The Blessing of Moses
Deuteronomy 33: 1-29
The Great Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Max A Forsythe
Introduction: One of the weaknesses in using multiple commentators, is that in perusing the various opinions in search of preaching points – one tends to sometimes miss essential observations that a fuller scholarly study, less mindful of weekly deadlines, would certainly take account of. Therefore, everyone should be advised that further personal studies regarding the Great Covenant are always in order! If my poor words and phrases cause you to go into further study, than my purpose will have been served. The word of God is so expansive and comprehensive that fruitful studies may always find veins of thought worthy of study and insight.
Just this week, I heard Dr Brian Fikkert discuss the coming of the Kingdom motif in the Gospels. His analysis of the relationship between the covenant commands and the love and care of the spiritually poor among us was well worth the cost and time of the whole exhausting two day trip to Illinois.
Over the years I have often used the words “The Kingdom of the Spirit” as interchangeable with The City of God concept popularized by Saint Augustine. In fact in the early sermons of this series I pointed towards that concept as indicative of the ongoing spiritual conflict between the forces of Satan and the greater force of our Creator God. In that ongoing conflict we are caught up whether we like it or not – and as the active agents of our God and King we must regularly content for the faith. Another speaker at our seminar, a Pastor Baldwin – spoke in some detail of that ongoing spiritual warfare within the context of a military analogy. While some of the participants were less knowledgeable, enough of us had a wider experience to testify to that ongoing reality. This leads me up to an essential definition to put the whole of this covenantal series in the proper perspective.
For twenty years or more, I explained the four things you needed to have a defined “nation-state” in my government classes. The four things include:
population: citizens, with numerous tax payers – as the government counts us
territory: land or a defined space no matter how small or large
government: an organized body politic to manage the resources of the state and provide necessary governmental functions – not nearly as numerous as too many believe
sovereignty: ability to rule without recourse to any higher worldly authority
We would then go through the four and discuss the variables of size, continuity and so on. Finally, I would describe a “mythical” corporate entity with employees, property, structure and interaction with known sovereign states. My leading question would be: is this structure by power and day to day goings on functioning as a sovereign state. Much debate would be generated, with opinions differing all over the political spectrum. However, I encouraged my charges, that one of the smaller recognized states, the Vatican is just as nebulous in its state definition as too many of the world class corporations.
My question today, which may or may not be resolved by our study of the text before us, is this: Given the suzerain document of The Great Covenant, A sovereign Lord, a universe created by Him and a people called into the “Kingdom of the Spirit” – are we willing to recognize the other worldly nature of the rule of God. Certainly we allow for the kingdoms of this world, shouldn’t we also acknowledge “The Kingdom of the Spirit”, as “The City of God” defined by Augustine?
Old Covenant Milieu: The American founding fathers only took the ongoing events and colonial habits associated with the existing city-states and colonial organizations and justified them legally as henceforth independent. May we not also take all of the historic and theological evidence and justifiably declare the dependent state of Christ’s Church?
In our passage today, God’s primary agent to the nation of Israel gives his final blessing before turning over the administration of state craft to Joshua. Dr Kline tells us: “Moses’ poetic testament contains three parts: an introduction, describing the glory of the Lord as he declared his kingship in the giving of his theocratic covenant to Jeshurun; the blessings of the tribes, these being in the form of prayers, doxologies, imperatives, and predictions; and a conclusion extolling God, the majestic Protector of Jeshurun.”
Dr Brown introduces this chapter in these words: “it is important to recognize the patriarchal background, pastoral nature and poetic form of this passage.”
Verse one of this chapter tells us the purpose before Moses: “Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.”
The Glory of the Lord (Verses 2 – 5): While there are some difficulties associated with the exact wording and purpose of these short verses, nevertheless we can comprehend a general purpose in reminding the people of the theophany they heard at Mount Sinai so many years before. Then, Moses speaks Fatherly in the Name of our awesome and holy God. And finally, Dr Craigie lists the internal evidence for the kingship of God over the nation and people: “The kingship of God in early Israel rests on three basic premises:
the liberation of his people in the Exodus;
the giving of the law at Sinai;
the victory (still lying in the future) by which God would grant to his people the promised land.
The affirmation of God’s kingship at the beginning of the blessings, in the context of a gathering of the tribes with their chiefs, points up that although Moses would utter the blessings, their fulfillment would lie in the hands of God, provided that the people continued to acknowledge and serve him as their king.”
