Gideon and the Ephraimites
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.-Judges 7:24-8:3***Jacob (Israel) was the youngest fraternal twin son born to Isaac and Rebekah. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and his 1st wife Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and maidservant Bilhah. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and maidservant Zilpah. Joseph and Benjamin were born to Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel. When Joseph was at least 17 years old, his brothers sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt and led Jacob to believe that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. The merchants sold Joseph to Potiphar, an Egyptian official. After Potiphar's wife made a false accusation, Potiphar put Joseph in prison. At least 2 years after Joseph explained the meaning of a dream to the imprisoned cupbearer who served Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and explained the meaning of a dream to Pharaoh's imprisoned baker, 30-year-old Joseph explained the meaning of a dream to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh proclaimed Joseph second-in-command. After the 2nd time that Joseph's brothers were in Egypt to buy corn (grain) during a famine, Joseph identified himself to his brothers and told them to move with their families, including Jacob, to Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh expressed his generosity and hospitality. During the journey from Canaan to Egypt, the Lord God spoke to 130-year-old Jacob. In Egypt, Jacob proclaimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons born to Joseph and his wife Asenath, to be his own sons. Sometime after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt and Jacob's family buried his body in Canaan, and 110-year-old Joseph and his siblings were dead, their descendants the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were born into the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Jacob, and Isaac, and to Isaac's father Abraham (Abram the Hebrew), and to their descendants. After 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, the Israelites were led by elders, judges and their own minds. Gideon (Jerubbaal) the judge was born into the tribe of Manasseh, and the family of Abiezer. A group of Amalekites descended from Jacob's older fraternal twin brother Esau (Edom) and his wife Adah, their son Eliphaz and his concubine Timna, and Eliphaz and Timna's son Amalek. Other Amalekites were born sometime earlier. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and his 2nd wife Keturah. Before Gideon went to battle the Midianites, Amalekites and the people of the east, Gideon called for help from the tribes of Manasseh, Naphtali, Asher and Zebulun. Gideon did not call for help from the tribe of Ephraim until he wanted the Ephraimites to be on guard at the fords and passable places of the Jordan River. The Ephraimites successfully blocked the watercourses and captured and killed 2 prominent Midianites. Samuel, the priest and prophet from the tribe of Levi was the last judge to lead the Israelites. Over 1,000 years after Samuel anointed Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, and Saul became the 1st king to rule over the Israelites in the Promised Land, according to the command of the Lord God, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 26:28-37, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 17:1-18, 23:1-24:33, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel 1:1-3:21, 8:1-31:13, 1 Chronicles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26