THE LONG GOODBYE

Deuteronomy 33 is one of several chapters in which Moses says goodbye to Israel and attempts to prepare them to launch out into their future. And like many goodbyes, the patriarch saved some very rich material for this rather long benediction. The chapter is a series of statements that Moses made about each of the twelve tribes of Israel and how God would bless and use them.

I can’t imagine the joy and excitement that flowed through the people as the great patriarch slowly addressed each tribe by name and then spoke out their blessing, often including statements of how God would use them in the future. Not only was each tribe blessed and encouraged but they also got to hear what all the other tribes were receiving. Wow, this was better than Christmas, which hadn’t been invented yet!

In our contemporary world, chapters such as this are gently dismissed by much of the church. Too many hard-to-pronounce names and, besides, we live in the New Testament age; therefore, these Old Testament promises and instructions are not applicable to us, we think. And when we think like that, we are wrong!

The fact is that when we look to see how God was going to bless and use Zebulun, Gad, Judah , Reuben and all the others, it’s easy to say, “Well, that’s not about me, so let me move on.” When we do that we miss out on one of the key points of this powerful chapter.

The twelve tribes of Israel are a picture of the church of today. We don’t have to look and see where we fit into the tribal structure of ancient Israel. We don’t have to ask, “Am I of the tribe of Joseph or Benjamin and, if so, what is my blessing, what are my promises?” We ask, “How do we know which promises to claim if we don’t understand our tribal lineage?”

The church of the New Testament, our church, is a composite; we are all the tribes! That means all the promises are ours…all of them!

Moses said to Benjamin:
• “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him” (33:12). Yes, that was a direct statement of God’s protection to Benjamin and fully to us, as well.

To Naphtali Moses said:
• “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor (meaning God is pleased), and full of the blessing of the Lord…” (33:23). That’s our promise of favor and the constant or continual blessing of the Lord.

To Asher (did you know that Asher was one of Joseph’s brothers and therefore one of the tribes?):
• “The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy before you. And will say “Destroy’” (v. 28). “Then Israel shall dwell in safety…” (v. 27).

Don’t make the mistake of seeing these only as promises to the tribes in the farewell address of Moses. These are our promises, too. We need to understand them, draw on them and live in the fullness of each promise.

I have personally been encouraged and strengthened by verse 25 as Moses continued addressing Asher:
“The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.”In ancient days, the gates were the entry point to the city. If the gates were not strongly made and securely fastened, then the city was vulnerable. The promise of God to us is that the gates to our life will be constructed of the best and strongest of materials. This is speaking of our security in Him. We can rest in His vigilant care and know that we are safe.

“Your strength” is not referring to physical endurance but to the qualities and strength of spirit/faith with which God endues us. God made you with everything you need to not just survive these tumultuous days, but to thrive, to be victorious, to be an overcomer! The manifestation of the power of His spirit and His grace in you will be more than equal to the “days” we live in. That’s His promise!