After apportioning land to the tribes of Benjamin and Simeon, Joshua assigns the northern lands to the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali (Joshua 19:10-16, 17-23, 24-31, 32-39).

The most notable biblical villains from Issachar are King Baasha and his son Elah (1 Kings 15:27-16:14), while the most notable heroes from Naphtali and Asher are, respectively, Barak (Judges 4:6-9) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38). Anna ″never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying″ (v. 37), as she and others were ″looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem″ (v. 38). They were looking forward to the long-awaited light that Isaiah had prophesied would dawn over the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali (see Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:12-16).

When that long-awaited light, Jesus, began His ministry, He went to the local synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19) and read from Isaiah 61:1-2:

• ″The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
• because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
• He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
• and recovery of sight for the blind,
• to set the oppressed free,
• to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.″

Unexpectedly, Jesus stopped reading mid-sentence. Even more unexpectedly, He then announced that ″Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing″ (Luke 4:21). In doing so, He was claiming to be the promised Messiah.

Today, many people think of Jesus as a good man. To be sure, Jesus ″went around doing good″ (Acts 10:38) during His three-year ministry. But, let's not mistake Him for being just a good man who did good works. When He healed the blind, He was not trying to be altruistic. And He was certainly not trying to be a better man. When Jesus came to earth, He came as the Messiah, and He fulfilled the prophecy made thousands of years ago by the prophet Isaiah.

Today, as we read about the allotment of lands to the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Napthali, let's remember that God has fulfilled a greater promise than His promise to bring the Israelites to the promised land. He has come as the Light prophesied to dawn over the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali to save His people from their sins!