Deuteronomy 33:12 – In the Lord believers have security

In Deuteronomy 33:12, Moses pronounced his blessing on the tribe of Benjamin which he referred to as the beloved of the LORD. He was the brother of Joseph, the other son whom Rachel bore for him. Being the youngest of Jacob’s 12 sons, he was deeply loved by him. Here Moses prayed that this tribe would dwell in security and be protected by God as they dwell between His shoulders.

Here are some of the more notable characters that hailed from the tribe of Benjamin. Firstly, we have Ehud described in Judges 3:12-30. God used him to deliver Israel from Moab. Secondly, there was Saul, the first king of Israel. In 1 Samuel 9:15-27, we learned that he was God’s answer to the people’s request for a king. The Prophet Samuel was directed to anoint him to be king over the people of Israel. So in 1 Samuel 9:17 we read the instruction of God to Samuel saying, “…I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded my people their cry has come to me.” Thirdly we have two persons, none other than Mordecai and Esther. God used them to save the Jews from annihilation through the plot of Heman. Finally, we have the Apostle Paul. He was the last and more prominent of the New Testament apostles. God chose, called, and commissioned him as the apostle to the Gentiles.   

Moses’ prayer was for the tribe of Benjamin to be protected and sheltered. What better place can one find that kind of security but by being near God. From this verse, we take away the lesson that if we ever want to be truly safe and secure, we can find it nowhere else but in the presence of the Lord. Psalm 125 tells us that in God we have absolute safety and security. So let us put our absolute trust in the Lord.

Hear what the first two verses of Psalm 125 promised. The Psalmist says:  

“Those who trust in the Lord
Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.”