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Saturday, March 24, 2007

Chp 114. MSSU lecture no.10

I meant to update this post sooner, but my poor phone conked (the IC burnt and need to be replaced, so claimed the crafty-eyed mobile technician at CellOne, Bazar Bungkawn, next to CYDIT). Hence, my entire phone book, data, pics etc. are lost forever. So please sms me with your name so I can start building up my contact numbers again. Thanx.

And this is for my friends like BlackWhite, Jenis & a few others: Dad is using my old number. I already changed my number to 9863228021 so please stop smsing my dad! He really freaks out when he receives an sms in the middle of the night with messages like “Yo brother, guess what, I’m drunk” .

By the way, I changed some of the layout on the right hand side with new pics and sponsors. Hope you like it.

Coming back to the main topic here, MSSU (Mizoram Sunday School Union) topic (zirlai) no.10, as already pointed out in my earlier post, the theme for this year is “About the Israelites” (Israel-te chanchin). Chapter 10 dealt with the way the land was divided among the 12 tribes of Israel.

As I sat listening to the lecture, a couple of things occurred to me.

First and foremost,
SweetDevil’s words came into my mind: “Sunday Schools are boring”. As I looked around, most of the guys were sleeping as our particular section teacher taught us. After all, in a way, it was a tad boring, to learn about the various names of the cities, rivers and seas marking the boundary of each tribe of Israel. Plus, there wasn’t that great a learning to be extracted from such a lesson (as mentioned before, Sunday Schools are different from Church service sermons). It was more geographical rather than Biblical.

Secondly, I looked around at all the section Sunday School teachers. Most of them taught and taught, even though they could clearly observe that some of the people they were teaching were sleeping right under their very noses. If I were in their place, I think I would be insulted to be ignored like that, but then, I guess that’s what being a Sunday School teacher is about. You cannot treat the “students” like actual school/college students. Leniency, patience and tolerance are a must.

Thirdly, I constructed a map of the particular lesson.



When mom saw the above map that I made using Photoshop™, she scolded me immediately for not making such a map earlier BEFORE Sunday. Because she herself is a Sunday School teacher, and the map would definitely help her students understand the particular lesson a whole lot better. Sorry mom

Anyway, during the course of the lesson last Sunday, when the land was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel, inquisitive me counted the territories, and I counted thirteen tribes! Not twelve. So I asked our teacher (Pu RĂ¢lliana) why there were thirteen and not twelve. He smiled and told me the reason…

Quiz time!!!!

Hehehe… Can you tell me why? According to the above map, there are twelve tribes plus the tribe of Levi, who did not get any share of the Land.

Joshua 18:7
The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance.

…and were given towns to live in from among the various territories of the other tribes of Israel

Joshua 21: 3
So, as the LORD had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance

As observed on the map, the biggest share was obtained by the tribe of Manasseh, which most Mizos are familiar with, as this is the tribe that many of our Jewish Mizo brethrens who migrated to Israel claimed to be a descendent of… [Related reading: Mizos: Lost Tribe of Israel or just a lost tribe?]

And then comes the other tribes like Judah, Simeon, Benjamin etc. To make it easier for you, let me note it down this way:

01. Levi (not on map)
02. Manasseh
03. Judah
04. Simeon
05. Rueben
06. Gad
07. Dan
08. Ephraim
09. Zebulun
10. Asher
11. Issachar
12. Naphtali
13. Benjamin

Why are there 13 tribes? Which is the extra tribe? Where did it come from? Ofcourse I already know the answer after our section Teacher explained it to me. I just wanna make this interesting by asking you in return. Hehe… don’t Google!!!! I can see you. You’re only cheating yourself, my friend. Instead, take the Bible and try to find the answer there. Clue : The Book of Joshua.

Ofcourse I cannot offer any prize to the one who gets it correct, but then, you will always be remembered in my books as a knowledgeable Christian. And ofcourse this quiz is not open to John Fanai, Rema etc, who are all well versed in the content of the Holy Book and are serving the good Lord as missionaries. God bless you all my brothers.

I await your answer!

12 comments:

Mizohican said...

Clue #2:

Below is a reading from Genesis, where the twelve tribes of Israel were proclaimed.

[Genesis 49:2]
Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.

[Genesis 49:3]
"Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power."

[Genesis 49:5]
"Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence."

[Genesis 49:8]
"Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons will bow down to you."

[Genesis 49:13]
"Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;"

[Genesis 49:14]
"Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags."

[Genesis 49:16]
"Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel."

[Genesis 49:19]
"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels. "

[Genesis 49:20]
"Asher's food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king."

[Genesis 49:21]
"Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns."

[Genesis 49:22]
"Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall."

[Genesis 49:27]
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder."

[Genesis 49:28]
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Got it? :-)

Hmai said...

yawwwwwwwwwwwwwn :)

Mizohican said...

bleh :-)

Almostunreal said...

*scratching my head..thinking*

Don't know

The answer's at the tip of my tongue but....couldnt get it out :(

LET OUT THE ANSWER already!!!!

BTW, the dozzing off of the pupils sure depends on the teacher. Like us, there are some teachers who jst teach and teach adn finally ended the lesson. Then there are some who shoots us with questions. The later one sure makes us pay more attention.

Again, those who taught the older ones, mothers, fathers...i guess they do not have the heart to wake them up

Almostunreal said...

great new pics....sad that u dont take after either of your parents *grin*

and that gospel singer..have no idea who she is

usher ho puan kha biakin provide a mi? nalh khups..boih te poh lo la lang

gr-2 a mi, mipa 2nd left hi, ka hre teuh

Mizohican said...

hehehe Almost Unreal, its still too early to tell the answer, although I've already received 3 smses on the answers which were all wrong :-)

I will give out the answer in the next 2-3 days. :-)

Yup, the usher "puan" is provided by the Church. It is much better than the ones provided by Chaltlang Vengpui Church :-P hihihi

Yup I know the guy 2nd left at Group two. You want me to give him your contact number? :-)

reverie said...

Since I have been exempted (gracefully) from answering the question, let me just comment on this interesting post by talking a bit about the modern day Levites.

As believers of Christ we have been chosen as a special people and have been given the royal priesthood (IPet. 2:9). The Levites, the priests were not to have any inheritance among the Israelites because God has given them the best inheritance, Himself. To all those who believe, trust and serve Him, God said, "I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession." (Ezek. 44:28). Isn't that wonderful? This is what the Psalmist sings about in Ps. 73:25,26.

mnowluck said...

YEP, i really love the changes, esp the HOT VIDEO CLIP banner.. LOL!!!

benjamin rualthanzauva said...

Sandman, thanks for putting me on the map.

Mizohican said...

@ Rema: Hehehe. Hope you didnt mind me asking you not to answer the question :-) You would have taken the fun out of such a quiz with your vast knowledge on thie subject. Thank you for your wonderful comment on the Levites Pu Rem.

@ mnowluck: Am lost brother, have no idea what ur talking about *scratches head*

@ Benben: You're welcome. You know ur already on the map when it comes to Mizo Internet World :-)

Mizohican said...

Answer to my question:

There are thirteen tribes mentioned (12 on map and 1 not on map) because the Tribe of Manasseh and the Tribe of Ephraim are descendent of the Tribe of Joseph.

[Genesis 46:20
In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.]

[Joshua 14:4
for the sons of Joseph had become two tribes--Manasseh and Ephraim.]

Hence Manasseh and Ephraim are not from the original 12 Tribes of Israel.

Almostunreal said...

wht? even our chruch strted it? since when?..i wonder if its really necessry