Most of us are familiar with the Bible’s reference to the “12 tribes of Israel.” What’s surprising is that Scripture actually contains 14 tribal names—yet only 12 appear at any given time. The lists change depending on the season: land inheritance, military service, priesthood, or prophecy.
Jacob’s 12 sons formed the original tribes, but when he adopts Joseph’s sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—as full heirs, the family expands. That creates more names than places. So in various lists:
- Levi disappears when land is divided (their inheritance is the Lord).
- Ephraim and Manasseh often replace Joseph by name.
- In Numbers, Levi is removed from the military census.
- In Revelation, Dan is dropped, Levi returns, and Joseph stands in for Ephraim.
Different lists. Different arrangements.
But always twelve.
God preserves covenant identity even when the details shift.
And your life works precisely the same way.
We all carry “tribal names” that rotate with the seasons: roles we’ve filled, dreams we’ve chased, wounds that shaped us, hopes we’ve lost or regained. Parts of us rise for a time, others step back. Some things we thought defined us disappear; others emerge unexpectedly.
But through all of it, God keeps your true identity steady.
You are His beloved.
You are chosen.
You are named.
Your identity is anchored in Christ, not in the changing lists of your circumstances.
One tribe, Levi, was often omitted. It looked like loss. But God said to them:
“I Myself am your inheritance.”—Numbers 18:20
Sometimes what feels removed is simply making room for what matters most.
Sometimes God is not taking something from you—He’s giving you Himself.
So when the tribes of your life rotate, when roles shift or seasons change, remember:
Your story may change, but your identity never does.
And that’s the mid-week memo.
Steve
