5 Lessons From the Life of Asher

Asher is one of Israel's twelve tribes. In the time of Moses, Asher was divided into five clans: the imnites; the Ishvites; and the Berites; and through Beriah, the Berite patriarch, two more clans: the Heberites and the Malkielites. The first three clans were named after Asher's sons ; the fourth and fifth after Beriah's sons ( Numbers 26:44-45) 

The scriptures reveal that Asher was the son of Jacob and Zilpah. He was founder of the Tribe of Asher. Leah, Jacob's first wife felt that she could no longer conceive and give Jacob any more children. Leah made the decision to give her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob, so he would be able to have more children. 

Zilpah gave birth to Asher and Leah named him' Asher', meaning “happy or blessed” expressing her happiness at his birth.

The Israelites, the ancient Jewish people who lived in Canaan, were a tribe of Jacob, one of the most important Israelites patriarch. Jacob's sons became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel , the tribes that later controlled specific territories in ancient Israel on the east coast of the Mediterranean sea. One of the tribes was the tribe of Asher, which was noted for its prosperity and good food.

The tribe of Asher settled in the northern part of Canaan, near the Mediterranean sea , and their territory included fertile land suitable for agriculture. Asher's descendants were known for their prosperity and were skilled in agricultural practices. In fact, Asher was often referred to as “blessed with sons' and ' blessed with food'.

Here are 5 lessons from the life of Asher;

1. There is joy in Blessings

Asher's name means, “happy or blessed'. His birth symbolizes the joy that comes in receiving blessings from God. As christians, we should learn to recognize and appreciate the blessings in our lives, finding joy even in the midst of challenge.

Despite all it's blessings, the tribe of Asher failed to drive out the Canaanites, and 'because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites inhabitants of the land' ( Judges 1:31-32). Instead, they lived among the Canaanites ,who became forced labourers for them, This was a failure on the part on the tribe of Asher to follow God's commandment to drive out the Canaanites 

Also, even though the people of Asher were given a lot of material wealth and prosperity, the real blessing was that they were blessed by God. 

2. Contentment

The tribe of Asher settled in a fertile and prosperous region. Their ability to thrive in their allotted territory teaches the value of contentment that with what one has. They made the most of their resources and flourished in their land. 

3. Faithfulness to covenant

As part of the covenant people of Israel, Asher's tribe remained faithful to their heritage and the promises of God and they were blessed because of this. They remained loyal to God and to his commandments, even when they were surrounded by other nations that worshipped false gods.

4. The value of hard work

One of the important lessons to learn from the life of Asher is the value of hard work. In Genesis 49, Jacob prophesied over his sons before he died , and he said if Asher, " Blessed above sons is Asher ; let him be acceptable to his brothers , and let him dip his foot in oil ". (Genesis 49:20) This is a reference to Asher's descendants, who were known for their ability to work hard and be prosperous . They were blessed with fertile land, and they worked hard to cultivate it and produce a bountiful harvest.

Moses also gave a blessing to each of the twelve tribe. Moses's blessing said that Asher would be blessed with sons. Pleasing to his brothers and have his foot immersed in oil 

5. God's grace in giving an inheritance to the tribe of Asher

Asher was a son of Zilpah, Leah's housemaid ( Genesis 30:12). His was the eight tribe in terms of birth order. Yet, his tribe was the tenth tribe in the census count. Asher, Gad, Naphtali, and Dan were children of the flesh. Leah asked Jacob to give her another child through her maidservant as an act of jealousy against her sister Racheal , whom Jacob loved more . Today, Asher would also be called an illegitimate child. Yet, in God's grace , Jacob blessed Asher with rich farmland and food. " As for Asher, his food shall be rich, and will yield royal dainties" ( Genesis 49:20). The Asher tribe then used its grace and God's gifts to seek after righteousness. While in the wilderness, it had the highest growth rate. Moses responded to their righteousness by granting even greater blessings for Asher. 

This is a great lesson for believers. When you walk with God, you can be a blessing to others by being content with the gifts of the holy spirit. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, " But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment ". 

Asher's life teaches us the importance of patience and perseverance in waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled. He was born into the family of Jacob and waited for the fulfilment of God's plan for his tribe. 

Also, Asher's tribe worked alongside the other tribes of Israel conquering to the promised land, showing the importance of unity and cooperation among believers in our world today to achieve common goals. 

The tribe of Asher was known to be the happiest of the twelve tribes of Israel. This happiness came from the fact that they were also amongst the most prosperous of the tribes. They were described as enjoying all that life has to offer, particularly in terms of fine dining, even if that made them a little more wasteful than the other tribes. 

God wants us to be happy and blessed and he also wants us to keep his commandments. If we don't, we face the consequences. It was not uncommon for prophets to pronounce curses when the tribe of Israel disobeyed God. We always want to hear the positive and the blessing. Unfortunately, if we continue in disobedience, pain will follow. 

Many times, the tribe of Asher and other Israelites got specific directives from God when they were taking territory. God told Saul to slay the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15. He was to destroy all that they had. Saul was not to spare anyone both great and small but he spared King Agag and took the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs ,and anything good that Saul saw. For not obeying his directives, God demoted Saul.

Moses blessed Asher with an anointed walk with God. This is why as believers, we should strive toward a perfect walk with God. Oil symbolized the blessing and mark of God on a life.

One of the amazing people who came from the tribe of Asher in the bible is Anna ( The prophetess) and her father Phanuel.

Anna was a widow for many years and worshipped God in the temple night and day. When Jesus was taken by Joseph and Mary to the temple as a baby, Anna was one of the blessed ones who saw the Messiah. Anna thanked the lord and told everyone about Jesus. Anna was from the tribe of Asher from the Northern kingdom in history. 

The tribe of Asher inherited rich soil and produced grain, wine ,oil and minerals and they were known as the happiest tribe. Just as the tribe of Asher was blessed and were prosperous in their land, God in his great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance of a lifetime. This inheritance is kept in heaven for who through faith have been shielded by the power of God until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5).