Explore the Bible
God’s Power Session 17 30 NOV 25
DEUT 33:1 (Deu 33:1 RSV) “This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.”
Moses begins his blessing with a grand description of the glorious appearances of God to them in giving them the law, and the great advantage they had by it.
DEUT 33:2-4 (Deu 33:2-4) “He said, "The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran, he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand. {3} Yea, he loved his people; all those consecrated to him were in his hand; so they followed in thy steps, receiving direction from thee, {4} when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.”
Law here means torah. These verses are a short summary of the time of Moses. They do not tell the real story of the travels, just a slight overview.
DEUT 33: 5 (Deu 33:5 RSV) “Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.”
“Jeshurun is a poetic reference to Israel. It should be understand that God Himself declared Himself their King when He gave them the law, and He continued so long as they were Jeshurun (an upright people) and until they rejected Him. Some see it differently. This other view ignores the “IF” of Deut 28.
The “IF” must be done FIRST BEFORE the THEN will be done by God! Yahweh has done many things in spite of the Covenant being a Greater to a Lessor covenant. Under this, in that day, The Greater did not have to do his part UNTIL the Lessor did his part. But God is a God of love and so went beyond the usual. Yahweh went ahead with the Greater’s part hoping (note very carefully – NOT FORCING the Lessor (Israel) to do their part first)! BUT!!! Yahweh did expect Israel to do DEUT 10:12-13! This is the Law’s Plan of Salvation. (Deu 10:12 RSV) ""And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I command you this day for your good?" “Fear”, in this context, means to have saving faith in God. Paul stated the New Testament’s Plan of Salvation in (Acts 20:21 RSV) "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." The Law contains ways to express repentance and gain forgiveness to God. To make these effective, the individual had to have faith in God. The faith aspect is expressed in the Law by the usual English word “fear.” To make Jesus Lord is to commit one’s life to living as Jesus directs and doing what He directs. So the full Old Testament meaning of “fear” includes live commitment. The doing of what God directs is obvious in these verses.
(Deu 28:15 RSV) "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.
DEUT 28:68 address the time of Jesus and Paul. DEUT 28:66-68 states (and specifically) there would come a day when Yahweh would Bring the Second Covenant and this First Covenant would be eliminated. Under the Second Covenant Yahweh’s judgement would come at death. (John 3:18 RSV) "He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Condemned means all lost people, Jew or Gentile. The book of Hebrews tells this best.
The Jews of today and most Christians still ignore these verses. (Deut 28:58-59 ESV) “58“If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 59then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.” WE are also to Keep and DO. That is what the book of James is all about.
DEUT 33:26 (Deu 33:26 RSV) “"There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, and in his majesty through the skies.” This is more like poetry. “Rides through the skies” is like the Vikings once thought of Odin. “Rides” certainly is not a literal statement. It is a statement of power.
DEUT 33:27-28 (Deu 33:27-28 RSV) “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you, and said, Destroy. {28} So Israel dwelt in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of grain and wine; yea, his heavens drop down dew.”
This is really a reflection back to Deut 28:1-14 stating again where Moses wants them to be when they go into Canaan. God brought them to the edge of Canaan and now it is up to them to take it.
DEUT 33:29 (Deu 33:29 RSV) “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 high places."”
A finally statement of what God and Moses wants for them.
Note carefully “shield of your help”! God is not going to fight the wars ahead. They will have to literally fight and win. God will help if they do it God’s way. The status of Moses is given in (Deu 34:10 RSV) “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”
Moses had warned them in DEUT 28:15-68 about going another way. But Moses ends his summary on a positive hope that they will not reject God as their King.
With this Moses will die at 120 years old not to see the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. This was most generous of God.
APPLY THE WHOLE BIBLE BEFORE YOU STATE A DOCTRINE!
Best Study Guide: How to Study the Bible Principles with Bible, A Study Sources by Orin T. Binkley.
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