07.08. Asher
ASHER.
IT is a peculiarity of Hebrew names that they almost always express the feelings, or refer to the circumstances, of the parent at the time of the child’s birth. In Leah’s case there was a good deal that spoke of her dependence on the Lord in the earlier part of her family life; there is little of this looking up to God to be found afterwards. Her handmaid Zilpah (Genesis 30:12-13) bears another son, and Leah expresses her joy, exclaiming, "This is among my happy things," or, "Happy am I, for the daughters will congratulate me on my good fortune." And thus it was that this son got the name "Asher," the Happy One. His blessing in Genesis 49:20, corresponds with his name at birth, still speaking of felicity- "Out of Asher cometh fatness as his bread, And he giveth royal dainties."
He received a very fruitful soil for his lot; the lowlands of Carmel, abounding in olive oil and wheat, "bread and fatness." Some think that it was Asher’s territory that furnished the "twenty thousand measures of wheat" that were sent to Hiram by Solomon (1 Kings 5:11). His vicinity to Tyre and Zidon enabled him to bring in royal luxuries ("a king’s delights") from these princely cities, and to distribute them among the tribes; this may be meant by his "giving." His territory was a narrow strip of land comparatively, but all the more remarkable is its abundance, tempting his people to indolent enjoyment, as Deborah complained in her song- "Asher continued on the seashore, And abode in his creeks" (Judges 5:17). His happy lot, so far as the produce of the soil went, is again celebrated in the last words of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)- "Asher is blessed above the sons (i. e., peculiarly blessed among the other sons of Jacob), Favoured among his brethren, And he dips his foot in oil." The Plain of Acre (or Accho) was his; a plain the weeds of which at this day are the richest and rankest in all Palestine, and its crops most luxuriant, on account of the moisture of the soil. Thus was he peculiarly favoured. Then oil, emblematic of richness and fatness, is referred to with special appropriateness, because Asher’s hills were not clothed with the vines that enriched Judah, but were planted with the olive-tree; every slope presenting a grove of vigorous olives to the view of the passer by.
"Thy shoes (or, thy bolts, or castles) shall be iron and brass, And thy languid rest shall be as thy days."
Bolted in, as it were, by his hills (hills that produced iron and copper, and may have at early periods helped to supply Zidon, which Homer calls "******* "), this tribe was not to be distinguished in war, but so long as it continued to be a tribe was to be noted only for this plenty of bread. This "languid rest" (as the word is generally understood to mean) was to be a feature of Asher to the last; and that it was so very early we have proof in the passage quoted from Deborah’s song. It may further be, noticed that Asher’s "warrior’s shoes," or "strong-barred fortresses," which seem to signify his mountains, were his protection against the men of Tyre and Zidon (Joshua 19:28-29), who remained unsubdued even in Solomon’s days, and must often have threatened to disturb this tribe’s repose. A sort of restful contentedness, we have seen, was a feature of this tribe. Its one noble deed was that mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:36, when it sent forth its forty thousand warriors, "expert in war," to the help of David. But they fought no battle; and so it seems to have been with those mentioned 1 Chronicles 12:40; their prince’s "choice and mighty men of valour," and the twenty-six. thousand men "apt to the war and to battle."
Some of the names given to those of this tribe are interesting, as we find them in 1 Chronicles 12:30. There is "Imnah," prosperity, or right-handedness; and his sister "Serah," abundance. Another female of the tribe (1 Chronicles 12:32) bears the name "Shua," the wealthy one. And then we have (1 Chronicles 12:37) "Bezer," the golden one; "Hod," honour; "Shamma," renown; "Ithran," eminence; and the list of names ends with (1 Chronicles 12:39) "Rezia," acceptableness, or favour, as if referring to Moses’ blessing (Deuteronomy 33:24). In all this there is something very characteristic of Asher, the Happy One. In Moses’ blessing Asher is brought in last, and he (Deuteronomy 33:29) exclaims, "Happy (Asher-like) art thou, 0 Israel!" There may be here an allusion to the tribe and his peculiar blessing, for in its essence it belongs to all Israel. Indeed, it belongs to the family of God, whether we take his name in itself, or the blessings showered down upon him. The family of God are "Asher," happy, because of pardon, as Psalms 32:1, sings. They have seen their sins buried in the depths, and "the daughters of JerusaIem" congratulate them on their felicity. The family of God are Asher, happy, because of holiness begun, as sung of in Psalms 119:1; they have entered on the conquest of all their passions, and are getting into the inheritance of holy conformity to God’s likeness. The family of God are Asher, happy, amid troubles and trials, for all chastening works for their good, as Psalms 94:12, has sung. Happy are they in death, for the voice from heaven bids us write on their tomb, "Happy" (Revelation 14:13); and happy above all at the Lord’s coming again, when they shall be greeted with the welcome, "Happy are they who are called, to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Oh, true Ashers, eat your royal dainties. Your bread is fatness; you are blessed above angels your brethren. Dip your foot in oil, and fear no change, for thy walls and bulwarks are salvation, better than the warrior’s shoes or the strongest bars of the mountain fortress, and your rest shall continue endless as eternity. Who would not be an Asherite? Receive God’s testimony to his Son; believe as Abraham believed, and all this is yours. And yet again, we cannot but see in Asher’s blessing a sample of what all Israel shall enjoy, undisturbed and unchanging, in the latter days, returning home from all lands. The "daughters" -men on earth and angels above-shall call them blessed; they shall have their bread, and fatness, and oil; they shall be blessed above their brethren the Gentile nations; and they shall rest in their lot secure while sun and moon endure. This shall be yours, Oh people of Israel, whensoever you, as a nation, welcome Him who is Earth’s true "Asher"; whensoever you call Him blessed, uttering to Him your heart’s acceptance, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:39).
One has sung of this tribe in the following strain:- " A land of plenty Asher had, With olive-grove and vineyard clad; And God’s own promise as his plea That ’as his days his strength should be.’
"Equipped for warfare Asher was With shoes of iron and of brass, In God Jehovah’s name to smite The heaven-defying Amorite.
"Enamoured of the fertile soil, He dipped his foot in corn and oil; To ease he gave his soul a prey, In sloth he spent probation’s day.
"He saw the Canaanite command His purple sea, his golden strand; * Nor quenched in blood of haughty Tyre Pale Ashtaroth and Baal’s fire.
"And when the voice of Barak’s war Went thundering o’er his rocks afar, He sat and listened by his creek, Through love of ease enthralled and weak.
"Supine amid his folds he lay, And slept the promised strength away; Nor ventured on the mighty plea, ‘And as thy days thy strength shall be.’
"For this Assyria’s eagle came, For this, in land of unknown name, His coward sloth and guilty fears He mourns with unavailing tears.
"But not for aye. From sands and snow Of Orient pilgrim streams shall flow; And Jacob’s sons shall turn again To the returning latter rain.
"Baal and Ashtaroth no more Shall light their temples on his shore, When Asher’s feet again shall seek His olive-hills and ancient creek.
* * * * "Awake, ye slumberers in Zion;
Think not that ease is happiness! But seek the rest of Judah’s Lion When He shall come, the Prince of Peace."
PAULIN.
* Judges 1:31, compared with Joshua 19:21.