"The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its clans. Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Akzib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clans." (Joshua 19:24-31) Let's take a look at the location of Asher on the map.
Now let's take a look back at Jacob's prophecy regarding the descendants of his son Asher. "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king." (Genesis 49:20) The land given to Asher in the promised land produced valuable goods. Moses also, when he blessed the tribes of Israel, indicated that Asher would be rich in valuable metals and in fine olive oil. "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days." (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)
The olive oil of Asher's land, one of the delicacies that would be "fit for a king", was so plentiful that a person could soak their feet in it if they wanted to instead of reserving it like an expensive product. To illustrate this point with a modern example, I use a prescription retinol cream that I reserve only for my face and neck and upper chest. I would not rub it on my feet because the price of it is not economical enough to use it except where it matters most. I don't purchase expensive brand name face creams but if I did I wouldn't use them as a foot cream. But Asher's land would produce olives in such abundance that the people of this tribe could apply the oil head to toe if they felt like it. Now that's luxury! Olive oil also has some medicinal properties because it promotes the healing of wounds and has anti-inflammatory benefits. The people of Asher could use this substance as a moisturizing beauty product, as a hair dressing, and as a treatment for wounds.
We will learn later on that the tribe of Asher failed to rid their land of all the Canaanites, in the same way that the other tribes did not remove all the heathen idolaters from their land. This will cause some of them to be drawn into idolatry, just as some of the people from the other tribes will be drawn into idolatry. But Asher will produce mighty warriors to drive back armies from the east in the book of Judges and in the book of Chronicles we will find the tribe of Asher accepting King Hezekiah's invitation to come to Jerusalem for Passover to repent and turn back to the Lord---an invitation some of the other citizens of Israel will scoff at and reject.
There is only one really famous person in the Bible from the tribe of Asher and that is the prophetess Anna, mentioned in the book of Luke. Anna was an elderly widow who spent most of her time at the temple, fasting and praying, and who recognized Jesus as the Messiah when Joseph and Mary brought Him to the temple to fulfill the law of the Lord that every firstborn male must be brought and consecrated to Him. Luke says that Anna came up to Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus and "gave thanks to God" and spoke about Jesus to all who were "looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem". (See Luke 2:36-38)
As we move throughout the Bible we'll find the people of Israel doing both good things and bad things. The Lord offered mercy and forgiveness to anyone who repented to Him of their mistakes, just as He offers mercy and forgiveness to us today. You and I have done both good things and bad things, just as the characters of the Bible did. There will be times when the story of certain tribes or certain people in the Bible looks hopeless but then we'll find the Lord's redeeming mercy at work. We'll find the story turning around. The Lord has turned our stories around too, hasn't He? The Lord never made an end of Israel even though people made mistakes; He hasn't given up on us either. It's not the Lord's desire to make an end of anyone. What He wants with all His heart for each person is for "everyone to come to repentance". (2 Peter 3:9) He longs to be gracious to us and to show us compassion. (Isaiah 30:18).
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