November 14, 2013
Central Truth
With much blessing comes much responsibility.
"Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you,
And you will tread upon their high places."
(Deuteronomy 33:29).
18 And of Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19
They shall call peoples to their mountain;
there they offer right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 And of Gad he said,
“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
Gad crouches like a lion;
he tears off arm and scalp.
21
He chose the best of the land for himself,
for there a commander's portion was reserved;
and he came with the heads of the people,
with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD,
and his judgments for Israel.”
22 And of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion's cub
that leaps from Bashan.”
23 And of Naphtali he said,
“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
and full of the blessing of the LORD,
possess the lake
1
33:23
Or west
and the south.”
24 And of Asher he said,
“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
let him be the favorite of his brothers,
and let him dip his foot in oil.
25
Your bars shall be iron and bronze,
and as your days, so shall your strength be.
26
There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
27
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
2
33:27
Or a dwelling place
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
3
33:27
Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy.’
28
So Israel lived in safety,
Jacob lived alone,
4
33:28
Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone
in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.
29
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”
Many times I find myself forgetting all the Lord has done for me. I so quickly overlook all that He faithfully rescued me from and all the things He graciously blesses me with. After reading this passage, I found that God faithfully brings His people out of bondage, bestows blessings on them, and charges them with responsibility.
The Lord faithfully freed me from my bondage when I came to know Him as my Redeemer and Savior. He took all my sins upon Himself on the cross, buried them with Him in the grave, and made me free when He rose again. (Psalm 103:12)("As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.") But how quickly I forget all of that! Just like the Israelites were freed from Egypt (see verse 27), I need to remember that God is my faithful Rescuer.
God faithfully pours out blessings, even when I have done nothing to deserve them. God gave different blessings to the Israelites and provided them with their Promised Land. Similarly, God extends me blessings and my own promised lands (my job, the support of my family and community, etc.). And He faithfully provides all of this, even as I wait for the utmost blessing, the day when I'm allowed into the ultimate Promised Land: heaven.
With all that God gives, He faithfully charges me with the responsibility to cultivate my blessings and steward them well. (See Hebrews 3:13-14.) Just like Moses commanded the Israelites, upon entering the Promised Land, to faithfully spread their blessings to others, I must remember to diligently share Christ's abundant provisions.
As with the Israelites, God is and will be faithful to rescue you, give you blessings, and entrust you with responsibility! As you head out into your promised lands, take inventory of your blessings and give glory to the One who has blessed you! Be responsible with your blessings so that others will see and say, "Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord . . . ." (Deuteronomy 33:29a).
1. Where in your life have you seen God be faithful to bring you out of suffering and into blessing? In what ways has the Lord blessed you?
2. In what areas of your life do you need to be responsible with your blessings?
3. How can you steward your blessings in your temporary Promised Land (earth), while patiently waiting for the ultimate Promised Land (heaven)?
4. How can you use your blessings to care for others today?