Asher

What makes you happy? Truly happy?

Today, we come to some very pleasant and uplifting words as we come to the blessing of Asher

Like many of the brothers, there is relatively little known about Asher personally or as a tribe.

His Birth

Genesis 30:12–13 ESV

Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

He was the eighth son of Jacob, the second of Zilpah (Leah).

Leah calls him Asher because she is happy about his birth. His name sounds like the Hebrew word for happy. It is also part of the name for the fertility goddess Ashera

Let’s think briefly about why she was happy?

many more children (by herself or with her servant) than her sister

I can imagine that being relatively unloved - she would find some encouragement/happiness is bearing/raising lots of children.

His life:

Asher was part of the boys who lied to Jacob about Joseph (Gen. 37:2) and joined in the plot to murder and then sell Joseph into slavery.

Now, at the end of Jacob’s life - Asher receives this blessing

Genesis 49:20 ESV

“Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.

It seems that Asher will be fruitful and prosperous. Certainly reason to be happy.

In the allotment of land, he is given the region on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea - Just south of Lebanon. This is the region of Mt. Carmel - one of the most fruitful regions of the land. Being on the coast, they often got the most rain and received it before the other tribes.

In the conquest - the writer of Judges notes that Asher did not fully succeed in driving out the inhabitants of their allotment:

Judges 1:31–32 ESV

Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

Jesus encourages us to find happiness elsewhere:

Matthew 5:2–12 YLT

and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying: ‘Happy the poor in spirit—because theirs is the reign of the heavens. ‘Happy the mourning—because they shall be comforted. ‘Happy the meek—because they shall inherit the land. ‘Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness—because they shall be filled. ‘Happy the kind—because they shall find kindness. ‘Happy the clean in heart—because they shall see God. ‘Happy the peacemakers—because they shall be called Sons of God. ‘Happy those persecuted for righteousness’ sake—because theirs is the reign of the heavens. ‘Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake— rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

Luke 10:20 ESV

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Points for prayer:

We can certainly derive happiness from temporal things - food, wealth, satisfaction in our endeavors - but true happiness, true contentment is rooted in Jesus - who he is, our salvation, how we represent him and walk faithfully with him.