The home call of Moses

 Christ in all the scriptures

God calls His servant Moses home    Deuteronomy 34

He was the vice regent of Egypt; the man God commissioned at the burning bush; the powerful leader who released Israel from centuries of bondage; the lawgiver who established the Divine worship; the pastor/shepherd who led his people to the promised land; the prophet like no other who knew God face to face.

He is introduced at the end as, simply, "Moses the servant of the Lord".   That is as high an accolade that it gets, even the angels describe themselves as "fellow servants"-Rev. 22v9.

"So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord"-34v5.

His passing from this world was unique, just as his life was unique.  Famous world leader that he was, yet he was buried alone, without any human present at his burial.  We know that Satan was present, as was the archangel Michael, who "contended with the devil, disputing about the body of Moses"-Jude v9.  No doubt the devil wanted to make his passing public, to create some hero worship.  That is the way of the world who make gods of mere mortals.  The most powerful man, who ever lived in close communion with God, died alone, with no one present, and his burial site is unknown to this day.  Men have said, foolishly, that "you can judge a man by the number of people at his funeral" (I quote what was said several times in my hearing in church gatherings).  John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said, "Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11v11): his funeral was attended by a few disciples (Matthew 14v12).  Moses the greatest prophet and spiritual leader (Deuteronomy 34v10-12), was buried by the archangel with the devil in dispute.   And what about Jesus, who was lovingly taken by the hands from a Roman cross, by two godly men, and buried away from the public gaze.  No one but His loyal disciples would see Him, e'er He left this world for the glory of heaven.

The phrase used, "Moses died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord", deserves attention.  The word of the Lord is "the mouth of the Lord", and the Rabbis say this can stand the translation, "by the kiss of the Lord".  It seems God kissed him to sleep!  Verse 7 says, "Moses was an hundred and twenty years old, when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated".  He did not die of old age, nor of illness, He died by the kiss of the Lord.  The man who wrote in Psalm 90v10, that life expectancy was seventy years, and if by strength, eighty years, lived to 120!  He commenced service for God when the strongest people die.  God preserved him 40 years to serve Him, and when He took him it was by Divine caress!

His life is divided into three periods of 40 years: 40 years in the palace of Egypt learning the wisdom of Egypt; 40 years in the wilderness of Midian learning the ways of God; 40 years with the people of God learning the wonder of God.  As others have put it, he learned he was somebody; then he learned he was a nobody; then he learned God was everything who could do great things with nobodies.

He found God at Mount Horeb as he pastored sheep (Exodus 3v1).  He saw God on Mount Sinai as he led Israel to the promised land (Exodus 24v9-18).  He died by the mouth of the Lord on Pisgah, of Mount Nebo.  Moses lived his life in the heights and died there.  Great man, though he was, he was denied entry into the land, but was allowed to see it from the height of Pisgah.  This must have been a supernatural vision for there is no possible vision as described of the entire land even from Pisgah, 4,000 ft. up.  Something of the nature of the supernatural vision of Christ in the temptation scene in the wilderness must have taken place here.  Great man, though he was, he was not perfect, and his imperfection points only to the perfection of Christ who is the only One who can truly finish the work.  May we be suitably humbled by this!

Moses was great in his humility   He really longed to enter the promised land but the Lord denied it to him (Deuteronomy 3v24/26).  He did not question the Lord again, but, in obedience to His will, he walked silently to the top of Mount Nebo.  One word was enough for Moses who accepted God's command.  The Divine author notes that "the (noble) man, Moses, was very meek, above all the (ordinary) men which were upon the face of the earth"-Numbers 12v3.  This is in the context of family criticism.  So humble was he that he let the Lord speak for him.  When the Lord restrained him from entering the land, he obeyed without question.

Moses faith was great  

The details are in Hebrews 11v23-29.  He was born into a family of faith; when he came of age he relinquished the opportunity to be Pharoah over all Egypt.  He did so by choice, one which involved giving up a life of luxury and power.  This was because he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.  He endured the affliction this brought to him by a permanent vision of the invisible God,  By faith he forsook Egypt and returned to keep the Passover, which freed his nation, then led the, through the Red Sea, miraculously parting the waves to cross to the Sinai desert.  This great man of faith led Israel for 40 years, tending to their needs, chiding them for failure, and suffering their criticism and rebellion for the space of 40 years, during all of which he was past the normal life expectancy.

Moses loyalty to God was great  Hebrews 3v3 records that "Moses was faithful in all God's house", a description that will surely challenge every one of us.  He spoke only the words of God.  He applied them in difficult situations, even those affecting his closest family.  God is faithful to us, we must ask, how does He view our loyalty to Him?  God attested to this in Numbers 12v7/8, He says "My servant Moses...with him I will speak face to face".  When Moses spoke, it was the direct words of God; he did not compromise for the sake of popularity.  

Moses foresight was great   He knew his time would come to an end, and he prepared and trained the young Joshua to continue the work.  Joshua was present at Sinai, and all the way through.  The spiritual baton was passed, and Joshua took over the work on the promise of God, that, "As I have been with Moses, so will I be with you"--Joshua 1v5.  

And so an amazing life ends, but he will be back.  He appeared in the transfiguration with Elijah, and they both shall return as untouchable witnesses during the time of Israel's greatest trouble (refer Revelation chapter 11).

The God of Jeshurun

 Christ in all the scriptures

The incomparable God of Jeshurun  Deuteronomy 33v26-29

"There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky.  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy"-Deut. 33v26

The God of Jeshurun is the One true God who has made  a people upright before Him.  He does so by judicially, and positionally making them right with Himself.  He could only do this because of the blood of the Paschal Lamb sacrificed in Egypt.  The Lamb points to Christ, the Son of God, who was sacrificed for the sins of the world.  Israel were anything but morally perfect, but they were judiciously so by Divine grace.  In the course of time they will be morally so by His Divine power.  What other entity called God could redeem fallen humanity by His own sacrifice for their sins.  The world concept of God is of One superior, sovereign, majestic, making demands on lesser beings; one who is remote, transcendent, all powerful, capricious.  The God who makes human beings perfect in His sight by His own personal humiliation and sacrifice is greater than all.  To the worldly wise this is foolishness, but to those who are saved He is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1st Corinthians 1v24).  There is none like the God of Jeshurun!

Not only does He save them, He keeps them:

He rides on the heaven in their help   Moses uses poetic language to describe God's activity in the help of His people.  "He rides on the heavens".  the Psalmist pictures God on a chariot bestriding the extremities of the universe in the interests of His people, Psalm 68v4. "Extol Him that rideth upon the heavens (the desolate places-the extremities of the universe) by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him...".  There is not one cubic metre in all of space where He is not active to help His people in need, like the fatherless and the widows.

He rides in the majesty of His Person  As supreme ruler, creator and sustainer of all creation, He moves everywhere, is aware of all things, and He is active at all times.  He commands an innumerable host of angelic beings, which are at our help whenever we need Him.  All in existence, including the evil spirits who occupy space are subject to Him.  Let this wonder enthral us.

He is the refuge of all His people in the face of troubles   He is the eternal God, He has spanned all time and beyond,  He will be present and active forever.  Such an One is our refuge, the One to whom we can flee and rest when necessary'  We cannot fall so far down beyond the everlasting arms which hold us.  All those who oppose us has God to deal with.  God's righteous people enjoy the ultimate security.  Refuge can be translated "dwelling place"-a place where they live (as in Psalm 90v1, "Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations").

