What is the function of the tribe Gad?

Answer 1

What is the function of the tribe Gad?

The first time "Gad" is mentioned in The Bible is in Genesis 30 verse 11.

Genesis 30:11 KJV And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

However, in the King James this translation is unfortunate other modern translations are clearer :-

Genesis 30:11 MSG Leah said, "How fortunate!" and she named him Gad (Lucky).

Genesis 30:11 NET Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad.

Genesis 30:11 WEB Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.

Genesis 30:11 MKJV And Leah said, With fortune. And she called his name Gad.

Genesis 30:11 CEV "I'm really lucky," Leah said, and she named the boy Gad.

Genesis 30:11 GNB Leah said, "I have been lucky"; so she named him Gad.

[We used to have a dog called "Lucky": perhaps we could have called him "Gad" instead - it- means the same thing.]

The tribe of Gad was represented on the High Priest's Ephod by the stone "shevo", and the colour of his flag was not white and not black but a mixture of black and white, and a military camp was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:19]: "Gad shall camp in troops"

Genesis 49:19 KJV Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

Deuteronomy 33:20-21

"...Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain! He lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. when the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord's righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel."

Mostly, what we learn from this tribe is that we are rewarded when we obey and honor God (Numbers 32:16-19). During the conquest of the Promised Land, Joshua gave Gad the best of the new land because they obeyed God and punished Israel's wicked enemies (Deuteronomy 32:20-21). Gad was one of the tribes especially dedicated in the fight to conquer the land as God commanded.

Gad was rewarded because it had complete faith, obedience, and trust in God.

It would appear that, just as Levi was the tribe of the priests striving to protect Israel from spiritual-dangers and attacks , so the tribe of Gad was also a warrior tribe striving to protect Israel from physical-dangers and attacks. ,

The tribe of Gad strove to ensure the physical- purity of the Israelites by stopping interacial marriage and mixing with Gentiles. It is believed that the prophet Elijah was a descendant of the tribe of Gad. The Scriptures associate the majority of the tribes of Israel with an animal. Gad is associated with a lioness.

Elijah certainly had a lion-like nature. In this nature he confronted King Ahab and Jezebel. He also represented leadership with the other tribes on behalf of all of Israel. And - at Mount Carmel he rebuilt the broken-down altar of the LORD and restored Jehovah worship to Israel!

Some believe that because of its militaristic and expansionist tendencies that the tribe of Gad became the Germanic tribe of the Goths, that their modern descendents are the Prussians, and that Gad would also have a tendency to enlarge its territory, because the Scripture says "Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad". The Germanic tribe of the Goths, then Prussia, and then Hitler's Germany in World War 2 also had these same characteristics. There are incredible parallels between Gad, then the Prussian double-headed eagle tearing its prey, then Hitler tearing his enemies apart, and then Germany being the powerhouse of modern Europe. Many of Gad's characteristics are also found in Hitler and WW1.

Before World War 1 the Prussians were the dominant rulers of both society and the Army. The Prussians were warriors. Although Hitler was not a Prussian [he was Austrian], he was a decorated warrior who earned his 6 medals in WW1 - they were not just given to him.

Iron Cross, Second Class - 12 February 1915

Bavarian Cross of Military Merit, Third Class with Swords - 17 September 1917

Regimental Diploma (Regiment "List") - 5 May 1918

Wound Badge in Black - 18 May 1918

Iron Cross, First Class - 4 August 1918

Bavarian Medal of Military Service, Third Class - 25 August 1918

Hitler was a Corporal, and it was very rare for someone who was not an Officer to receive the Iron Cross First Class. [Interestingly, this Iron Cross was awarded on the recommendation of his officer who just happened to be jewish!] .

Genesis 49:19 NET Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.

Gad remembered past defeats and always retaliated. Germany is the same. Hitler remembered their defeat in World War 1, and World War 2 was simply 'Round 2' of the previous fight. In WW2 Hitler greatly expanded Germany's borders to make 'lebenstraum' [living-room] from the sub-human Slavs in Russia, and to purify the German race by wiping out the despised Jews.

In summary, the functions and characteristics of Gad are that it was [is?]:-

MILITARIST

PROTECTIONIST

EXPANSIONIST

PURIST

RACIST

THEIST

HUMANIST

RETALIATIONIST

ALARMIST

There is nothing wrong with these functions and characteristics provided they do not go to extremes either one way or the other.