Deuteronomy 33:20-21 – Trust in God and be available to help others

In Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Gad in Deuteronomy 33:20-21, he pictured the tribe as a lion. Three things were said of Gad in this blessing. Firstly, that their territory would be enlarged. Moses began first by praising God as the one who would enlarge the territory of the tribe of Gad. Secondly, Moses pronounced that God would endow them with lion-like qualities to defend the asset granted to them. With the prowess given them, Gad would have the strength to disarm the enemy and wrestle “the crown of the head”.

Thirdly and finally, Gad would possess the quality of unselfish leadership and collaboration. When they had taken their possession, they would even help the other tribes to secure theirs. They would fight and execute justice of the LORD to advance God’s cause. This was probably a reference to what took place in Numbers 32 where the tribes of Gad, together with Reuben, requested to settle in the land east of Jordan. In Numbers 32:17, they promised Moses that they would send their men to fight alongside their brethren from the other tribes and help them to secure their possessions. They promised that their men would arm and go before the children of Israel until they have brought them into their inheritance.       

From these two verses, we learned that God is the one who will enlarge His people’s territory. He will enlarge ours too when we trust Him. He is the source of our lives. All that we have and can ever have, come from God. Yes, even our natural talents and the skills, He will help us to develop. So we must be thankful to Him and use His given resources to advance in godliness. Then like Gad, we seek to be confident, assertive, and collaborate with fellow believers. We must avail ourselves to help each other. Don’t be afraid to courageously collaborate with others to help them inherit their blessings too. It is a privilege and joy to help others grow in the Lord!

Deuteronomy 33:18-19 – Be blessed at home, work and worship

In Deuteronomy 33:18-19, Moses blessed the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar together. The former was to rejoice in their going out and the latter to rejoice in their tent. Both the needs of these tribes would be met abundantly. Besides, they would be joyful in their worship as they drew others along to make their sacrifices.

These verses tell of the blessing of joy both in their going out and coming in. They speak of fruitfulness in work and in rest, in their business as well as in their worship. At work they would be successful in their undertakings. And in worship they would gladly draw others along to offer righteous sacrifices.

Like them, how much we need the peace of God to enjoy the blessings of life. At work, we need God's bountiful providence to help us be successful in our undertakings. In life, we must offer up righteous sacrifices to God. Also, like them, we need to learn to worship God joyfully as well as making effort to draw others to join us in the worship of our great God. These two verses can best be expressed in life by putting Proverbs 3:4-5 into practice. We must trust in the Lord with all our hearts and refuse to lean on our own understanding. In everything we do, we must consider and acknowledge the LORD and He will direct and guide our paths.

 

Deuteronomy 33:13-17 – Seek the giver and not only the gift

Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob whom Rachel bore for him. He was the one Jacob gave the multi-colored coat. At a young age, he was given two dreams to prepare him for high office. But he was too young and immature to handle the revelation then. Unwisely, he boasted too much. So seething with jealousy, his brothers sold him to Egypt. But God kept His dream for Joseph and through the tough circumstances of his early years, he was forged. In Egypt, he became the second in command of the nation. Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt namely, Ephraim and Manasseh. That is why in the blessing Moses pronounced over his tribe in Deuteronomy 33:13-17, he included them in the last two lines of verse 17.

The land to which God was giving to the children of Israel had already been described in Deuteronomy 8:7-1o. Moses told them saying. “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.” Now in his blessing on the tribe of Joseph in Deuteronomy 33:13-17, Moses called for the richness of the land to be on them. He asked that they would inherit the riches of the land to which they were going.

 Interestingly, Moses referred to God as “Him who dwelt in the bush.” He must have recalled how he was called to God’s service by the burning bush which was not consumed by the fire. Moses recognized that it was God who worked the wonders behind the burning bush. The God of the burning bush was the one who had called and commissioned Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt to bring them into the promised land. The last two lines of verse 16, “Let it come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers”, was obviously referring to Joseph's tenure in the second-highest office in Egypt. He was the human instrument that God used to bring the people of Israel to Egypt where they would grow into a nation. Now his tribe would be entering into the richness of the promised land. Using the metaphor of the strength of the ox, in verse 17, Moses anticipated that Joseph's people would be strengthened to drive the enemies out of their possession. He then concluded by mentioning how the portion of Joseph would be given to his sons who formed the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.  

The blessings of Joseph were made possible by “Him who dwelt in the bush.” Without the LORD,  none of the rich blessings that Moses pronounced over the tribe of Joseph would be possible. A life full of riches without God can never be meaningful and fulfilling. It would be like what the Lord said of the Laodicean believers in Revelation 3:17 that say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” but yet oblivious that they were “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” In all our possessions, don’t leave God out. The most important quest of life is to seek God and live out His purpose. The blessing of life must lead us to appreciate and worship God even more. Let us seek the giver and not only His gift.      

 

 

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.”

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 33:8-11 – Being faithful and diligent in service to God

Deuteronomy 33:8-11 contain Moses’ pronouncement of blessing over the tribe of Levi. The blessing Moses pronounced over them was longer than the other tribes, apart from the tribe of Joseph. The priests who hailed from this tribe were responsible for the Urim and Thummim through which God provided guidance. The blessing was for God to continue to guide the people through the tribes of Levi.

