"...To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt, to the great river, the River Euphrates- the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
Gen. 15:18-21
This is the covenant that God made with Abraham on the occasion when Abraham offered sacrifice. A smoking oven, and a burning torch moved between the pieces of the sacrifice to confirm the covenant promise to Abraham. In the above scripture, God names the peoples that will be removed from the land, to be replaced by Abraham's descendants.
I have heard it said that each one of the ten tribes named above, is an opponent to each corresponding commandment of the Ten Commandments. That is interesting, and it does say in Judges 3:1-2, that the LORD will test the untested among Israel with the remaining enemy tribes to see if Israel will prove to be obedient to the commandments of God. However, the purpose of this entry is to study and record the meanings of the tribal names of these peoples, in order to learn from them.
Kenites- The word is associated with those who are smiths, heating, bending and striking iron to mold for their own purpose. Its root is from the name "Cain", meaning possession, ownership, to acquire, to buy. Eve declared upon the birth of Cain, "I have gotten (kanah) a man from the LORD." (Gen. 4:1). It can also mean a spear, or a lance. It can mean a mourning song, or lament, a wail of mourning.
What does Kenite teach me? I don't want to try to bend the Lord's will to my own. The lance, the spear, struck into the vulnerable side of Jesus and into His heart, because man demanded to exert his own will over Him. Jesus would not bend to their will, but only to the will of His Father. I don't want to try to take possession or ownership over something that comes from God, and belongs to God. Perhaps if Eve had said that her son belonged to the LORD, rather than to herself, his fate would have been different. It's a possibility that we mourn and wail to the Lord over the loss of things that are of little importance, and no lasting value. Meanwhile, the prophets mourned and cried for the spiritual condition of their people. That's a big difference. Am I interceding and lamenting for the things on God's heart, or instead to try to bend God's will to my own? Often we mourn and wail because our own will has been thwarted. For my life, I want to know and accept as perfect, God's will for me:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29:11
Kenizzite- This word refers to a grandson of Esau named Kenaz, which means "hunter".
Esau was also a hunter of game. He came home weary and hungry one day from his activities out in the field, and sold his inheritance away for a bowl of pottage, or lentils (Gen. 25:33-34). He chose a temporary solution to solve a temporary problem that cost him his whole future, and inheritance. He was accustomed to satisfying his own needs through hunting, and when he became weary and disappointed on an occasion of no success, he fell for the temptation put before him. Listen self: easy solutions can dangle themselves before you in a weak moment, but that solution can cost you everything.
Also, there are those on earth who hunt humans in one way or another, and they have falsely caused us to believe that life belongs to us, and we can do with it what we want. It has caused us to feel that life is cheap and disposable. We have become indifferent and unfeeling over human life. Life comes from God, and belongs to God. Life continues because of God's love and mercy.
Kadmonites- This literally means "easterner". The term easterner refers to something old, ancient, from a former time, former things, past things. It means to be in front, go before, to project one's self, to anticipate, to hasten, to get ahead in time, to disappoint, to make another a debtor.
In scripture, God tells us often that He is doing a new thing. He asks us if we perceive the new thing He is doing (Jer. 31:22, Isa. 43:19). Paul tells us to put the former things behind, and to be that new creation. So a Kadmonite clings to his or her glory days, doing the same thing as before, hoping to keep the glory of the past. However, the glory of God moves, and we are to move with it. A Kadmonite, accustomed to the position of coming first, can sometimes rush ahead also, anticipating God before God has moved. Rushing ahead in that premier position, causes disappointment when the timing proves to be in error. Disappointment in the soul can lead to further downfall through wrong choices. I need to move with the Lord, but wait for Him to move, also. Being first is the position reserved for Him.
Hittites- Hittites were known for their viciousness in warfare and conquering, and their name means fear, terror, to be shattered, broken, abolished, confounded, put to shame, to break down by confusion and fear, to beat down, to discourage, to cause dismay. They were descendants of Heth, a son of Canaan, a son of Ham. Ham, a son of Noah, opened his father to ridicule, and shame. He carried tales of his father's disgrace.
When we feel beaten down to the point of ridicule, and shame, when we begin to make choices from fear and terror, when we feel confused and confounded by that fear of shame and failure, we remember the many times that our Father tells us to fear not, nor be dismayed (Deut. 31:8, Josh. 1:9, 8:1, 10:25, 1 Chron. 28:20, 2 Chon. 20:17, Isa. 41:10-11, etc.). God's love is there to cast out all of that fear. I need to let Him love me.
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you, shall be ashamed and disgraced." Isa. 41:10-11a
Perizzites- This word means "belonging to a village". It also means an open region, un-walled town or country. It means chieftain, warrior, leader, deciding judge. What is God teaching me with the Perizzites? I don't want to rely upon a false sense of security in numbers, and leaders. It's not about what everyone else is thinking and doing. That is not where my safety lies. Though I live amongst others, and have a government that takes on the job of protecting me, my protection comes from the LORD. He walls me about with His word, with His promises. I don't want to leave myself open to attack, being spiritually un-walled. The prophet Ezekiel warns of an enemy that comes to a people at rest, a people who dwell without walls, without bars, nor gates. The enemy comes to take a spoil, a prey (Ez. 38:11). We cannot rest our safety upon the word and promises of men, but only upon the Rock, the High Tower, the Fortress that is our God.
These are the first five of the ten tribes that are to be dispossessed from the land. Please see the entry below for part 2, the conclusion on the tribes.
Our Father proves us, tries us, and strengthens us to possess the land.
"Whom Shall I Fear?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsCPWNwOJiQ
"Break Every Chain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUPZbNozGZc
"Psalm 18- The LORD is My Rock"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80cDDk70vCs
"Love Has Come"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ8-kFJzDW4
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