King

"In the days of Pekah king of Israel Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried the people captive to Assyria ... The people of Israel walked in all the sins which Jeroboam did; they did not depart from them, until The Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had spoken by all His servants the Prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day" (2 Kings 15:29, 17:22-23)

It has taken me a while to provide what is being asked of me to explain, on Facebook, because I haven’t known where to start. It takes going back to the story of Joseph and his brothers to understand the connection between the promise G-d made to Saul, the first king of Israel and Saul of Tarsus, better known as the Apostle Paul. It also takes going a little further back to the story of Jacob. Then the intricately woven details throughout the word reveal the undeniably divine work, and the picture, presented in, by and through the gospel comes into focus.

Bear with me as I try to be as concise as I am thorough. It will happen that the ground covered will give way to more than the connection in question. (Albeit there is to date much more covered and to be uncovered.)

Jacob was the younger twin of Esau; born holding the heel of his brother. He fell in love with Rachel. Rachel was the younger sister of Leah. Together with their handmaids, they bore the 12 founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. Israel, meaning “God contented” in Hebrew, was the name given to Jacob after he wrestled with an angel. Rachel bore Jacob 2 sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. He was the only son born in the land of Canaan. The family was traveling from Beth-el, the place where God spoke with and named Jacob Israel, to Ephrath. She called his name “son of my sorrow” but Jacob/Israel called his name “son of my right hand”. The place where she died was Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Joseph, favored by his father, was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. In Egypt he became next to the Pharaoh in power. During the famine Israel sent all but Benjamin, the supposed only son he had left of his beloved wife Rachel, to Egypt to buy food. Joseph pretended he didn’t recognize his brothers, in Egypt, whilst weeping, and demanded they bring Benjamin from his father Israel, in the land of Canaan, to prove they weren’t spies. Simeon, a son of Leah, was kept in prison until their return. Judah, another of Leah’s sons, swore on himself to his father that he would bring Benjamin back to him alive.

So, skip ahead several hundred years, with all this in mind, to the time when the families of the sons of Israel were given specific territories in the land of Canaan. Joshua or Ieshoua, (the same Hebrew form of Jesus) after the death of Moses, led the new generation of the unbelieving one that had died in the desert into the habitation that was promised – the land flowing with milk and honey.

Israel adopted his grandchildren, Joseph’s twin sons Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own – granting Joseph two portions in his place in the land of Canaan for all that he had suffered and done for the family. However it was Ephraim, again the younger, who was preferred over the elder. In addition, he inherited the birthright out of all the sons of Israel because his father Joseph had. Reuben, his eldest son of Leah, had lost it for betraying Israel. When it came time that Israel blessed and passed on his inheritance he placed his right hand over the head of Ephraim before dying in Egypt. But his bones were buried in the land of Canaan.

Joshua, of the tribe of Ephraim, first gave land to Judah. Then, lots were cast and Benjamin was the first. The city of Bethlehem, the place Rachel died giving birth to the son of “Israel’s right hand“ along with Jerusalem, the home of the temple King Solomon would build, were both in Benjamin.

Simeon was the second lot that was cast. Benjamin and Simeon’s portion, along with Caleb – the only person to believe in God along with Joshua when it came time to possess the land, were in the land of Judah for its great size.

The third lot was for Zebulun, meaning gift or honor. Bethlehem is one of the cities Zebulun inherited.

Naphtali, the second son of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, followed shortly after.

Then Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed"; so she called his name Naphtali." (Genesis 30:1, 3, 5-8)

Naphtali inherited Hazor, one of the towns inhabited by the descendants of Benjamin, after their return from Babylonian Captivity. Nazareth, where Christ would live, was too.
"Now when He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:12-17)

It’s possible some may already see the connection(s). Keep them in mind and/or share them as a comment. I'll share what I see and understand in another post.