The two most notable characters of this tribe were Aaron and Moses himself. They were probably the two most tested and abused personalities in the whole of their tribe. Remember how the people would grumble and murmur against them whenever they stumbled over challenges and difficulties. Verse 8 describes the two occasions on the journey, at Massah and at Meribah, where water was lacking and the people came against the leadership, but they proved themselves to be godly men.

The tribe of Levi was the tribe that had stood gallantly for God when the rest of Israel fell into temptation and turned wayward. The Levites were known for their courage to stand for God. They did not allow the natural relationship with the other tribes to affect their stand for God when the rest fell into temptation. And the last two lines of verse 9 are held up as models of covenant obedience.   

Verse 10 tells us that they were responsible to teach the law and in the offering of sacrifices to God to atone for the sins of Israel. It was through the tribe of Levi that God released His blessing. So the blessing of the tribe of Levi would mean that the whole of Israel would be blessed. When God accepted the tribe of Levi, the whole nation of Israel would be benefitted. Attacking them, even from among their own people, would affect the whole nation. So the prayer was for all opposition against them to be abrogated.    

The tribe of Levi had proven themselves in their God-assigned service. In their stand for God, in their teaching the law, or in the offering of sacrifices, they were responsible and faithful. Yes, they were even held up as examples of covenant faithfulness. Their faithfulness to the duties assigned to them leaves us with an example of how we need to show the same faithfulness and diligence. Won’t it be an honor to be held up as being faithful to God? Talking about the faithfulness and diligence in service, be motivated by a prayer of Thomas Aquinas. He prayed, “Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, understanding to know Thee, diligence to seek Thee, wisdom to find Thee and a faithfulness that may finally embrace Thee.” Be faithful to God. O how we need it! 

 

Deuteronomy 33:7 – The indispensability of prayer in our walk

The tribe of Reuben was the first to be blessed in Moses’ blessing because Reuben was Israel’s eldest son. The next tribe to receive his blessing was the tribe of Judah. It was because when the children of Israel were on the march, the tribe of Judah would lead the way. They formed the vanguard whenever the nation went into battle. This blessing was a prayer for God to hear them whenever they lead the nation in battle against their enemies. That God would come to their help against the adversaries whom they had to confront.         

This verse underscores the importance of prayer. So in this blessing on the tribe of Judah suggests that God will hear their prayer whenever they go into battle to confront the enemies. Prayer is not only the need of Judah. It is also what we all need if we are to advance in our journey with God. We need to pray that God will help us to reach the destiny He has installed for us.  

Prayer is an indispensable habit if we are to advance as a disciple of Christ. In prayer, we are seeking the help of God for the release of the power of the Holy Spirit to act on our behalf. Romans 8:26-27 make no bones about it. We are told that “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Whenever we pray, the help of the Holy Spirit is made available.

While Deuteronomy 33:7 is meant for the tribe of Judah, it is a call for us to pray. We belong to Jesus Christ, “the Lion of Judah”. In prayer, we collaborate with God. Without God we cannot, but without us, God will not.  Prayer governs heaven. The Lord Jesus tells us that whatsoever we ask the Father in His name, He will do it. No wonder He asserted in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing. We need to pray. Prayer expresses our delight in God, shows our dependence on God, and keeps us determined in God. The promise of God is that when we ask, it shall be given us; when we seek, we shall find; and when we knock, the door shall be opened. So let us ask, let us seek, and let us knock. By prayer, we will reach our destiny. Be sure to pray! It is as important as the air we breathe!

 

Deuteronomy 33:6 – Don’t fail to witness for Christ

The first tribe that Moses blessed was the tribe of Reuben. It was probably because Reuben was the eldest of Jacob’s twelve sons. The blessing pronounced over them was for their preservation so that the tribes’ existence would not be affected. Moses prayed that the number of men would not be reduced. Logically speaking, if the men were few, the tribe would be wiped out with time. This was an indirect prayer, asking for the men in Reuben to continue to expand and not diminish.

Genesis 35:22 said that he went up to his father’s bed and defiled it. He sinned by having a sexual relationship with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Also in Numbers 16:1-2, we were told that a few of his descendants joined in Korah’s rebellion against Moses. Knowing these, Moses indirectly asked that their past would not impact them to the point where their number would be affected.

In Numbers 32 we were also told that the leaders of Reuben and Gad requested to settle in the land east of Jordan. Verses 16-19 recorded their request. They said to Moses, “We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance. For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.” This request would risk their men dying in the battle, thus reducing their numbers.  

This verse and the history of the tribe of Reuben motivate us first to pray for the preservation of our family. This would include praying for our spiritual family, both locally and the church worldwide, not to experience a reduction in the number of true believers. It had been reported that the Church is losing its influence and impact in the world today. It behooves us as concerned believers to pray for the preservation of the church so that we can continue to impact the world with our influence. So we remember the call of Jesus to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. We must live holy lives so that men may see our good works and give glory to the Father.