He has no comparison in all existence.  His people are the most privileged on earth.  God is their helper, their home, and their warrior.  C. H. Spurgeon put it like this, "He is around them (eternally present); He goes before them (in battle); and He is underneath them when they fall (the everlasting arms).

"Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew."  Deut. 33v28

Unlike the present situation, when Israel (for the most part) is in denial of Jesus as Messiah, in the day when they repent and turn to the Lord, they shall dwell in safety, without outside help: they will be secure, and also sustained with the best of food and drink, and thrive with the dew of the heavens watering and enhancing their produce.  Genesis 27v28 defines the function of the dew from heaven as that which produces "the fatness of earth and the abundance of corn and wine".  Not only are they secure but they are sustained in the best that earth can provide.

"Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee?, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency, and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread their high places?" Deut. 33v29

They are secured; they are sustained; and they are satisfied!  They are a people like no other people, just as their God is like no other God.  They are happy, safe, saved by the Lord, defended, victorious, and prosperous.  Everything that men on earth strive for (but never achieve) will be theirs through simple faith in the glorious God of Jeshurun!  Scripture goes on to reveal that through their temporary fall, salvation will come to the nations, which, as we know is now a blessed fact!  They (Israel) will return one day in numbers, and the blessings of scripture will follow, and will usher in a period of prosperity, never seen before in all history.  The best is yet to come for the faithful.  Until then, the Lord bless you all in your corner of the world that is about to change forever!!

The twelve tribes part 2

 Christ in all the scriptures

Continued blessings of the twelve tribes    Deuteronomy 33v13-25

Joseph   v13-17   "And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath". 

The most space is devoted to Joseph, and the blessing is ultimately given to his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (v17).   Numerically, the sons of Joseph were larger than any of the other ten tribes, and their land mass was also greater.  The blessings are of the land, referring to rain from heaven, dew on the ground, and springs of water underneath, producing unlimited fruit and grain.  How fitting it is that Joseph, who supplied bread to the nations in a time of famine, should be blessed by providing food for his own people!  In this he symbolises Christ who is the "true bread from heaven" (John 6v32); "the bread of God which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world " (John 6v33); "the bread of life" (John 6v35 and v48); "the living bread which came down from heaven" (John 6v51) .  This is amazing enough in material terms, but when applied to spiritual life is even greater.  According to v17 the influence of the sons of Joseph will be majestic (his glory like the firstling of the bullock- the highest form of land animal for food); they will be powerful and will extend their authority to the ends of the earth ("horns like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth"),  This confirms Jacob's prophecy on Joseph (Genesis 49v22) that his fruitfulness would extend beyond the borders of Israel.  Ephraim would be the more powerful of the two tribes.

Zebulon and Issachar   v18/19  "And of Zebulon he said Rejoice, Zebulon in thy going out; and Issachar, in thy tents.  They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas; and of the treasures hid in the sand". 

Zebulon and Issachar are called to rejoice, and they will have cause to rejoice, because the Lord will prosper them in their trade,  Zebulon will be seafaring traders, and outgoing in character; Issachar will be tent dwellers working the land (refer Genesis 49v13-15).  They both had the same mother and dwelt in close union.  Zebulon is predicted to attract foreigners away from idolatry to worship the true God and they will enjoy the "abundance of the seas, and the treasures hid in in the sand".  It is thought that Zebulon traded in the produce of shellfish, notably the purple dye used in fine clothing;  also they used the sand to make glass products for all.  There is no evidence in biblical history that this kind of prosperity was ever achieved, but today the Port of Haifa, on the coast of Zebulon and Issachar, has become an important maritime hub for export yielding great riches for Israel.  This modern fulfilment of predicted riches underlines the veracity of Divine decrees spanning centuries of time.  Haifa is Israel's largest seaport, handling an estimated 30 million tons of cargo each year and employing many people.  No wonder they were called to rejoice!  Well might our faith be strengthened as we consider that God's plans for Israel transcend the ages of time!

Gad  v20/21  "And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.  And he provided the first part for himself, because, there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the judgment of the Lord, and His judgments with Israel".

The Gadites were a fierce people in combat, who, when invaded, overcame their enemies (Genesis 49v19).  Moses refer to the one who would enlarge Gad, presumably in land mass and population.  Only the Lord can do this, and Gad became defenders on the east border of Israel, as well as fighting the cause of all the tribes in their conflicts.  1st Chronicles 12v8 confirms this, "And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David in the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains".  The Lord blessed them who were prepared to war for the national cause.  He describes them as lions, (or more accurate as lionesses) who sought and obtained provision and security for their tribe.  They became the most loyal and dependable of all the tribes, who exercised justice and judgment in Israel.  Gad would be an overcomer, a noble achievement in the face of adversity.  The same was said of our Lord who "overcame the world" (John 16v33), and of the churches in Revelation 2/3.  Paul wrote of true believers in Romans 8v37, "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us".

Dan  v22  "And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan".

Jacob predicted that Dan would judge his people, a possible reference to Samson who judged Israel in opposition to the Philistines.  Little else is recorded of Dan, save that he abandoned the strip of land allotted to him in the south west.  Instead he invaded Laish in the north, and settled there.  Perhaps the reference "he shall leap from Bashan" alludes to this.  Little of a complimentary nature is reported of him, and little is said of him.  His father said he would be "a serpent by the way", one who not only went astray but was troublesome to others.  What we do know is that he is omitted from the list of tribes in the end times.  He fell into idolatry and practiced it publicly.  This is a sharp reminder of the potential to apostasy amongst God's people.  There are those posing as the people of God, but their lives deny it.  Unlike Gad, Dan succumbed to their enemies and migrated north, leading to rank idolatry and ultimate spiritual failure.

Naphtali   v23  "O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full of the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south". 

Naphtali means "my wrestling" and refers to the struggles of life.  In no one is this more illustrated than Christ in His life and death on earth.   Jacob said "Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words"-Genesis 49v21; apparently a better rendering is "Naphtali is a hind (deer) let loose who spawns beautiful fawns".  In Psalm 22, in the title, reference is made to Aijeleth Shahar, which means "hind of the dawn".  The picture is of the hind which has struggled all night to escape predators, and is set free to leap and dance in freedom when the dawn comes.  Naphtali, being the most northerly of the tribes, was always first to be attacked by the marauding neighbours, and knew endless struggles.  She will be set free in a picture of the resurrection of Christ.  A study of Psalm 22 presents this twin picture of Christ's trauma on the cross (Psalm 22v1-21) and His triumph in resurrection (Psalm 22v22-31).  Moses depicts Naphtali as "satisfied and full of the blessing of the Lord".  She shall possess the west and south of her allotted territory without fear of her enemies.

Asher  v24/25  "let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.  Thy shoes shall be of brass and iron; and as thy days so shall thy strength be".

Asher means happy or blessed, and is a synonym for the well being of the whole nation.  Moses predicts their posterity (blessed with children); their popularity (acceptable to his brethren); and prosperity (he shall dip his foot in oil- a reference to the olive trees in abundance in their land).  Together with Genesis 49v20 this blessing indicates prosperity and abundance as well as national unity.  Wealth, fertility and favour marked the tribe of Asher.  Their allotted territory, described in Joshua 19v24-31, was known for its rich soil, olive oil, and agricultural abundance.  What a lovely picture of a community of God's people!

