah and Rachel carry out the competition. And it seemed the women vacilated between the feelings of victory and defeat. Each newborn male was taken as a sign of victory, but the sign lost its efficacy whenever the competitor brought forth a new son.
Rachel's second child was the only one of the twelve sons of Jacob born after Jacob's name was changed to Israel by an angel.
This change from Jacob to Israel is very significant because it illustrates the principle of completed Israel. When Israel is manifest - the in-fighting stops. Competition gives way to co-operation. Jealosy over another's call dies. Encouragement, inclusion, the recognition of individuality as parts of a whole, are the characteristics of Israel in fullness of principle.
The first eleven sons were named of competition. The final son, Benjamin was named of competition too, but now Israel intervened. Rachel, in the final moments of her life, clung to the competition. She chose a name that would stand as the final word. She would be the ultimate martyr. Rachel would be the one who died for her husband to give him a son. She named him Ben-oni, (son of suffering, which is my strength). That would be the final word. How could Leah top that? But Jacob did not repeat her selected name of Ben-oni, but instead called him Benjamin (son of the right hand).
As Israel he did not accept the name Ben-oni for his last son. This was because Rachel, even in her dying moment included the innocent baby in her competition with Leah. When Rachel said that the babe represented how her suffering was her strength it was in the context of the contest. Israel designated him Benjamin as a "right hand man", a term used to signify someone who can be relied on for strength to deliver.
But the deep marks of competition that cut through the family while raising the eleven sons left a deep impression on the children of Jacob.
Given this background it is easy to see what motivated Joseph's brothers to treat him as they did. The love of Jacob for Joseph just fanned the flames of the fued that continued though Rachel was no longer alive. Leah's life had been dedicated to the contest, the conquest; first place in Jacob's heart. And Jacob's favor to Joseph probably only added to Leah's doubts of being the victor. The battle lines remained, it was Leah's children against Rachel's, and half brothers pitted against each other through three mothers. Bilhah and Zilpah had to deal with their own insecurities and probably did their part to further divide the family.
So, it is not this dysfunctional family of Jacob that God wants to restore. For, the manifestation of God's very nature is destined to take place as the descendants of this dysfuntional family restore the wholeness God intended in Jacob's family and all families of earth. And it is the restoration of Israel which leads the way to the reign of peace on earth with Jesus Christ as the king of Israel and all nations. Home Page
