When the dust clears

God had a plan to raise up 12 tribes of Israel.

A man named Jacob took to wife Rachel (whom he loved) and Leah (not so much). Leah conceived, and named him Reuben. She interpreted his birth as God's consolation for her emotional affliction. She conceived again, winning first and second prize. He was called Simeon. Then it was a hat trick, and she named him Levi. Soon the score was four to nothing, Leah: Enter Judah.

All of which produced no end of drama between Leah and barren Rachel. Rachel unsheathed her secret weapon, Bilhah the maid, who was good for two in a row: Dan and Naphtali. The war of the maids was off and running. Leah's Zilpah gave her mistress Gad and Asher. Leah also purchased Jacob's services from Rachel with mandrakes: nine months later came Issachar, followed by Zebulun and Dinah. Rachel finally conceived twice, having the last word in the baby wars, with Joseph and Benjamin (Genesis 29-30).

When the dust cleared, there were the 12 tribes of Israel standing all in a row.

A few hundred years later God's plan hung by a thread. The Benjamites were complicit in the most debauched episode recorded in Scripture (Judges 19). The other 11 tribes, no slouches at debauchery themselves, went out to war against their brother, slaughtering 25,100 of Benjamin's 26,000 able-bodied men. When they saw what they had done ---nearly exterminating one of the 12 tribes of Israel---they wept and prayed, and then they got scheming: They looked around to see who had not shown up for battle, slaughtered them, and thereby scared up 400 virgins for the Benjamite remnant. That wasn't enough, so they sent the leftover Benjamites to hide in the vineyards at an annual dance in Shiloh, and snatch themselves some women from the dance floor.

So when the dust cleared, there were still 12 tribes of Israel.

We do not recommend as policy jealousy, intrigue, maid-swapping, debauchery, internecine warfare, dance hall high jinks, and other sin. But we are edified that God is adept at throwing all of this into the hopper and, when the dust clears, bringing about his Kingdom.

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