And so each tribe was named and blessed, and their corporate significance to the entire world is evident, and will be more so in the future,  God said to Abraham in Genesis 12v2-3, "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed".  Genesis 17v6, "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee; Genesis 18v18, "Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him"; Genesis 22v18, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice".

It was Israel who brought Christ to the world (Romans 9v5); it is Israel who will rule the world through Christ (Revelation 14v1 and others).  All today who oppose Israel are opposing God, and there is only one outcome to that.  

 

  

The twelve tribes

 Christ in all the scriptures

The blessings of the twelve tribes   Deuteronomy 33v6-25

A few observations:

Talk of "lost tribes" is devoid of wisdom.  Scriptures, to the end, establish the twelve tribes as a permanent entity.  James writes to "the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad"-James 1v1.  Scattered they may be at present, but they will be gathered by Divine power, and they will reign over the earth in the future-Matthew 24v31; Romans 11v12; Deuteronomy 28v1 etc.  They become powerful witnesses in a day yet future-Revelation 7v1-8.  Their names are on the 12 gates of the city, the New Jerusalem-Revelation 21v12.

There are times some names are omitted for disciplinary reasons, and the order in which they appear can change.  The tribe of Simeon is omitted in this chapter.  They were part of the couple of tribes Simeon and Levi, who committed the atrocity against the people of Shechem, one of whom had defiled their sister.  The comment by their father Jacob in Genesis 49 was, "Cursed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath that it was cruel".  He described them as "instruments of cruelty in their habitations".  Scripture is clear that "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God".  Angry men are not used by God. Levi repented and were reinstated for their loyalty to serve as priests, but they were denied land inheritance in Israel.  Simeon remained vengeful and were diminished, ultimately being joined to Judah.  Their numbers declined from 59,300 men of war in Numbers 1, to 22,200 in Numbers 26, almost 40 years later.  However in the future, according to Revelation chapter 7, they are included in the list of tribes witnessing for God.  Earthly failure does not mean ultimate loss.

A comparison between Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 reveals the following:

Genesis 49 is by a father to his sons: Deuteronomy 33 is by a spiritual leader to the tribes.

Genesis 49 is prophetic in nature and predicts good and bad: Deuteronomy 33 is prayerful in nature and promises only good.

The predictions and prayers are, and will be, fulfilled to the letter.  An Omniscient God, knows all things, and He is also Omnipotent to secure their future.  He is the God of Covenant promise, and nothing and no one can alter His decrees.

God's blessing does not assume freedom from problems, nor does it preclude the blessed from personal responsibility.  What it does is overcome problems and inspires holiness.  The failures of men are in contrast to the perfections of Christ the Messiah.

Reuben  v6 "Let Reuben live and not die; and let not his men be few".  Reuben was firstborn in Israel who disgraced his father (Genesis 49).  This gave him authority and influence over the twelve tribes, but he lost that status.  Christ is firstborn in all creation (Colossians 1v15) and in the Church (Colossians 1v18 with Romans 8v29), He glorified His Father.  Reuben will survive, rather than thrive.  Christ presides over numberless saints with unfettered authority....Psalm 89v27, "I will make Him my first born higher than the kings of the earth".  The lesson of Reuben is that past failure does not negate future mercy, for Divine mercy in Christ is complete.  

Judah  v7  "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies".  

Judah is promoted above Reuben (Genesis 49 and Revelation 7v5) and is given the sceptre and the staff (symbolic of spiritual rule-Genesis 49v10) until Shiloh come (Christ the Messiah-literally "He whose right it is to rule").  It was out of Judah Christ came (Hebrews 7v14) and when He comes again He will reign supreme.  Judah means praise and Moses calls on the Lord to hear the praise of His people, to make provision for their needs and to protect them from their enemies.  Judah will prosper and overcome all enemies.  Christ is the "Lion of Judah, the Root of David" who will open the seven seals of Judgment on a rebellious world-Revelation 5v5

Levi  v8-11  "...Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again".

Jacob cursed the brutality of Simeon and Levi, and the Lord separated them.  However Levi recovered and stood for God in the matter of the golden calf in Exodus 32v25-28.  This they did in the sight of all Israel and the Lord rewarded them with priestly and support roles.  They alone were in close relationship with God (the Urim and Thummim, God made the "covenant of Levi" as promotion and recognition (refer Malachi2v5/8, "My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.  The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.  For the priests lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts").  The Levites became teachers of God's law, and officiators of the sacrificial offerings, a status of great honour and of responsibility.  This honour points to the priesthood of Christ who is of a superior order (that of Melchisedek) who presides over the teaching and worshipful service of all His people.

Benjamin  v12 "And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders".

Benjamin was Jacob's youngest son, born to his beloved  Rachel, who died giving birth.  Before her death, she named him Benoni (son of my sorrow); Jacob named him Benjamin (son of my right hand)  Thus Benjamin always held a special place in Jacob's heart, and the rest of the brothers adored and protected him.  He was beloved of the family, and also beloved of the Lord.  All this points to Christ who was beloved of the Father God-at His baptism, Matthew 3v17; Mark 1v11; Luke 3v22: on the mount of transfiguration, Matthew 17v5; Mark 9v7; Luke 9v35.  Believers today are "accepted in the beloved"-Ephesians 1v6; in Colossians 1v13, we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son (the Son of His love).  God loves many people but His special love is for His Son, and we are blessed in Him.  A special Son has a special place, and Christ fulfils the true meaning of Benjamin (Son of the right hand).  

Hebrews 1v3, "...when He had by Himself purged our sins (Benoni son of my sorrow) sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Benjamin, son of my right hand).

Colossians 3v1 "...above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God".

Ephesians 1v20, "Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavens".

Hebrews 8v1, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens".

Hebrews 12v2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith; who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God".

The change from his father Jacob's description in Genesis 49v27 is remarkable.  There Jacob characterised him as a predatory wolf, and a relentless operator (day and night activity).  A similar trait is painted of Paul the apostle, who came from Benjamin in his unconverted days.  Acts 9v1 records "And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord..."; 1st Timothy 1v13, "Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy , because I did it ignorantly and in unbelief". This is the same man who travelled land and sea, giving up a lucrative lifestyle to serve the Lord amongst His people.  Benjamin was the smallest tribe, yet out of them notable characters emerged: like Ehud, the left handed judge of Israel who delivered them from slavery to Eglon king of Moab (Judges 3v12-30; Saul the first king of Israel, strong in military prowess, yet who never seemed able to cast off his family trait (1st Samuel 9 onwards; Esther and Mordecai, who played a prominent role in Israel's release from foreign exile (the book of Esther); and Paul who wrote most of the New Testament epistles, and whose writings are authoritative even now.

The Divine view of Benjamin is given in this chapter; "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him...".   All God's believing people are beloved of the Lord-refer Romans 1v7; Colossians 3v12; 1st John 3v1.  Intimacy with God and security from God are the twin thoughts here.  "...and the Lord shall cover him all the day long...".  Cover is surrounded, shielded, protected every hour of the day.  Beloved, are we aware of this Divine presence with us daily??  "...and he shall dwell between His shoulders".  The shoulders are symbolic of strength, and we are carried by Him, particularly when our strength is weak.  Remember the cameo in Luke 15v4/5; He found the lost sheep and carried it upon His shoulders.  Those strong shoulders of Christ is the resting place for every saint.  We recall Isaiah 9v6, where it says, "...and the government shall be upon His shoulder!"  The government of the whole world will be on His one shoulder; until then His people shall dwell between His shoulders.

