Praying Pint

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

–Psalm 19:7

If you want a firsthand account of somebody who was at peace no matter what was happening around him, read Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was in prison, potentially facing execution. In addition, there were other Christians slandering him and trying to make a name for themselves at his expense. Paul didn’t worry about those things. Instead, he wrote, “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (1:12), and, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (4:11).

What was Paul’s secret for maintaining peace? He stayed in regular communication with God. In Philippians 4, Paul wrote about two spiritual disciplines in his life that allowed him to experience God’s peace. One discipline was prayer–that is, speaking to God. Verses 6–7 say, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Just as soldiers march around a fortress to secure it, when you pray about whatever is worrying you, God’s peace will march around the fortress of your mind and protect it from the enemy’s attacks.

The second spiritual discipline Paul mentioned is meditating on God’s Word–that is, allowing God to speak to him. Verse 8 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” In this verse, I think Paul was talking about God’s Word. Notice how the psalmist described God’s Word in a similar way: “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (19:7–8). Reading God’s Word brings God’s peace into our lives. That’s because the Bible is a record of God’s faithfulness to His people. Since God doesn’t change, we can be assured that the same God who was faithful in the past will be faithful to you and me.

Maintaining communication with God freed Paul from anxious thoughts while he was in prison. He wasn’t consumed by his problems; instead, he was consumed by what God was doing for him through his problems. The same can be true for you. You can experience the supernatural peace of God when you make the decision to let the peace of Christ have the final say in your life.

 

Deu 34:1-12  Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Moses was commanded in Deuteronomy 32:48-52 to climb Mount Nebo for his death. Here that command was fulfilled. This was God’s kind grace to Moses. Though he could not set foot in the Promised Land, God allowed him to see it. Standing on the peak of Nebo on the collection of mountains called Pisgah, Moses stood on what is the modern Kingdom of Jordan, looking westward to Canaan. 

Moses lived 120 years (Deuteronomy 31:2), and his life was divided into three 40-year periods. The first 40 years of Moses ended with a murder and a flight from justice (Exodus 2:11-15). The second 40 years of Moses ended with a revelation of God at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-10).The last 40 years of Moses ended with the vision of the Promised Land.

Moses’ epitaph – what we might call the writing on his tombstone, though he had no tombstone – was simple.

· It was not “Moses, prince of Egypt.”

· It was not “Moses, murderer of an Egyptian.”

· It was not “Moses, shepherd in the wilderness.”

· It was not “Moses, spokesman for a nation.”

· It was not “Moses, miracle worker.”

· It was not “Moses, prophet.”

· It was not “Moses, the man who saw a piece of God’s glory.”

· It was not “Moses, who never entered the Promised Land.”

· At the end, the title was simple: Moses the servant of the LORD. (Guzik)

 “His death leaves nothing to regret; neither is any desirable thing lacking. Failing to pass over Jordan seems a mere pin’s prick, in presence of the honours which surrounded his departing hours. His death was the climax of his life. He now saw that he had fulfilled his destiny, and was not as a pillar broken short. He was ordered to lead the people through the wilderness, and he had done so.” “As a mother takes her child and kisses it, and then lays it down to sleep in its own bed; so did the Lord kiss the soul of Moses away to be with him for ever, and then he hid his body we know not where.” (Spurgeon)

 Given the great challenges and responsibilities Moses faced, his relative health at the time of his death was remarkable. “He had seen plenty of sorrow and toil; but such was the simple power of his faith, in casting his burden on the Lord, that they had not worn him out in premature decay. There had been no undue strain on his energy. All that he wrought on earth was the outcome of the secret abiding of his soul in God. God was his home, his help, his stay. He was nothing: God was all. Therefore his youth was renewed.” (Meyer)

 

 

Deu 33:26-29  “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’ So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. 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.”

What blessing God gave to Israel! As Paul wrote in Romans 3:2: To them were committed the oracles of God. The true greatness of Israel is the same as the greatness of the Christian: not in and of themselves, but in their God, that there is no one like the God of Jeshurun. God is great and uses His greatness on behalf of His people, upholding them with the everlasting arms. When believers are a people saved by the LORD, it means that God is for them, and heaven is on their side. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). He is the shield of the believer’s help. 

