45_Benjamin is a ravenous wolf Gen 49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoils.” Psalm 68:24 Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 25 the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: 26 “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!” 27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. D.L. Moody, the great evangelist, once had a journalist assigned to uncover the secret of his success. Sent to observe Moody’s meetings in England, the journalist was tasked with discerning what enabled this man, with no formal education and a less-than-polished demeanor, to bring multitudes to Christ—nobles and commoners alike. After thorough observation, the journalist concluded, “I can see nothing in Moody that can explain this astonishing work.” When Moody read the report, he simply smiled and said, “This is the secret: It is God’s power working in me. It is God’s work, not mine.” Moody’s life is a vivid reminder that God’s power shines most brightly through human weakness. Moody was not the kind of man the world would choose to lead a spiritual revival. Yet God used him to shake two continents for Christ. His life invites us to consider how God can work mightily through anyone willing to surrender their inadequacies to Him. The story of the tribe of Benjamin, described by Jacob as a “ravenous wolf” in Genesis 49:27, echoes this profound truth. Benjamin’s story begins with sorrow. His mother, Rachel, died giving birth to him and named him “Benoni,” meaning “son of my sorrow.” But his father, Jacob, renamed him “Benjamin,” or “son of my right hand.” This change in name reflects a powerful lesson: Jacob, despite his grief, chose to focus not on what he had lost but on what God had given him. In naming his son Benjamin, Jacob embraced God’s promise and the strength that came with it. This perspective invites us to surrender our losses and weaknesses to God and trust Him to transform them for His purposes. Throughout Benjamin’s history, we see a tribe full of natural strength and fierce determination, but also prone to destructive tendencies when operating in the flesh. Benjamin’s warlike nature is evident in stories like that of Ehud, the left-handed judge who assassinated the Moabite king with a deadly strike, and the infamous incident at Gibeah, where the tribe’s refusal to punish evildoers led to civil war and near extinction. Their raw power, unsubmitted to God, often led to pride, self-will, and strife. James’ words, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” aptly describe Benjamin’s unrestrained tendencies. Yet Benjamin’s story is also one of redemption and grace. Moses’ blessing over Benjamin in Deuteronomy 33:12 portrays a tender picture of God’s love: “May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security beside Him, who shields him