To be continued.....

  

Divine blessings on the tribes of Israel

 Christ in all the scriptures

Blessed is the state of ultimate well being

As a young believer, growing up in a church community, and learning the ways of God, I was frustrated by biblical words which I did not understand, and no one explaining their meaning. Words like justification, redemption, reconciliation, predestination etc. were obviously wonderful words, but they were lost on me for the first decade of my spiritual life.  Knowing church culture as I do, it is no different today, and there is a need to illuminate the minds of believers as to the amazing meaning of these things, and the wonder of what we have been given.  It is fruitless to be parroting words with no understanding.  For this reason I want to preface the study of the blessings upon Israel in Deuteronomy 33v6-25 by considering the marvellous scriptural meaning of the word blessed. 

It is good for us to understand the depth of meaning of a word which is at the centre and circumference of Divine revelation.  We begin by focusing on the root words used, of which there are a number of variations.  The Hebrew word Barak occurs 330 times in O/T scripture and the Greek Makarios at least 50 times in N/T.  Furthermore , the first reference is in Genesis 1, the first chapter of the bible, and the final reference is in Revelation 22, the last chapter.  In the central book of the bible, the Psalms (Psalm 117 is the very centre in terms of chapters), there are over 100 references.  Psalm 1 begins with God blessing man, and Psalm 150 ends with man blessing God.

The root meaning of Barak is to kneel; it is a bestowal of Divine favour which causes us to bow the knee in humble adoration.  

The root meaning of Makarios is to enlarge or lengthen; it describes the favour of God which has increased our persona in the universe.  A kindred word Eulogetes which means "to speak well of" occurs 8 times in N/T.

Taken together, such is the favour of God upon us, it has both humbled us and exalted us to a new position entirely.  Blessing is conferred upon us beyond anything we have or are naturally.  When God blesses us, He extends His benefits to us, He enlarges His mercy toward us.  There is nothing small minded about God's grace to us, He enlarges us, He enriches us, He prospers us spiritually.  When Jesus uttered the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, He was not saying this is what you must do to be blessed, He was saying this is what you are because you are blessed!  Perhaps we should re read these blessings with this new perspective.  The Amplified version, translating Matthew 5v3, in attempting to extract the full meaning of Makarios, puts it like this, "Blessed (Happy, to be envied,, and spiritually prosperous-with life joy and satisfaction in God's favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".   Biblical scholars are agreed that this word can stand the translation, "Congratulations!" 

"Got questions.org" puts this in a lovely way: "the blessedness Jesus speaks of, rather than being a fleeting, transient, happiness, is a deep, abiding, unshakeable joy, rooted in the assurance of God's blessing in the present and in the future.  Life in the kingdom is one of profound joy and inner well being that no person or circumstance can take away.  They represent a counterculture, exhibiting values not welcomed by the world at large, but gladly embraced by every follower of Jesus Christ".

Blessing in scripture means Divine grace and favour bestowed upon mortals.  It is the state of ultimate well being, in contrast to cursing which is the permanent cessation of well being.  It also presumes the return of human blessing to the Divine as the fruit of reconciliation.  To be honoured by an earthly dignitary, or institution is sought after by not a few.  To be honoured by the Majesty of Heaven is the highest dignity we can possess.  This we have by simple and real faith in Christ.  It is important we fully understand how privileged and honoured we are as the recipients of Divine grace.  All this and more is intrinsic to the biblical word blessed.  Congratulations to all reading this who are blessed of God.  You have a status greater than you could ever imagine.  Even the angels of heaven will call you a fellow servant of the great God (Revelation 22v9).

This blessing does not presume the absence of worldly problems as the Beatitudes suggest.  There we read of humility, mourning, hunger and thirst within; also persecution from without in Matthew 5v3-12.  All these may come in abundance, but nothing can diminish the grace of God lavished on us, or the indescribable glory of the future.

The creation took place in the context of Divine blessing.  Everything was made to perfection, and He pronounced all good in Genesis 1v10; v12; v18;and all very good in v31.  In verse 28 He blessed the man and the woman and gave them dominion over all the work of His hands.  It was not until the fall of man in Genesis 3 that God pronounced a curse on the earth and all its inhabitants.   Fellowship with God brings blessing (ultimate well being that lasts forever): rebellion brings Divine curse that is irreversible.  Israel were taught the ways of blessing, and the ways of cursing, and God is the final arbiter. True belief in the Saviour brings God's approval in limitless favour: sham religion brings only the curse of God.  The 8 blessings of Matthew 5 (if we take the two relating to persecution as one) are in sharp contrast to the 8 woes of Matthew 23.  Examples of classic declarations of blessing in scripture are as follows: 

Genesis 12v2/3, God to Abraham, "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed".

Ephesians1v3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with (better "in") every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ".

And on a personal level, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile"-Psalm 32v1/2.

Blessing in scripture means Divine favour bestowed on us from above that changes our destiny and character forever.  May we all live in the good of it, and the best is yet to come.

 

God with them

 Christ in all the scriptures

The God who blesses Israel      Deuteronomy 33v1-5

It is no coincidence that the chapter which details the blessings upon Israel (v6-25), begins and ends with God; the presence of God with them (v1-5), and the power of God for them (v26-29).  All blessings flow from God as redeemed people walk step in step with Him.  Moses ends his public service for God with blessings on Israel; Jesus begins His public ministry with blessings on His disciples (the beatitudes of Matthew 5v1-12).   

The Presence of God with them   33v1-5

"And he said, the Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them, He shined forth from mount Paran , and He came with ten thousands of saints...".

The description is amazing, for it likens God's majestic presence with them to the rising of the sun each and every day, as He displays His holy light in their midst.  Notice the progression: He came...He rose up...He shone forth!  From the darkness the sun comes each morning, it rises high at midday, and it shines forth its blazing light until dusk.  This is God's daily care over His people.  They are no longer in the darkness of the fall, they dwell in the brilliant rays of His sunshine.  Each day of their life, and every place they go. He mentions Sinai, Seir, and Paran, each one taking them closer to the promised land, at whose borders they now gathered.

The thought here is of progression; God's people are journeying to a better land.  Each place mentioned reflects the high point of the migration.  Sinai, the place of covenant promise: Seir, the place of Divine comfort and compensation following the rejection by Edom, the land of the descendants of Esau, the brother of their father Jacob: Paran the place of Divine care where He sustained them in wilderness conditions.  He appeared to them first at Sinai. when He descended among them and set a table on the mount.  He remained with them throughout the wilderness journey.  This reminds us of Jesus, who said to His apostles, "Lo, I am with you always (literally all the days), even unto the end of the age" (Matthew 28v20)

He was with them in glorious manifestation.  

"He came with ten thousands of His saints..." (saints is holy ones, the holy angels who dwell in His presence).    All the power of heaven is with them, note the repetition of this in scripture...Exodus 24v9-18; Daniel 7v9/10; Hebrews 12v11; Revelation 5v11.  The number 10,000 is the highest number in Hebrew, according to scholars; it is at least this number , but could be many more.  Myriads, countless, innumerable, are terms used to describe the angels of heaven who protect God's people.  Again this points to Jesus on the throne for His people, "All power (authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth"-Matthew 28v18.

