Weekly Picture from Israel 170705

Pictures from Israel

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Israel-MEA-20170614-(N63)–Art-in-Jerusalem-Mosaic Reuben

Mosaic of the Tribe of Reuben, the first son of Isaac.

Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring each of the 12 tribes of Israel, born to the Patriarch Abraham, whose descendants became known as the Israelite nation.
Reuben was Israel’s (Jacob’s) first born and his father called him his ‘might, and the first sign of his strength’. As first-born, he had all the rights and privileges of a firstborn son, and in his early years, he excelled in honour and power. However, he dishonoured his father by sleeping with Bilhah, his father’s concubine wife. Jacob declared that Reuben ‘would no longer excel’.
By committing this uncleanness with his father’s wife, there would be reproach upon his tribe and the family, to whom he ought to have been an example and a blessing. He forfeited the prerogatives of the birthright, and his dying father demoted him, although he did not disown or disinherit him. He would still have all the privileges of a son, but not of the firstborn. Jacob’s sad prophecy for Reuben certainly came true for his descendants, for there was to be no judge, prophet, ruler, or prince to come from his tribe.
We also learn from Reuben that those who dabble in sin must not expect to save their reputation or maintain a positive influence upon others, and consequently left an indelible mark upon him and his family. If you want to put all this in context, check out Genesis 35:22 and other references to Reuben’s relative.
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Weekly Picture from Israel 170628

Pictures from Israel

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Israel-©-MEA-20170628-(N1057)–National-Flags-in-Rehovot

The Flag of Israel and the Jewish People

Driving 20 kilometres south from Tel Aviv, we came across this row of Israeli flags on a main bridge leading into Rehovot. The flag of Israel was adopted on 28th October, 1948 five months after the establishment of the State of Israel.  It depicts two triangles overlaid to form a blue hexagram on a white background between two horizontal stripes. From ancient times, the Hebrews have included horizontal stripes in their traditional clothing design as well as individual Tribal colours. Also, the Tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, may include blue stripes.

The hexagram symbol in the middle, called the Magen David or the Star of David, is ancient but not exclusive to the Hebrew nation, as it also appears in other ancient cultures. However, this symbol is thought to have been used by the Hebrews around the time of King Solomon, with artefacts showing this symbol on shields purported to be during the reign of King David. The Star of David seems to have surfaced in Jewish culture from the late Medieval (Prague) period, and was officially adopted by the First Zionist Congress in 1897. The Star of David has now become the universal icon to identify Jewish people and the State of Israel.

Check in with our website each week for a new picture and many interesting facts.

Copyright exists in all the material on this website and is owned by Messianic Education Australia Ltd. unless otherwise explicitly stated. This copyright extends to the images, logos, layout and presentation styles as well as the text material.