A questioner asked a street preacher, “If God is our Father, who is our mother?” Jerusalem (Gal 4:26)!
In the original subdividing of the land, Jerusalem was allotted to Benjamin. But that area remained under the Jebusites. Saul reigned from his hometown of Gibeah, a few miles north, but, after David’s 7.5-year rulership in Hebron, he took Jerusalem and made it Israel’s capital. In this way it became part of Judah. But after the foolish actions of David’s grandson, Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes were torn away, forming the separate kingdom of Israel. Their first king, Jeroboam, to restrict travel to Jerusalem’s temple, built idolatrous alternatives at Bethel and Dan. This led to Levites and others from the 12 tribes moving to Jerusalem for conscience’ sake. Thus the city expanded west and more than doubled in size, becoming a mixed population from all the tribes. It remained such until we read the following: “Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness” (1 Chron 9:1). On their return, not only Levites but faithful Jews from many tribes now considered Jerusalem their home. Thus the list of inhabitants included “some of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh” (v 3), among others. The list continues with the priests who resided there (vv 10-13), the Levites (vv 14-16), and the gatekeepers (vv 17-27). There were also some who looked after “the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices” plus “the ointment” and those “preparing the showbread” (vv 29, 30, 32) for use at the temple, as well as the singers we already met (v 33). Today all believers reside by faith in “the Jerusalem above” (Gal 4:26). There the Lord is the temple, the once-for-all sacrifice is complete, the High Priest never dies, and we have unlimited access into the Holiest!