He gave them holy instruction from His word, 

"...from His right hand went a fiery law for them...they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words".

Jesus said to His apostles, "...teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"-Matthew 28v20.  Fundamental to fellowship with God is obedience to His word.

He was with them in love, and the power of heaven was for their sanctification and protection

"Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in thy hand...".  

The angels of heaven, who are "greater in power and might" (2nd Peter 2v11) than man, are at Jesus' disposal from the throne-refer Hebrews 1v13/14; Matthew 18v10; Matthew 26v53.  The love of Christ for His people, together with His protection of them are major themes in the bible.  His love for them is not mere sensual love, but sacrificial love for their eternal good, "Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it;  that He might sanctify and cleanse it through the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish"-Ephesians 5v25-27.

He was their royal majesty among them

"He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes were gathered together".

What distinguishes God's people from all others is the majestic, authoritative, and blessed presence of a loving God among us.  This will be the theme at the end of the chapter.  Would that in all our gatherings we could be aware of this!

Moses last words

 Christ in all the scriptures

Moses benediction     Deuteronomy 33

Jacob gave a prophetic prediction of each of his sons in Genesis 49 before his death.  Moses does the same in Deuteronomy 33.  Jacob, as their natural father, declares the good and the bad that would be their earthly lot.   Moses, as their spiritual father, blesses each tribe before his death, previewing only their heavenly blessing.   This benediction of Moses attributes their blessed position to the Lord who loved them (verses 1-5) and who would protect them and give them ultimate victory and satisfaction (verses 26-29).  In verses 6-23 we have the blessing on each tribe.  They are, each and every one of them a blessed people by the power and presence of God among them.  This is a reminder of the Omniscience, and the Omnipresence, and the Omnipotence, of the God of Israel.  Those of us who have come into relationship with God, through the agency of Israel, are similarly blessed.  He knows all about us, He protects us, He saves us, and enriches us with astonishing privilege.

A careful reading of this amazing chapter suggests that it was written by another (possibly Joshua) after Moses death.  The message is that we are a blessed people because of who God is, and what He has done, and what He will do.

The key to this chapter is the title, "Jeshurun" (v5) and "the God of Jeshurun" (v26).  We have studied this word before, but it bears repetition, as it is the greatest theme for all mankind.  Jeshurun is God's term of endearment toward His people.  It means the "upright ones", those whom God has made right in His sight.  The New Testament equivalent is "the justified ones".  It comes from a Hebrew root meaning straight, which is the meaning of justification.  They were anything but straight in practice, but God has justified them and He will finish the work to perfection.  The word appears 4 times in scripture-Deuteronomy 32v15; 33v5; 33v26-27; Isaiah 44v1-2.  Each time it appears in a poetic setting, and always portraying His covenant promises.   He uses this term to describe His judicially perfect, if practically imperfect, people.   Readers should consult these four references.  We must ponder this a little more, as the chapter ends with "a people saved by the Lord".  This is expounded in the New Testament, particularly in Romans chapter 5.  We have to understand that no moral change takes place within us, when first saved.  We are judicially perfect, while still morally imperfect.  The moral change will take place between the point of salvation throughout life until we are glorified.  Consider the wonder of this, that God has declared us righteous, and He will fully sanctify us to live in His presence forever.  The word in Romans 5v19 is that "by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous".  This is "Jeshurun", a people right with God, by Divine love and mercy, and through the one act of obedience of Christ at Calvary.  The word for made is constituted, that is God views them now as saints instead of sinners.  We are constituted righteous before Him, and nothing can alter that position.  Consider what this means, according to Romans chapter 8:

1)  We, with true Israel, will be glorified...Romans 8v30.  Glorified is yet future but it is in the past tense, it has already happened in the mind of God!

2) God is for us and therefore no one can be against us...Romans 8v31.  In our sins God was against us (Romans 1v18), but now He is for us, with all the resources of heaven at His disposal on our behalf!

3) Because He gave His most precious person, His own Son, to save us from our sins, He will also "with Him freely give us all things"! Romans 8v32.  Since He has done the greater, He will also do the lesser, and supply all our material needs.

4) No one will lay any charge against us, not even the arch accuser Satan...Romans 8v33. This is because it is God who justifies and no one can countermand His word!

5) No one can condemn us, in terms of punishment of an eternal nature, because it is Christ who died and rose again, and lives to intercede for us from the throne of heaven...Romans 8v34.

6) No one can separate us from  the love of Christ, not persecution, not anything in life or death, not principalities or powers, not time or eternity, nothing above us or beneath us, nothing in all existence...Romans 8v35-39.

This is Jeshurun, a people loved by the Lord, protected by the Lord, an upright people whom God has made perfect!  May this high honour be reflected in our lives in response to such grace!  This is how Moses saw the people of God, despite their waywardness.  He knew that God would preserve them.

A word of caution.  What we delight to apply to ourselves as righteous people, we must also apply it to every other believer, for they are also right with God.  The practise of this would prevent many grievous situations which can arise.

 

 

Moses blessing on Israel

 Christ in all the scriptures

Moses the man of God   Deuteronomy 33v1

"And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death".

This is the first occurrence of the term "man of God" in scripture, and it is interesting to consider its meaning.  Abraham was called "the friend of God"-James 2v23 and Isaiah 41v8-and Israel, Moses, and Job and others called "the servant of God".  The Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of holy scripture, presents Moses as the man of God, at the end of his life.  Many others will be so called throughout, the last mention being in 2nd Timothy 3v17, and we must consider the meaning of this unique title, as a prelude to the blessing of Moses on the tribes of Israel before his death.   Let us discover who were assigned this title, and learn what such a unique term entails.  Clearly it does not apply to every person of faith, but, as we shall see, it is open to all believers, both men and women.  

Moses the man of God.  Deuteronomy 33v1; Joshua 14v6; Ezra 3v2; Psalm 90 in the superscription.  Moses was a reluctant, but powerful leader of God's people who was characterised by his faithfulness to God (Numbers 12v7; Hebrews 3v2 andv5).  He was God's man for the time who established the truth of God and encouraged obedience to Him.

Unnamed man of God.  1st Samuel 2v17.  This man confronted the spiritual leader, Eli the High Priest concerning his abuse of power in high office.  This man is not named, so we don't need to be famous to speak for God.  He delivered the message of God without fear or favour.

Samuel man of God.  1st Samuel 9v6-20.  He is described as "an honourable man: all that he saith cometh surely to pass".  Also in v9, any person who wanted to inquire of God was formerly called a seer or a prophet, a person of wisdom, who could predict the future.  He was a person to whom people came for understanding.  No less than the future king of Israel (Saul) sought out Samuel.

Unnamed man of God from Judah.  1st Kings 13  Condemned the worship of Jeroboam, but entreated  the Lord on his behalf.  Faithful to God, near to God, but compromised with a false prophet and came under Divine discipline.  The best of men are imperfect, and he lost his place on this earth.

Elijah man of God.  1st Kings 17v24  Elijah secured provision for a widow woman and restored her son to life when he died.

