One Year Bible Readings and Commentary for Saturday, March 8th
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Click Here to Read Deuteronomy
Moses Blesses the People
Moses gives his last speech the Israelites, he has led for 40 years. His words are tender hearted. He says to them,
"Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands."
He reminds them that they are God's special possession and he has faithfully given them all the instructions they need to be set apart for him.
As he looked at Israel with a shepherd’s heart, he could not leave them without blessing them. It must be this way. Moses could not leave this earth without a final blessing of the people he has loved and served in the LORD for these 40 years.- Guzik
Moses blesses each of the tribes of Israel
Reuben - This was more of a general blessing. "As far as we know, there never came a prophet, a judge, or a king from the tribe of Reuben."
Judah - Moses prayed for the destiny of Judah whose line would bring in the Messiah. 'Moses knew this destiny for the tribe of Judah from Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah.' Guzik
Levi - Moses affirmed the Levites were faithful to keep God's covenant. Levi had a blessed place in teaching the Word of the Lord.
Benjamin - If that Lord had a favorite it seems to be the tribe of Benjamin. He calls them his "beloved". Ultimately the city of Jerusalem would come from a Benjaminite. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel and also from whom King Saul came from.
Joseph - This is the other son of Rachel and Jacob. Jacob seemed to have a special affinity for his sons who came from Rachel, and the Lord seems to as well.
The two tribes of Joseph – Ephraim and Manasseh – were indeed blessed numerically in Israel. The descendants of this one son among twelve sons of Jacob were far more numerous than all the other tribes.
Zebulun and Isachar - These tribes located near the Sea of Galilee and prospered due to their location.
This is consistent with what Jacob said of Zebulun in Genesis 49:13 (Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea). - Guzik
Gad - This is consistent with what Jacob said of Zebulun in Genesis 49:13 (Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea). - Guzik
Dan - He shall leap from Bashan: This may not be a complimentary phrase. History records that Dan was a troublesome tribe. They were the tribe to introduce idolatry into Israel (Judges 18:30); Guzik
Naphtali The tribe of Naphtali was indeed satisfied with favor. Naphtali’s land was in a key portion near the Sea of Galilee, the region where Jesus did much of His teaching and ministry. No wonder Moses says this tribe is full of the blessing of the LORD - Guzik
Asher Asher is most blessed of sons: The abundance of the tribe of Asher was also expressed by Jacob in Genesis 49:20 (he shall yield royal dainties).
Moses finishes with a joyful conclusion. "Happy are you O, Israel". Though they have been through many up and downs, the fact remains that Israel was God's chosen people. They were given the promises of God's blessing, the protection from their enemies. and they were about to go into a land where they would be abundantly prosperous in every way.
How often do you give God thanks for all the blessings he has given you? As Paul says in Ephesians 1:3,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
We often rank the seriousness sin based on our own judgment. And while some sin has more consequences to us and others around us, sin is sin in God's eyes. While it may easy for us to focus on other's sin, God only calls us into account for our own. In focusing on other people's sins it often keeps us from looking in the mirror.
Jesus says to the Galileans, as they were talking about two disasters. One coming from the hand of men and another a natural disaster. The people were wondering why some of these seeminly innocent people died.
“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
Jesus gives a similar warning when an owner of land sees a fig tree that was supposed to be bearing fruit. The man reasons that if it doesn't bear fruit it is just taking up space. Mercifully, he gives the tree another year to bear fruit, and if not he threatens to cut it down.
These two passages show us that as in true in life, "Actions speak louder than words". As we abide in Christ, we will bear fruit. But if we don't, we won't. As we repent of living our life in dependency on ourselves, we can bear the fruit God intended for us.
Click Here to Read Psalm 78:65-72
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