The everlasting arms of God are underneath, as a foundation for everything. Everything in the universe, all creation, the church, the individual believer – all built on a firm foundation, with God’s everlasting, strong, arms underneath. They are also underneath the believer as a place of rest. Our Father’s arms are a perfect pillow, giving perfect rest. We can put all our weight on these strong arms, leaning heavily on them. 

With this salvation, with God as their shield and sword, with victory assured, all this gave God’s people great reason to be happy. These blessings, in their spiritual sense, were not limited to Israel. Believers, God’s people under the new covenant, also have such blessings and reasons to be happy. (Guzik)

If we sink deep from humiliation, from trials, inner conflict, weary working, illness, or impending death – no matter what brings us low – we have God’s everlasting arms underneath us. “You cannot go so low but that God’s arms of love are lower still. You get poorer and poorer; but ‘underneath are the everlasting arms.’ You get older and feebler; your ears are failing, your eyes are growing dim; but ‘underneath are the everlasting arms.’”  “I recollect being at the funeral of one of our brethren, and a dear friend in Christ offered prayer in which there was a sentence which struck me, ‘O Lord,’ he said, ‘thou hast laid our friend low, but we thank thee that he cannot go any lower, for underneath him are the everlasting arms.’ Yes, underneath the bodies of the saints are the everlasting arms of God.” “They are arms which always were, and always will be: arms which always were strong, and never will grow faint or weary; arms which once outstretched will never be drawn back again; arms which once engaged for the defense of the chosen people shall never cease to work for their good world without end. Not failing arms, nor dying arms, but everlasting arms, are underneath the saints of God.” “If you are indeed believers in Christ, you are ‘a people saved by the Lord.’ If you only read as far as the word ‘saved’ and there pause, what music there is in the words—‘a people saved’! Not a people who may be saved, who are in process of being saved, but a people saved; for he that believes in Jesus is saved. The work is done.” “Remember that, O believer. Not half saved, but completely saved; saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. Why, that one word ‘saved’ is enough to make the heart dance as long as life remains.” (Spurgeon)

 

Deu 33:24-25  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. Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.

The abundance of the tribe of Asher was also expressed by Jacob in Genesis 49:20 (he shall yield royal dainties). Here, Moses blessed Asher with an abundance of olive oil. 

The tribe of Asher would be blessed with wealth so that even their sandals would be made of the best, strongest, most durable materials.

i. Sandals of iron and bronze have a spiritual sense for the believer. Spurgeon suggested several applications.

· Such sandals would protect tender feet, and God protects.

· Such sandals would be sturdy for travel, and God enables us to walk difficult paths.

· Such sandals would be good for soldiers, and we wage war in the Spirit and crush spiritual adversaries under our feet.

· Such sandals would be good for climbing mountains, and God has heights for His people to climb.

· Such sandals would last a long time, needed for our long journey with the LORD. (Guzik)

“The saying, I have no doubt, has comforted the souls of multitudes. The meaning is obvious: ‘Whatever thy trials or difficulties may be, I shall always give thee grace to support thee under and bring thee through them.’” (Clarke)

We receive strength from God as we do our days – day by day, piece by piece. We receive one day at a time and receive strength for that day. We receive strength from God proportionally. A day of little service or little suffering may receive little strength; but days of greater service or greater suffering will receive greater strength. We receive strength from God in many ways. As our days differ, so does the strength God gives us, always suited to the day. We receive strength from God as long as our days continue; it is a constant provision. (Spurgeon)

There is no blessing greater than The Son through whom we receive eternal life. All other blessings are gifts from God through which we are able to recognize more fully His grace, mercy, and love.

 

Deu 33:22  And of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps 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); Jeroboam set up one of his idolatrous golden calves in Dan (1 Kings 12:26-30), and later Dan became a center of idol worship in Israel (Amos 8:14). Indeed, Jacob said of Dan in Genesis 49:17, Dan shall be a serpent by the way. (Guzik)

Dan is a lion’s whelp; or like one for boldness, strength, and courage; and was verified in Samson, who was of this tribe; who, when a young lion roared against him, the Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he tore it to pieces, Judges 14:5, (Gill)

Jacob compared Dan to a serpent that suddenly springs forth by the way, and bites the heels of a horse so that the rider falls backward. Moses here compares the tribe to a young lion that suddenly leaps from its lair in Bashan on the object of its attack. Both similitudes relate to the vigor and force which the tribe should display in conflict. (Unknown)

Deu 33:23  And of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south.”