Elisha man of God.  2nd Kings 4 and 5  Acted promptly in the trauma of the Shunamite woman, then cured the Syrian commander of his leprosy.  Positively active in times of need and successful in healing powers for God.  Also active in healing in 2nd Kings 8.5v8   Cured Naaman, captain of Syria's armies of leprosy, when called by the king of Israel for help.  Elisha proved dependable in a time of crisi

David man of God.  Nehemiah 12v24-36  David, the beloved of the Lord, wayward in his youth, talented in music, described as "a man after God's heart"; great prowess in battle for he never lost an external battle and his throne is decreed to be eternal with great David's greater Son, Jesus, to occupy it forever.   

Unnamed man of God,  2nd Chronicles 25v1-10  An unnamed man of God approached the king of Israel and warned him against going to war assisted by Ephraim, with whom the Lord was angry.  Amaziah, the king, heeded the warning, won a great victory but then departed from the Lord personally.  The intervention of the man of God prevented wholesale defeat for the nation.

The term continues into the New Testament

Timothy  man of God.  1st Timothy 6v11-12  "Thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses".  The man of God lives by the maxim, FLEE, FOLLOW, FIGHT!  He/she lives for the things of eternity.

Open to all to be a man of God.  2nd Timothy 3v16/17  Regulated by holy scripture, mature, ready for every good work as enabled by God.  This applies to women as to men, for the bible records godly women, some known, some unknown, but all known to God.  Notable examples are Sarai, Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Esther in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament we read of Elizabeth, Mary, Anna, Priscilla, and many others, some known, and some lesser known.. They are all known in heaven.

Thinking of all these men and women of God, we understand what heritage we have.  Taking the broad sweep of them all, it appears the term, "man of God", implies maturity, authority, approachability, loyalty, reliability, activity, bravery, and integrity, and much more.  

The man of God accepts and declares God's authority in a world where His authority is largely ignored.  He/she is not defined by earthly success, or strength, or style.  They are defined by God who owns them, commissions them, and speaks through them.  They are set apart, not perfect; they are devoted not passive.  They are vessels through whom God speaks, and loves, and leads.  They do not require the approval of men, though it is pleasing if it comes.  Instead they seek only God's approval (2nd Timothy 2v15).  When they speak it is as the oracles of God; when they serve, it is of the ability God gives, and with a view to the glory of God who enables them.  They seek not self glory, but the glory of God.  It is the greatest occupation on earth!

As always, there is one perfect man of God, the man Christ Jesus, who spoke the words of God, who demonstrated the character of God, when He was here.  Scripture oozes with superlatives for Him.  Would we aspire to be a little like Him, and deserve, ultimately. the honour of being called a man/woman of God?    

The call to mount Nebo

 Christ in all the scriptures

God calls time on Moses    Deuteronomy 32v44-52

We are slightly saddened, at the end of this song, to find that Moses was denied entrance to the land.  We must consider the issues of the Divine denial in the life of this faithful man.  Deuteronomy ends with a sterling tribute to the man Moses-"And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face"-34v10.  Moses was closer to God than any man before or after his life.  He stands in the course of history as the man who was "Faithful in all God's house" (Hebrews 3v1-5), and is contrasted only with Christ, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus Himself.

His life was characterised by three periods of 40 years: 1) in the palace of Egypt where he was "learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was mighty in words and in deeds" (Acts 7v22).  2) in self imposed exile in the backside of the desert in Midian.  There he learned the benefits of family life, the care of wandering sheep, and, above all, the glory of God.  3) leading the people of God from bondage in Egypt, and through "the waste howling desert", where his patience was tried to the limit.  And now we come to the end, the song, and the blessing, and the final farewell.  So great was Moses, God did not allow Israel to witness his death or burial, he died on mount Nebo and his body was buried by the archangel Michael, away from public view (Jude v9).

He was very close to God;      Exodus 33v11, "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"; Numbers 12v7-8, "My servant Moses is not so who is faithful in all mine house.  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?; Deuteronomy 34v10, "Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face".

He was faithful to instruct God's people in all the ways of God; Deuteronomy 32v44-45, "And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea (Joshua) the son of Nun.  And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to Israel".  Like Paul, the apostle, in the New Testament, who wrote "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God"-Acts 20v27.

Moses was denied entry to the promised land due to one transgression in the service of God, in an otherwise faultless 40 years of service.  "Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel".  The story is given in Numbers 20v1-17.  This happened at a time when his sister died and was buried.  The unrelenting criticism of God's people troubled him.  The Lord told him to "Speak ye unto the rock before their eyes.   In exasperation, in a fit of anger, he called them rebels and struck the rock with his rod twice.  The water flowed abundantly, but Moses had disgraced himself in public, and he would pay the price.  We might well understand his frustration, but he vented it openly and dishonoured the Lord.  Apart from the obvious display of anger, which never works in Divine service, Moses spoiled the type that pointed to Christ.  He is the Rock (1st Corinthians 10v4) who was struck to save mankind, but God will never strike Him again.  In the words of the hymn, "God will not payment twice demand  Once at my bleeding surety's hand  And the other one at mine!"  We find in the Old Testament God is very protective of the types of Christ, and striking the rock twice was wrong.

There are two issues that spring from this:

1) If a godly man like Moses suffered loss for one uncharacteristic demeanour, where does that leave the rest of us?  Such discipline calls for humility on our part, for there are few (if any) servants of the calibre of Moses among us.

2) Moses' failure points to the One servant who never failed, and who at all times represented the glory of God, even in the midst of treachery and suffering.  Isaiah points us to the perfect servant in chapter 42v1-4, 

"Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.  A bruised reed He shall not break, and a smoking flax He will not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for His law".

Even the best of men fail; the Bible points to the only perfect servant of God, by whom all service is measured.  May we read this book to trace the wonders of Christ Jesus, and learn to follow Him as we can.  It amazing to think that one day we will all be conformed to the image of His Son!" (Romans 8v29 with 1st John 3v2).  God speed the day! and in the meantime may we follow His example, for He lived for God in this world, moving amongst sinners. He was sinless, and He overcame horrific injustice against Him, and lives now to intercede on our behalf.  The apostle Peter wrote:

"Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow in His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth"-1st Peter 2v21/22.

The writer to the Hebrews, in chapter 11,traces the deeds of the great men and women of the past, and we could add to that list from the many worthies of the present age, including those in our time.   He classes them as "so great a cloud of witnesses" in chapter 12v1.  He continues, "Looking unto Jesus...";  I'm told that the force of the word looking, is "looking away, from these great witnesses, UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of faith (that is all faith).  There have been many great men and women who served God, and many still do.  Yet they all failed in one aspect or another, and they were encouraged to look away from men unto Jesus who began the work and will finish it to perfection.

This is the perspective of the bible, to fix our gaze on Christ, God's perfect servant, who never failed, and who will bring the work to its glorious conclusion.

Rejoice O ye nations with His people

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Glory of God      Deuteronomy 32v26-43

The song reaches its crescendo with the glory of God.  The conclusion is in verse 43:

"Rejoice O ye nations with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful to His land, and to His people".

This is quoted in Romans 15v10, "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people", and linked with Psalm 117v1,"Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud Him all ye people".   Thus the warnings and the blessings of this song apply way beyond the time of Moses, to the present day and beyond.  Out of a seemingly impossible situation, where Gentile apathy was rife, and Jewish apostasy had reached the lowest level, God will, in glorious mercy, blend together a truly worshipping people, from Jew and Gentile, for His glory.  This wonder is fully expounded in Romans 9-11, particularly in chapter 11v30-36, which is quoted below: writing to Gentiles he says, 

"For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy, through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy (the mercy shown by God to you) they also might obtain mercy.  For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to whom be glory forever.  Amen."

