Deuteronomy 33 (Listen)

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

33:1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. He said,

  “The LORD came from Sinai
    and dawned from Seir upon us;1
    he shone forth from Mount Paran;
  he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
    with flaming fire2 at his right hand.
  Yes, he loved his people,3
    all his holy ones were in his4 hand;
  so they followed5 in your steps,
    receiving direction from you,
  when Moses commanded us a law,
    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
  Thus the LORD6 became king in Jeshurun,
    when the heads of the people were gathered,
    all the tribes of Israel together.
  “Let Reuben live, and not die,
    but let his men be few.”

And this he said of Judah:

  “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah,
    and bring him in to his people.
  With your hands contend7 for him,
    and be a help against his adversaries.”

And of Levi he said,

  “Give to Levi8 your Thummim,
    and your Urim to your godly one,
  whom you tested at Massah,
    with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
  who said of his father and mother,
    ‘I regard them not’;
  he disowned his brothers
    and ignored his children.
  For they observed your word
    and kept your covenant.
10   They shall teach Jacob your rules
    and Israel your law;
  they shall put incense before you
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11   Bless, O LORD, his substance,
    and accept the work of his hands;
  crush the loins of his adversaries,
    of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said,

  “The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety.
  The High God9 surrounds him all day long,
    and dwells between his shoulders.”

13 And of Joseph he said,

  “Blessed by the LORD be his land,
    with the choicest gifts of heaven above,10
    and of the deep that crouches beneath,
14   with the choicest fruits of the sun
    and the rich yield of the months,
15   with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
    and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
16   with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.
  May these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
17   A firstborn bull11—he has majesty,
    and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
  with them he shall gore the peoples,
    all of them, to the ends of the earth;
  they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
    and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

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 lake12 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,13
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.14
  And he thrust out the enemy before you
    and said, ‘Destroy.’
28   So Israel lived in safety,
    Jacob lived alone,15
  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.”

Footnotes

[1] 33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
[2] 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[3] 33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples
[4] 33:3 Hebrew your
[5] 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[6] 33:5 Hebrew Thus he
[7] 33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended
[8] 33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi
[9] 33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He
[10] 33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew
[11] 33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull
[12] 33:23 Or west
[13] 33:27 Or a dwelling place
[14] 33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
[15] 33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone

(ESV)

OT summary
The final words of Moses' blessing begin and end with praise of the Most High. He loved His people, in His hand, receiving direction. The Lord is their King!

Simeon is omitted for reasons unknown. Though few, Reuben would be salvaged. Moses asked the Lord to listen and contend for Judah. Levi, receiving no inheritance, was blessed to minister before the Lord on behalf of His people: teaching and sacrifice. Small yet beloved was Benjamin, dwelling safely with God in his midst. For Joseph the choicest of blessing; he safeguarded the people of God. Sons Ephraim and Manasseh would represent him. Battle bruised, Gad enjoyed the commander’s portion for executing judgement in Israel. Dan fights. Naphtali is satisfied, and Asher is most blessed.

Who is like Israel, saved by the Lord, their shield and defender? !

Ephesians 5:1–21 (Listen)

Walk in Love

5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

  “Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
  and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

(ESV)

NT summary
Having proclaimed the New Life in the previous section, the apostle commands that those of the Light be imitators of the Light: walk in the love of Jesus who laid down His life for us, to the glory of His Father. There is no such thing as cheap talk. Wasted words matter much, so watch your speech, especially upon the slippery slope of sexual immorality. Rather than ruin, give thanks in all things to the Righteous One who causes all to work for the good of those who love Him. The immoral has no place in the Kingdom. Is that not sufficient warning? ! Time is precious. “Be filled with the Spirit.” What a command upon the passive party! How can the passive “be filled” when the Spirit is the active Filler? If you want to get wet, get near the fountain: abide in the fellowship of the Lord and His people, “giving thanks (mentioned twice now) in all things.”