Read: Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Luke 13:1-21; Psalm 78:65-72; Proverbs 12:25
Before Moses died, he pronounced a blessing on the Israelites according to their tribes. He pronounced life for Reuben against his enemies. That he would be a tribe with many people. Moses prayed that God would hear Judah’s cry and bring him to his people. He prayed that God would help him from his enemies. Our Psalm today says that God chose Judah to bring forth the first king, David and the last king, Jesus. Of Levi he prayed the ability to hear from God and make righteous decisions for the nation. They were proved when Korah rebelled and their zeal for the Lord gave them this promotion. They would be responsible for teaching the law to the people and interceding for the people. God promised to slay anyone who rose up against them. To Benjamin, God called his beloved who would dwell safely near Him. The Lord would cover him and carry him. (Jerusalem is in the tribe of Benjamin.) He called Joseph’s land, Blessed of the Lord. The land would be blessed with good weather, precious fruit and precious things in its mountains and hills. It’s land would reflect God’s glory. (Remember, Joseph included the land of Ephraim and Manasseh.) Manasseh means “causing to forget” and Ephraim means “double fruitful”. They are a picture of the new covenant of grace that would come through Jesus. He would forgive our sins causing us to forget our past and cause us to be double fruitful. This prophecy figuratively means that the church would be strong with many strong leaders and inherit all the promises that their forefathers longed to see happen. This is a prophecy to the church.
Of Zebulun which means “habitation” he spoke of his dwelling place. They would be wealthy in the world’s sense and in the spiritual sense. They would be the people who made their habitation in the Lord. Gad would be influential with the leaders and a fierce defender of justice. Dan would be as courageous as a lion cub. He would be fertile and produce many lions. Naphtali would have favor and be blessed of the Lord. Asher would be blessed with many children and have favor with his own people. He would walk in the Spirit.
We are all a member of one of the tribes which corresponds with our gifts.
In Luke, Jesus explained that what kept people from God’s kingdom was not the vileness of their sin, but the condition of their heart. There was one litmus test to enter the kingdom and that was repentance of sin and acceptance of Jesus.
Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that didn’t produce fruit after three years. The owner wanted to cut it down but the keeper of the vineyard begged him to let him work on the soil around the fig tree and wait one more year. The fig tree stood for Israel who had rebelled for three thousand years. The keeper stood for the Holy Spirit who wanted to give Israel a little more time. Jesus spoke about this soil in his parable about the seed. Jesus worked on Israel’s soil with all his miracles and healing yet they still refused to produce much fruit. He did find a remnant which would be like yeast and permeate the whole nation.
Lord, may we be like the Lord’s yeast and spread to the nations with the gospel of truth and life.
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