Some people just see our flaws and pity us; thank God for those who see our potential and pray for us!
We won’t fully understand the beauty of Moses’ blessing of the tribes if we don’t contrast Deuteronomy 33 with Jacob’s comments about the same 12 sons in Genesis 49. Immediately we see Moses as intercessor, the man who pled with God for Israel on Sinai (Ex 32:9-14). For example, Jacob addresses Reuben as follows: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.” That sounds good. But wait! Jacob continues: “Unstable as water, you shall not excel” (Gen 49:3-4). He saw a fatal flaw in his oldest son’s personality, something highlighted by the New Testament Jacob, James, who observed, “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jas 1:6-8). But Moses says, “Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few” (Deut 33:6). Thank God for intercessors like Moses! Now of Judah, the kingly tribe who led God’s people into battle, Moses asked four things: that they would depend on the Lord and be heard in their prayers; that they would be victorious and return safely to their loved ones; that they would always have sufficient forces to win; and that God would always be their help (see v 7). This is especially true of Judah’s Lion, our Lord Jesus, in His battles for us. Then there is the blessing of Levi, the priestly family. First, Moses mentions Urim and Thummim, or Lights and Perfections, by which God’s will was known. Then he speaks of their loyalty to God (v 9), their holy ministries (v 10), and their need for divine protection (v 11), all things we need reminding of as God’s priests today.