God's glory is His mercy, and abundant grace dispensed toward Jew and Gentile, creating "one new man"-one new humanity-to the praise of His glory.  The depths to which His chosen nation had sunk (which is outlined in these verses) serve to magnify the heights of God's glory, who overcomes all in astonishing power.  The apathy of Gentiles is met with Divine mercy; the apostasy of His people is turned with Divine 

Such was their departure, that the Lord considered abandoning them altogether (32v26/27), and it was only the reputation of His name amongst infidels that caused Him to have mercy.  Exodus 33v7-14 reveals that it was only on the intercession of Moses the people were spared from annihilation.  Since this is the song of Moses he did not want to exalt himself before the Lord, so he passes over his role in this and said the Lord changed His mind.

Perspective for the future should regulate present actions  

"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.  O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"-v28/29

As Jesus said, "Wisdom is justified of her children"-Matthew 11v19.  It is defined by what we are, not what we profess to be.  At this stage Israel was devoid of wisdom.

They will be victorious against overwhelming odds in the power of God

"How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their rock had sold them. and the Lord had shut them up?-v30

Paul wrote in Romans 8v31, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  He has powers over every human institution, and works everything for our good.  Defeat comes when we forsake Him and He withdraws His favour.  There is a difference between relationship with God, and fellowship with God.  Relationship never changes but fellowship can.  This important distinction is discussed in John's 1st epistle.

Verses 31-36 are difficult to interpret, where He is comparing His people to the heathen worshippers.  Note, from v31 He speaks of "them" and "us"-"For their rock is not our Rock...our enemies...their vine...their grapes...their wine...".  He reveals the character of heathen worship as corrupt, and corrupting.  Also in v34 He is speaking of terminal judgment, when the "treasures of the Lord" will be vented upon the ungodly (refer Romans 2v5) where rejecters are said to "treasure up wrath against the day of wrath".  Is it possible that God's people will be judged with the heathen? for remember they have followed other gods.  The only answer seems to be that not all of God's ethnic people are His spiritual people, and this is made clear in Romans 9v6, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel".  Those born into that chosen nation will perish with all the heathen who reject the true God. Solemn as all this is, we are faced with the God who will judge the world in righteousness, and that judgment begins with His people.  The corruption of the heathen is applied to Israel in scriptures like Isaiah 1, which reveal the remnant only will be saved, also Isaiah 6, and many others.  The reality is that in any community of God's professing people there will be real and unreal.  God will judge all sinners whether Jew or Gentile, but will have mercy on all His people who repent.  

Vengeance and vindication      32v35-43

These twin truths stand side by side in these verses and proclaim the awesome glory of God. Vengeance and reward is repeated twice in v35 and 41; unmitigated vengeance on evil and righteous reward for good.  This is the very essence of His glory.  He will avenge His enemies, and vindicate His people.

"To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due course: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them shall make haste.  For the Lord shall judge His people, and repent Himself for His servants, when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left"-v35/36.

Glory to the God of matchless power and blessing   32v37-43   

He stands alone as the only God of the universe, He is without a rival in all existence.  He reigns supreme for all eternity, and He will destroy all enemies.  He will create a truly worshipping people from the nations and from His people Israel, whom He used to bring salvation to the world.  The hymn by James Allen (1761), now sung in many churches, captures the theme, and my prayer is that this will be our song from this day forward.

"Glory to God on high  Let heaven and earth reply! Praise praise His name! Angels His love adore  Who all our sorrows bore  And saints cry evermore  Worthy the Lamb!

All those around the throne Cheerfully join in one  Praising His name  We who have felt His blood  Sealing our peace with God  Sound His dear fame fame abroad  Worthy the Lamb!

Join all the ransomed race  Our Lord and God to bless  Praise praise His name  In Him we will rejoice  Making a cheerful noise  Shouting with heart and voice  Worthy the Lamb!

Though we must change our place  Yet we will never cease  Praising His name  To Him our tribute bring  Hail Him our gracious King  And without ceasing sing  Worthy the Lamb!"

Divine retribution

 Christ in all the scriptures

God's government   Deuteronomy 32v19-26

The song declares the greatness of God (v1-4); the goodness of God (v5-18); the government of God (v19-26); and the glory of God (v27-44).

The government of God in this world is a truly awesome subject. and, within that, the government of His people is a solemn reality.  Before we consider the verses before us, because of the severity of the language, we must understand that sin amongst His people is particularly odious to Him.  God is angry with the sins of the lawless every day (Psalm 7v11), and the same verse says He judges the righteous.  The sins of God's people are singularly hurtful to Him.  Israel, a righteous people, whom God had made right with Himself, (as implicit in the title Jeshurun-32v15), have sinned grievously, and moved God to anger against them.  This is a solemn principle, that we can be judiciously right with God, but morally delinquent.  The character of God is such that He must act, in such circumstances, in ways that can be severe in the extreme.

The apostle Peter, citing Ezekiel 9v6, revealed that "Judgment must begin at the house of God"-1st Peter 4v17.  The God who will judge the world in righteousness, must judge His own in this life.  As we have said before, He cannot condone in the church what He will condemn in the world.  Sin, in all its forms, if practised by His people will be met with chastisement.  This subject is explained in Hebrews 12v5-13.  The sanctions will be proportionate to the evil committed, they will be administered out of love for us, and with a view to our eternal profit.  Understanding all this prepares us to properly interpret the solemn verses that follow, and enable us better to live in the reverential fear of the Lord.

"And when the Lord saw it He abhorred them, because of the provoking of His sons and of His daughters"-32v19 Such was the nature of their sin, it provoked the Lord to anger.  Note that sons and daughters were complicit in the departure.  The word abhorred suggests, not only the feeling aroused by the actions, but the resolve to act against them.

"And He said I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward (perverse) generation, children in whom is no faith"-32v20.  At first reading this seems to be contradictory to the oft repeated statement, that God will never leave or forsake them-refer Deuteronomy 31v6v8; Joshua 1v5; 1st Samuel 12v22; 1st Kings 6v13; Psalm 94v14; Hebrews 13v5.  The meaning of that is different to what is here; this is a temporary withdrawal because of offending sin.  He will never leave us in the sense of abandoning us, but He must withdraw His favour when we wilfully sin.  Not only will He withdraw His nearness, He will act against them, by setting them aside and turning to the Gentiles, which He has done in the present time.

"They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God (by following other gods): they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: : and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation"-32v21.

This verse is cited in Romans 10 v19, in the context of God temporarily setting aside His people, and blessing Gentile nations, which is happening right now!  This setting aside of Israel is not permanent, but remedial, and only the true Israel will repent.  he set them aside because they set Him aside.  The law of retribution is clearly stated in scripture, that we suffer the same as we give out.

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"-Galatians 6v7.

"Judge not that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again"-Matthew 7v1-2.

The same for a community as for an individual: the same toward God as toward men.

The strong language in verses 22-25 reflects God's abhorrence of sin, particularly in the lives of those He has blessed.  God is utterly opposed to sin, particularly the sin of idolatry.  He will rid the universe of all sin, He will oppose it in all its horrors, He will destroy the sinners who continue in it, and there will be no respect of persons.