This kingship is a concept foreign to the American experience of statecraft and thus the whole of the American Church still thinks to longingly and lovingly of democratic models for fairness and ultimate reward. We resist the idea that a king may dispose of, as he will – not only all the property of the nation, but its citizens as well. All you have to do to understand this opposition is mention the term election in other fellowships and you will hear all manner of complaint that, if God acts in this Calvinistic manner, He is unfair to say the least.
And yet, even a casual reading of the whole of scripture should convince us that the God of heaven is and will be totally sovereign in all things – great and small. The summation in verse five is one that we all need to learn and affirm: “And He was King in Jeshurun.” “Jeshurun” here is understood as an honorific title for the people of Israel meaning “upright ones”. Our twisted sisters and brothers outside of the Kingdom will always refuse to give any account to the God of Creation. And the ongoing fact that so many refuse to consider the claims of truth so evident to us in the scriptures, should encourage us towards the Calvinistic persuasion as being nothing more than the biblical model of reality. The Church is and always has been, a people apart – a spiritual kingdom under the law of God.
Tribal Blessings (Verses 6 - 25): We are a people, like the Old Covenant Church, whom the God of heaven and earth will bless according to His divine will and purpose. This brings us to the longest section of our chapter today, the listed blessings for the tribal affiliations within the whole of the nation of Israel. While there are specifics here, I am more inclined, along with a commentator or two to focus on the generalities implied. If I may take poetic license here, I would compare this section to the letters to the churches in the final book of revelation.
But first, let us take a brief survey of the tribal distinctions made by the prophet Moses. Even as we may learn from the letters to the various churches, so may we learn from the tribal prophecies and admonitions before us.
The first tribe briefly mentioned is that of Reuben. It is only two short lines, but nevertheless it is a wondrous blessing indeed. There is in this blessing the promise that there will always be a remnant of Reuben in the house of God. Well may we appreciate the fact that even today – there is a remnant of true believers in the majority of those denominations and cults who have lost the divine focus – even as did the lost tribes of Israel. The house of Reuben fell on hard times sometime in the eleventh century BC and only a handful are mentioned from that time forth as being a part of Israel.
The second tribe mentioned is that of Judah. As a descendant of one of the great warrior tribes of Europe, I sense a bond of unity with the “military” blessing here focused on Judah. Dr Craigie tells us: “According to the passage in Numbers (2:9), Judah was to march at the head of the army as the vanguard. In this position, Judah would hold a very dangerous place in battle.” Thus, we may understand the slight military theme implied in these short words.
The third tribe mentioned is that of Levi. And here we have one of the longer blessings, because it is this tribe that must provide the spiritual leaders for the Kingdom of God in the Old Covenant times. Whereas, the Judeans must learn the art of war – the Levites are to be known for their understanding of the great and awesome God who will rule over all Israel. Their faithfulness to the law of God had been tested during the incident of the golden calf, when they were required to cleanse the nation of those who sullied the Name of God by their prostitution to the graven image. This calling is one that is especially difficult: to maintain the standards of God’s holiness in spite of family and national affections to lesser gods. Dr Kline notes on this tribe: “Levi’s blessing fittingly closes with the prayer that his priestly ministry in behalf of the covenant people may prove efficacious.”
The fourth tribe mentioned is that of Benjamin. Like the tribe of Judah, the nature of the blessing here is military in its substance, however the phrase “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him”, almost has messianic characteristics? This could also allude to the closeness to the Judean capital whereby certain marches/suburbs of Jerusalem are secure in the tribal protection afforded from the Benjaminites. We may also presume that the tribal standing by Judea at the time of separation into northern and southern kingdoms is also anticipated in the rough and coarse primitive language of this poetry.
The fifth tribe mentioned includes the descendants of Joseph. Now, I counted the tribes several times in the context of this passage and kept coming up with only eleven tribal identities in this list of blessings. We do know from scriptural studies that tribal identities were not burned forever as such. There is a certain multiplicity in the tribal designations. Dr Kline observes: “Moses omitted Simeon from the separate blessings (the number twelve being then obtained by the bifurcation of the Joseph tribe).” There were further developments in the tribal designations throughout the Old Covenant history. But, let us not fail to detail this lengthy blessing for the descendants of Joseph. Dr Craigie addresses the tribal developments within the House of Joseph: “the length of the blessing is in keeping with the prominence of the tribe in the early period of Israel’s history. … in the last verse of the passage under discussion …[we note that] the tribe of Joseph was beginning to split into its two separate parts.”
