In this era where many people are changing the historical meaning of common words or associating political and social implications, it becomes necessary to define words:
Tribe: a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader. – Google Search
TRIBE, n. L. tribus. 1. A family, race or series of generations, descending from the same progenitor and kept distinct, as in the case of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of Jacob. 2. A division, class or distinct portion of people, from whatever cause that distinction may have originated. The city of Athens was divided into ten tribes. Rome was originally divided into three tribes; afterward the people were distributed into thirty tribes, and afterwards into thirty five.
Why Talk About Tribes?
Because tribes, families, kindred, and language groups matter to our Creator God.
God told Abram (Abraham), Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) that He would bless all the families of the earth through them. (Gen. 12:3, 18:18, 28:18, 26:4, 28:14, Acts 3:28, Gal. 3:8)
And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Why Tribes?
Tribes or people groups or ethnic groups can be found all over the world in a variety of contexts. From people in frozen climates of north Canada or Siberia to the steamy jungles of South America, there are people groups all over the world who have no access to Biblical truth.
On the highest authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus told His followers to teach every ethnic group to do everything He commanded them to do. (Recap of Matthew 28:18-20)
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
God is not finished with these people groups, nations, tribes, kindred, and language groups.
The future heavenly scene recorded in Revelation 5:9 quotes the people praising God as saying, “you have redeemed us by your blood from every tongue, kindred, people and nation (ethnos).” Recurring themes throughout the Bible show that God cares about every ethnic group of people and that He wants those who know Him to tell those who do not about Him.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Thousands of Tribes Unreached
Numbers vary, because of different sources, values, definitions, and doctrine, but by anybody’s numbers about a third of the world’s people groups have no access to a Bible or a Christian.
Among them are thousands of distinct tribes of people who have never understand the Good News of God’s grace given to them in the person of Jesus Christ.
Most of these tribes have an unique unwritten language. These are people who have no access to a Bible and no access to someone who could accurately tell them about Jesus in a language they understand.
One third of the world is perishing into an eternity separated from God for lack of someone to tell them of sin’s remedy.
Jesus is their only hope.
But they have no hope.
They have never heard of Jesus.
No one has taken the time to tell them.
Barriers of geography, politics, unknown culture, unwritten language, illiteracy, Bible translation and teaching must be overcome.
Communicating God’s written word to them clearly, and equipping them with everything Christ commanded, will require:
- Learning an unwritten language.
- Deciphering a mysterious culture.
- Building relationships of trust.
- Translating Scripture.
- Preparing lessons.
- Teaching.
- Living life with them in discipleship until they are able to go do likewise.
Ministers of Introduction
The greatest gift any person can give to another is an introduction to the God who created us all. There is no greater gift that we can give other people than the message of eternal life through faith in the identity, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the gift that keeps on giving throughout eternity.
The greatest privilege God has given to people who know Him is to be His ambassadors to the world; sharing the gift we have received with people who have not yet heard.
Anyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved has only been able to do so (to believe God) because someone who had already received God’s unmerited favor intentionally made the message of God’s grace available to be heard. In other words, the written word of God, which God has made available, was intentionally carried and presented to someone who had not heard it.
This is the grace that every person in every tongue, tribe, kindred, family group, people group, ethnic group, and language group needs to receive.
It is the joy of those who have already received this grace to extend it, in gratitude and obedience to God, to everyone everywhere – especially to the tribes who have not yet heard.