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. Since the ministry of Jesus was based in the tribal lands of Naphtali, his blessing was indeed full. (Guzik)

 “Scarcely any of the tribes was more particularly favoured by the wondrous mercy and kindness of God, than Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. The light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shone brightly here, Matthew 4:13, 15, 16. Christ’s chief residence was at Capernaum in this tribe, Matthew 9:1; Mark 2:1; and this city, through Christ’s constant residence, and the mighty miracles he wrought in it, is represented as being exalted unto heaven.” (Clarke)

That only is the favour that satisfies the soul. They are happy indeed that have the favour of God; and they shall have it that place their satisfaction in it. And full with the blessing of the Lord — Not only with corn, wine, and oil, the fruit of the blessing, but with the blessing itself, the grace of God, according to his promise and covenant. (Benson)

O Naphtali, satisfied with favour; with the favour of men, which to have is a great blessing; and as he gave goodly words to others, he had the good word of others, Genesis 49:21; and with the favour of God, as the next clause shows; which is the greatest blessing of all, and is special and peculiar, free and sovereign, and the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; and to be full of this, and satisfied of an interest in it, is the highest of enjoyments; and nothing is of a more satisfying nature, it is a feast of itself. The blessing of the Lord; as such must needs be who are full of and satisfied with the your, good will, and love of God; for they are filled with all spiritual blessings, with all the blessings of grace, which spring from his free favour, as pardon of sin, a justifying righteousness, adoption, sanctifying grace, a right and title to eternal life. (Gill)

In Jacob’s blessing, Naphtali appears invested with the attributes of freedom, gracefulness, and graciousness; here Moses assures that tribe of the Divine grace and blessing, and promises to it prosperity, joyfulness, satisfaction, and pleasure. (Unknow)

 

Deu 33:20-21  And of Gad he said, “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp. 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.”

The lion-like character of the tribe of Gad was shown by the fact that Gad furnished many fine troops for David. Gad held the central area of land among the Israelite tribes on the eastern side of the Jordan. (Guzik)

“Gad’s area was by far the largest and best, conforming well to its description as ‘the leader’s portion.’” (Merrill)

Teareth the arm with the crown of the head, i.e. utterly destroys his enemies; both the head, the seat of the crown, their dignity and principality, and the arm, the subject of strength and instrument of action; both chief princes, and their instruments and subjects. (Poole)

He dwelleth as a lion; bold and courageous, secure, and without fear of any of his enemies, though near him, on his borders, as the Moabites and Ammonites were; of the same spirit and temper were the men of the tribe of Gad in the times of David

The Gadites had promised this to Moses and the heads of the people; and this promise Moses regarded as an accomplished act, and praised in these words with prophetic foresight as having been already performed, and that not merely as one single manifestation of their obedience towards the word of the Lord, but rather as a pledge that Gad would always manifest the same disposition. (Keil)

I like how Keil said it above. Could you imagine if our lives were lived for Christ in like manner? “As if already performed”, “always manifest the same disposition”. The commitment so deep and strong, the desire to always perform, and the intentional choice ever before them should be more than fitting for us. The problem with being consumed by the busyness of life is that it draws away from our commitment to Jesus Christ. We allow shallow commitment through neglect of God’s Word, desire to study it, and certainly knowing how to apply it. 

When being “lukewarm” is considered being “hot” there is a falling away. Confusion, worry, hate, fear, stagnation, division, darkness, boastfulness, arrogance, pride, greediness, self-worth, self-reliance, jealousy, and loneliness are close companions. 

If you’re inclined to know, it is very easy to know if you’re “lukewarm”. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment in this. You will be amazed at how much of our lives are being consumed with the busyness of life that yields being lukewarm.

 

 

Deu 33:18-19  And of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. 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.”

