God Speaks
This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:
2 “The Lord came from Mount Sinai
and dawned upon us from Mount Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran
and came from Meribah-kadesh
with flaming fire at his right hand.
3 Indeed, he loves his people;
all his holy ones are in his hands.
They follow in his steps
and accept his teaching.
4 Moses gave us the Lord’s instruction,
the special possession of the people of Israel.
5 The Lord became king in Israel—
when the leaders of the people assembled,
when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.”
6 Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:
“Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
though they are few in number.”
7 Moses said this about the tribe of Judah:
“O Lord, hear the cry of Judah
and bring them together as a people.
Give them strength to defend their cause;
help them against their enemies!”
8 Moses said this about the tribe of Levi:
“O Lord, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots—
to your faithful servants the Levites.
You put them to the test at Massah
and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.
9 The Levites obeyed your word
and guarded your covenant.
They were more loyal to you
than to their own parents.
They ignored their relatives
and did not acknowledge their own children.
10 They teach your regulations to Jacob;
they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.
11 Bless the ministry of the Levites, O Lord,
and accept all the work of their hands.
Hit their enemies where it hurts the most;
strike down their foes so they never rise again.”
12 Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin:
“The people of Benjamin are loved by the Lord
and live in safety beside him.
He surrounds them continuously
and preserves them from every harm.”
13 Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph:
“May their land be blessed by the Lord
with the precious gift of dew from the heavens
and water from beneath the earth;
14 with the rich fruit that grows in the sun,
and the rich harvest produced each month;
15 with the finest crops of the ancient mountains,
and the abundance from the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty,
and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.
May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head,
crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the majesty of a young bull;
he has the horns of a wild ox.
He will gore distant nations,
even to the ends of the earth.
This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim
and the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
“May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
19 They summon the people to the mountain
to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
and the hidden treasures in the sand.”
20 Moses said this about the tribe of Gad:
“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory!
Gad is poised there like a lion
to tear off an arm or a head.
21 The people of Gad took the best land for themselves;
a leader’s share was assigned to them.
When the leaders of the people were assembled,
they carried out the Lord’s justice
and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”
22 Moses said this about the tribe of Dan:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping out from Bashan.”
23 Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali:
“O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
and full of the Lord’s blessings;
may you possess the west and the south.”
24 Moses said this about the tribe of Asher:
“May Asher be blessed above other sons;
may he be esteemed by his brothers;
may he bathe his feet in olive oil.
25 May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
may you be secure all your days.”
26 “There is no one like the God of Israel.
He rides across the heavens to help you,
across the skies in majestic splendor.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.
He drives out the enemy before you;
he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’
28 So Israel will live in safety,
prosperous Jacob in security,
in a land of grain and new wine,
while the heavens drop down dew.
29 How blessed you are, O Israel!
Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord?
He is your protecting shield
and your triumphant sword!
Your enemies will cringe before you,
and you will stomp on their backs!”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 33:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God loves people and wants them to experience His blessings.
2. People often don’t recognize that the good things in their lives ultimately come from God.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 33?
Dear Father God, You are truly the ultimate source of all blessing. Your glory has particularly shined forth at various points in my life and the life of my nation. One of those blessings has been leaders like Moses to point out the right path and instruct us in what You expect of Your people. You have guided us when we were weak and our numbers were few, as well as when we were many and powerful. At times You gave us strength and helped us defeat our enemies, when we were often filled with pride and neglected to thank You. Please forgive our ingratitude and give us leaders like the Levites who turn to You for guidance and decision making. May we be people who obey Your word and guard Your covenant promises. May we not “play favorites” but teach Your regulations and instructions to upcoming generations. Establish the work of righteous leaders and strike down their foes. Help people know that the LORD loves them. Please surround Your people with Your love (whoever and wherever they are). Cause them to live in safety and preserve them from harm. Bless them with agricultural prosperity and good weather. May they have strong, wise leaders. May they come together to offer proper sacrifices to You, LORD. Expand their borders as they carry out Your justice and obey Your regulations. Fill us with Your favor and blessings so that we can bless others. May those who belong to You be happy, blessed, esteemed, and secure all their days. May You, the eternal God, always be adored for Your majestic splendor. Thank You that You are our source of security, our refuge, and our protecting shield, and under us are Your everlasting arms. Your sword will always triumph, and You, LORD God, will be glorified forever. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 33? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will speak similar blessings over the children and adults for whom I am responsible, on a weekly basis.
- I will ask the LORD to show me practical ways I can help people to experience these blessings.
- I will teach the children in my sphere of influence how to avoid the curses by examining the consequences of their actions beforehand.
- I will enumerate the blessings in my life and thank God for them as well as thanking the people involved.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.