Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people…
Summary: Paul points to a personal truth about himself that reflects the historical truth about his tribe.
One of the things I find most compelling about the Bible is how brutally honest it is. The Bible does not sugarcoat the history of Abraham’s descendants. If someone was doing something they shouldn’t, it became known and eventually got written down. If the Bible were really about the people of Israel and not their God, it would be called, “Abraham’s Dirty Laundry”
When Paul says, “I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,” he is saying something. The history of Israel is marred by all sorts of sexual misconduct. Paul’s tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out because of it.
The last three chapters of the Book of Judges tell the rather bizarre story of an unnamed Levite whose wife leaves him to go home to her family. The Levite goes after her, and when he finds her, he and the woman’s father pal around for a while, delaying his return. Finally, he decides it is time to go, and he and his concubine/wife set out on their journey late in the day. As night falls, they find themselves near Gibeah in Benjamin (Judges 19:14).
They are given a place to stay by another nameless character, an old man from the hill country of Ephriam (Judges 19:16-21). The evening starts well, but soon the townspeople discover they have a visitor, and they gather around the old man’s house yelling, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.” (Judges 19:22)
(This whole situation is very similar to the story of the angels visiting Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19)
To make a long story short (You can read the whole thing in Judges 19-21), the nameless man’s wife/concubine was abused so badly that she died. Then the man sent pieces of the poor woman to all the other tribes of Israel. The result was a war against Benjamin that nearly wiped out the bloodline.
Why mention this? Because despite their history and all their mistake recorded for all to see, Israelites are inordinately proud. Paul, whose Hebrew name was Saul, was no exception. Any Jew who questioned the teachings of the Pharisees was a rabid dog deserving of death as far as Paul was concerned.
Until he met Jesus.
Then he realized how wrong he had been. It was then that he understood his efforts to purge the world of Christians were wrong. Finally, like a balloon pricked by a pin, his pride deflated, and he saw himself for what he was. Not only was he from the smallest tribe of Israel (1 Samuel 9:21) and one with a most shameful past, he was “least of all the Lord’s people” because he had been persecuting those who believed in Jesus.
Imagine how that made him feel.
Application: There are no boundaries to God’s willingness to forgive or his capacity to love us.
Food for Thought: Why is it important that Paul point out his low standing in the church?
You sent me down memory lane! The story of the Levite and his concubine was the first story I had ever read by myself in the Bible at the age of 10. I had been told stories before that, but my grandmother gave me a Good News Bible that year (my first Bible) and I happened to read that story first. When I asked my grandmother what was going on, she redirected me to the New Testament (Ha!).
I had not connected the dots between that story and Saul of Tarsus, or even Saul of the OT, until today. And actually, I only fully learned what Ephraim was yesterday after reading in Hosea and looking it up. I feel like this is part of what it means to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. The Bible is full of real people with real history. Victories and defeats. In everything, it always comes down to where mankind’s hearts are with the Lord.
Why is it important that Paul point out his low standing in the church?
I used to imagine Paul as a bit of a White Knight. That he had somehow transcended ordinary living. I imagine I am not alone in that image. The more I read about Paul the more I admire him for his honesty about himself and his service to God. I take a bit of comfort in that Paul didnt get zapped with special blessings that made him impervious to his own flesh. He said he had to die daily; me too. Also though, a man with an earnest heart, regardless of his background, can be used in service to God as God wills it. I find comfort in that too.
1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!
Chris,
You certainly picked an interesting story to start reading the Bible with!! I’m glad that didn’t scare you away! 🙂
Paul had his past to deal with, just like all of us. It is comforting to know that God’s capacity to forgive is unlimited. (Matthew 18: 21-22)
05-18-2023, Why is it important that Paul point out his low standing in the church?
Quite a turn around for a man who with great pride, had boasted of being a Pharisee born of Pharisees, to now proclaim “I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,”
When we meet Jesus “one on one” and have a front row seat at the viewing ( to the degree we can endure ) of our true nature, our true self, we are humbled to the lowest of the low. God does not sit us down and point these things out to us. No, He simply opens wide the many locked, barred doors where our darkest secretes are hidden from all mankind, and for the first time in our lives we get a measured view of what we really are. It was the most frightening experience of my entire life.
I was driven to my knees in tears, as this false front I had presented to the world was totally destroyed and I stood bare naked for all to see. I chose suicide rather than continue life as the person God had revealed.
That is when I for the first time, felt the embrace of God and heard His voice as He spoke to my heart saying, “ That’s OK Ron, I have always known exactly what you are, it is now time you know.”
If we are to serve our Lord, we must first understand who we are, who He is, and live id this reality forever. We can only be effective to the degree we empty ourselves of all false pride, become, and remain the lowest of the low as we allow Christ to serve all mankind through us. This is what He does.
Your words touch my heart Brother.
Thanks Ron!
Your testimony is a beacon of light to all of us.
One thing it does, is it makes him relatable. What he writes is for ordinary, everyday people.
Rich,
Yes! Paul doesn’t put himself on a pedestal. He opens up his life for us as an example of God’s love.