I have often wondered how the vast and mixed multitude departing from Egypt was accounted for in the tribal organization. Of course marriage and ongoing casualties would have consolidated the Egyptian and foreign strangers who came out with Israel and perhaps the multiplicity of the tribe of Joseph can account for some of their assignments within the holy nation?
The sixth and seventh tribes are mentioned next. Zebulun and Issachar are compared in the phrases of verse fifteen. The first tribe is described as outgoing and the second as being a home body. Nevertheless, they shall benefit from trade and the fact that the center of worship at Shiloh is within their assigned area. Beyond those generalities we can say little more.
The eighth tribe mentioned is that of God was located east of the river Jordan. Even though “the sense of the Hebrew is uncertain” (Craigie), the military terminology is evident and their reputation in this matter may be “enlarged” as they cross over the river from their inheritance to assist the tribes who have yet to acquire their own rightful conquests.
The ninth tribe of Dan is briefly mentioned. “The metaphor [lion’s cub] implies the timidity of youthfulness, but indicates that there would be great strength in the future, when the tribe had grown to its full strength.” (Craigie). Here we may understand the uneven balance between the various tribes better. While some of the tribes are already large and influential, still even the smaller groups have their place and purpose within the wisdom of God. Whenever I participate in discussions beyond our congregation – I have never shied away from the fact that we are one of the smaller churches in the Presbytery. I have learned over the years that it is not in numbers and size, but in stoutness of heart and a willingness to do the work of the kingdom – that a churches influence is to be measured.
The tenth tribe of Naphtalie is also briefly mentioned and the blessing is of a very general nature. Nevertheless, the small tribe will also be favored by the Lord God and they will be blessed indeed.
Finally, we come to the last and eleventh tribe mentioned. In the exposition of the very name Asher, we learn that the word itself means “happy, blessed”. The exposed northern location near to the port of Phonician port of Tyre may help explain the dual themes of prosperity in the richness of the olive growing territory and the necessary fortifications to guard the blessings of wealth.
Ode to the King (Verses 26-29): Our final division of the text in this chapter contains a concluding hymn of praise. The purpose of the images and themes here is to assure the people of Israel that their king and God is not an invisible agent, but a personage who goes before them in all of their endeavors.
New Covenant Continuum: Hymns do we have aplenty that share the same observations. Yet – how little does the contemporary Church appreciate the true spiritual nature of the ongoing Kingdom of God. Yes, the administration of the kingdom is different in our time and place! And even though in our own colonial period we invoked the Name of the Lord and implemented the covenant demands, nevertheless – even as Israel must learn how the God of heaven rules, so must we appreciate the ongoing difference between the City of God and the City of man!
The people of Israel failed to live up to the terms of the Covenant and were dispersed among the nations. It only pleased God to restore the remnant for a time, in order that the fullness of His ongoing revelation might proceed to the logical conclusion of grace made manifest in our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. And sadly, the greatest problem of the Jewish people in the time of Christ was the millennial nature of their assumption that the Messiah would conquer their worldly enemies and re-establish the material kingdom of Israel.
How sad but true that we continue their cultic obsession even down to our own day. Yes, even as Christ was mocked on the cross, the spiritual song declares “He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone” for you and for me!
Contemporary Application: If the whole series on the Covenant this last year is to have any permanent implications in the mind of the elect – let the essential lesson be this: We are part of “The Kingdom of the Spirit”, citizens of the “City of God” and our calling is totally different from the political worldly who surround us. We claim not the “crown rights of King Jesus” over secular affairs, but do insist that the world has no claim upon the institutions of Christ Church. We must be allowed to put the laws of God above the laws of men in our daily lives and in our living before the face of God. There will be ongoing spiritual warfare whose fierceness may scare the hell out of some of Satan’s prodigy and thus call them into communion with the elect.
However, we must never put our hope in the political or judicial solutions of mere humans. Our hope remains in God alone. And while we may struggle politically and legally to save the poor and the impoverished from the sinfulness that all too easily claims them and destroys them, we may never assume that we have a God given right to rule over the worldly.
What remains however, is a thorough ongoing study of what it means to live within the “Kingdom of the Spirit” and how the just laws, rules and regulations of our God and King apply to us day by day until He returns to rule directly over us at the end of the age. Amen.
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