The early Church was plagued with the doctrine of Antinomianism, which supposes that because of the grace of God, there is no longer any moral standard.  Paul referred to this in Romans 6v1-2 "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  God forbid!"  Jude said there were professing believers practising sin openly, in his words, "turning the grace of God into lasciviousness" (the liberty to practice any evil)-Jude v4.  These were people in churches who had perverted the doctrine of grace, holding that the grace of God allowed license to sin.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

This section serves as a warning to all believers today.  God will oppose sin in our lives with measures of restraint known only to Him.  Those measures can be severe, as witness of the history of Israel in the present age proclaims.  This is the product of lightly esteeming the grace of God.  He put away sin at great cost to Himself; He did not do so to enable us to continue in it.

  

  

 

The kindness of God our Saviour

 Christ in all the scriptures

The goodness of God   Deuteronomy 32v5-18

Moses, having established the greatness of God, proceeds to declare His goodness.  It is fair to say that greatness and goodness don't always go together.  With God, however, His goodness is part of His greatness, and is worthy of our praise.  Goodness could be defined in relation to the unworthiness of the object, and the magnitude of the grace bestowed.  The scriptures establish the goodness of God amidst the ingratitude of men.  Paul spoke, in Romans 2v4, of the riches of His goodness "Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"  Scriptures abound with references to His goodness:  some examples...

Exodus 34v6  "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth".

Psalm 23v6  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever".

Psalm 34v8 "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him".

Psalm 145v9  "The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works".

Matthew 7v11  "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good gifts to them that ask Him?"

James 1v17  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow cast by turning".

Indeed, Jesus said that God is the very essence of good, that "...there is none good but one, that is God"-Mark 10v18.  He is the standard of goodness in contrast to which the relative goodness of man is vastly inferior.  We could say that the term "good" and the title God are synonymous.  

Nowhere is this principle illustrated more than with His dealings with Israel.  The perfection and excellency of God are in sharp contrast to the perversity and treachery of Israel.  These are the redeemed people of God, but they have forsaken Him, pursuing other gods.  This song is prophetic in character and declares the propensity of a redeemed people to forsake the Lord; the present church is no different if we read the New Testament warnings correctly.  The seven churches in Revelation 2/3 prophesy that the history of Israel will be repeated in the churches.  Note what is said about Israel in these verses Deuteronomy 32v5-18, in the light of God's grace toward them:

They have gone astray   "They have corrupted themselves, their spot (blemish) is not that of His children: a perverse and crooked generation"32v5

Their behaviour is such they do not act as the children of God, rendering them corrupt, perverse and crooked.  This is a withering condemnation of a people who have been the object of His grace.  Paul paints the picture of what should be in Philippians 2v15, "That ye might be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world".  There the crooked and perverse nation is the world; the sons of God should be the opposite, not following the ways of the world.  These are strong words indeed, and are a warning to the people of God in every generation.

They were ungrateful    "Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?  is not He thy father that hath bought thee? hath He not made thee, and established thee?"-32v6

Requite just means to pay back.  God, as a Father, bought them out of slavery, at great cost to Himself, and this is how they pay Him back?  Before we condemn them, what are we doing to, in some small way, repay His blessings?  The Psalmist asks the question that should be the watchword of all the redeemed, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?"-Psalm 116v12.  The New Testament adds weight to this, "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's"-1st Cor. 6v20. Redemption means much more than deliverance from sin's bondage; it also means we are His possession

They became self-centred instead of God centred    "Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered (surrounded with material benefits); then he forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation"-32v15

Jeshurun is God's term of endearment toward His people.  It means the "upright ones", those whom God has made right in His sight.  The New Testament equivalent is "the justified ones".  It comes from a Hebrew root meaning straight, which is the meaning of justification.  They were anything but straight in practice, but God has justified them and He will finish the work to perfection.  The word appears 4 times in scripture-Deuteronomy 32v15; 33v5; 33v26-27; Isaiah 44v1-2.  Each time it appears in a poetic setting, and always portraying His covenant promises.   He uses uses this term to describe His judicially perfect, if practically imperfect people.   Readers should consult these four references.  They had plentiful food and clothing, but they did not ascribe it to the Lord, and they forgot Him and lightly esteemed their salvation.  This led to idolatry, substituting the God of glory for lesser objects of worship.  The seventh church at Laodicea fell the same way, when they pursued material riches instead of the Lord.  It is an ever present danger, that we forget the Giver and focus on the gifts, and we are living in similar conditions today.  It is a day of material prosperity, and of spiritual poverty.  The call is to overcome even in that situation, and return to the Lord.

In contrast to the folly of His people, God's faithfulness to them remains undiminished: in the words of Paul, "If we are unfaithful, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself!"-2 Timothy 2v13.  Consider His ways with them:

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations..."  32v7.

At this point Israel's relationship with God now spans many centuries,  From Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph, and beyond, a family of seventy persons has become a nation with several millions, even through turbulent times,  God's faithfulness to them, and prosperity of them is now historical.  Preservation through slavery, deliverance from Egypt's bondage, sustenance through 40 years of desert conditions, and victory over strong enemies, has been their portion.

"When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel" 32v8.

This is an astonishing revelation, that when God divided the habitation of nations (Genesis chapters 10/11), He first allocated the land to Israel, knowing their number, then gave others their portion beyond that!  This land that they were about to inhabit, was allocated to them after the scattering from Babel, and the allocation was "according to the number of the children of Israel".  This land, which is being disputed to this present day, is, in biblical terms, "the glory of all lands"-Exodus 3v8v17; Ezekiel 20v6v15.  The land given by the Most High to Israel, is the best real estate on earth in its splendour and its abundance.  Perhaps this is why it is the subject of so much contention.  The Most High will have the last word on this issue.

God's portion   "For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" 32v9   Israel are a very special people, and through them God will have an elect people vfrom all the nations on earth.  We often major on our inheritance but the bible speaks of God's inheritance through us.  A major biblical subject-refer Psalm 33v12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance"; Ephesians 1v18, "...the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints".  We think of inheritance in terms of money or land, God's inheritance is the saints, all of them for His glory.

God's pity   "He found them in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led them about, He instructed them, He kept him as the apple of His eye"  32v10. 

He bypasses the deliverance from Egypt to focus on His preservation of them in a wasteland over many years.   He led them, taught them, and kept them as His special people.  The term "apple of His eye" is well known to mean those cherished, and deeply regarded above others.  The human eye is most sensitive to the touch, and the apple of the eye is the most sensitive of all.  The Lord of hosts says through the prophet Zechariah, "After the glory hath He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye"-Zechariah 2v8.

God's protection   "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him"  32v11/12

Witness the total care and protection over her young, so the Lord preserves His own.  This care will continue well into the future, as in a day yet to come, when Israel is under threat, scripture uses the same language, "And to the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time. and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent"-Revelation 12v14.  The eagle is a powerful biblical principle, portraying God's protection, and swift deliverance from danger. References are: Exodus 19v4; Job 39v27-30; Isaiah 40v31; Jeremiah 48v40; Ezekiel 17v3.

God's provision  "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan (the best of meat), and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape"   32v13-14

They FEASTED IN A WILDERNESS at the hand of a God whose goodness knew no bounds!  What could they expect in the land?!  This is what God did with an erring, ungrateful people; what will He do with a sanctified, glorified people?  Let our song be to the goodness of the God we adore.