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Dear Gramps,

In my patriarchal blessing, I’m told that my blessings and assignments are through the tribe of Benjamin. So far, my research hasn’t told me much of Benjamin.

What would my assignments and blessings be? My husband is of Ephraim and he knows perfectly well what his are, and I feel really lost sometimes when I don’t know enough about my own tribe. Can you help?

Jessica

Dear Jessica,

There is not much given concerning the tribe of Benjamin.  Abraham’s blessing to Benjamin is recorded in Gensis 49:  27″ Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” ‘ Ravin’ means to eat greedily, take food by violence and force.  ‘Devour’ is to eat up and ‘Spoil’ is things taken by force.  Moses’ blessing to the Tribe of Benjamin is found in Deuteronomy 33:  12  “And of aBenjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.”

The Bible Dictionary tells us that:  “The Benjamites were a warlike race, and did great service in resisting the Philistine oppression. The tribe provided the first king in the person of Saul (1 Sam. 9: 1) At the division of the kingdom Benjamin joined the northern tribes (1 Kgs. 12: 21), but the nearness to Jerusalem seems to have caused Benjamin gradually to become part of the kingdom of Judah. The most distinguished Benjamite was the apostle Paul (Rom. 11: 1).

Keep in mind that all the blessings promised to Abraham are given to his posterity.  This is summarized in the Bible Dictionary:  “Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation). Then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase. Finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity (D&C 132: 29-50; Abr. 2: 6-11). Included in the divine promises to Abraham were the assurances that1 Christ would come through his lineage, and that2 Abraham’s posterity would receive certain lands as an eternal inheritance (Gen. 17; Gen. 22: 15-18; Gal. 3; Abr. 2). These promises taken together are called the Abrahamic covenant. It was renewed with Isaac (Gen. 26: 1-4, 24) and again with Jacob (Gen. 28; Gen. 35: 9-13; Gen. 48: 3-4).”

Gramps

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