Both the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar were in the Galilee region and were blessed to take advantage of the Sea of Galilee. (Guzik)

 “That is, as Zebulun should be prosperous in his shipping and traffic, so should Issachar be in his tents—his agriculture and pasturage.” (Clarke)

The providence of God appoints men’s habitations, and wisely disposes men to different employments for the public good. (Henry)

Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; in their going out to sea, to merchandise, to traffic in foreign parts, it being a maritime tribe, see Genesis 49:13; and so are called upon to rejoice and be thankful for their safe preservation on the seas, and success in trade. Issachar, in thy tents; being a tribe that stayed at home, and attended to husbandry, and dwelt in tents, to take care of and feed their cattle; in doing which they should be prosperous, and have occasion to rejoice, and be thankful to the Lord. (Gill)

I like how Henry put it; “The providence of God appoints men’s habitations, and wisely disposes men to different employments for the public good.”

Likewise, we have been blessed by God through Jesus Christ for public good, but more importantly, in this public good, there should be seen in our lives Honor and Glory to the blessing giver at all times.

 

Deu 33:13-17  And of Joseph he said, “Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months,  with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, 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. A firstborn bull—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.”

The two tribes that came from Joseph – Ephraim and Manasseh – were indeed blessed numerically and with land in Israel. The descendants of this one son among twelve sons of Jacob were far more numerous than all the other tribes. (Guzik)

His portion shall be excellent, and endowed with choice blessings from God, as it here follows. For the precious things of heaven, i.e. the precious fruits of the earth brought forth by the influences of heaven, the warmth of the sun, and the rain which God will send from heaven. (Poole)

For the precious things of heaven; that is, the pleasant, precious, and excellent fruits, reproduced by the influence of the heavens, particularly showers of rain which descend from thence; emblems of the grace of God, and Gospel of Christ, which bring spiritual blessings to the sons of men on earth, and make them fruitful in every good word and work. (Gill)

Can we ever expect blessings from God if we walk the ways of the world and its deceiving pleasures and what it deems as important for satisfaction and purpose in life? We do well to think on things above and how we might give glory and honor to Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.

 

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

Deu 33:6  “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”

This tepid blessing was consistent with Jacob’s prophecy concerning the tribe of Reuben (you shall not excel, Genesis 49:4). The tribe of Reuben never did excel. As far as is known, there never came a prophet, a judge, or a king from the tribe of Reuben. (Guzik)

Deu 33:7  And this he said of Judah: “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries.”

Moses prayed for the blessing and sustaining of the tribe of Judah, so that it would fulfill its prophetic destiny to bring 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)

Deu 33:8  And of Levi he said……

Deu 33:11  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.”

Because of their obedience and loyalty to God, Levi had a blessed place among the tribes of Israel. Moses prayed that the substance of Levi would be blessed and that their enemies would be defeated. (Guzik)

“The blessing of God to the tribe of Levi was peculiarly necessary, because they had no inheritance among the children of Israel, and lived more immediately than others upon the providence of God.” (Clarke)

In the golden calf incident, “Moses had asked ‘whoever is for the Lord’ (Exodus 32:26) to come forward and punish the Israelite idolaters even to the extent of ‘brother and friend and neighbor’ (Deuteronomy 33:27). Levi volunteered and proceeded to slay their own ‘sons and brothers’ (Deuteronomy 33:29).” (Merrill)

Deu 33:12  Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.”

The tribe of Benjamin had their inheritance close to mount Zion. To be situated near the ordinances, is a precious gift from the Lord, a privilege not to be exchanged for any worldly advantage, or indulgence. We should thankfully receive the earthly blessings sent to us, through the successive seasons. But those good gifts which come down from the Father of lights, through the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and the pouring out of his Spirit like the rain which makes fruitful, are infinitely more precious, as the tokens of his special love. (Henry)

 

 

Ephesians 4:1-6   I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

As Christians, we are to walk worthy of the calling we have received. That means we should remember we are followers of Jesus and there are some things we are to avoid, some thoughts we should reject, and some habits we ought to change. They aren’t healthy for us or the body of Christ. We don’t want to violate our calling. Instead, we should have our Christlike character on full display. Ask the Lord for wisdom in evaluating your habits and knowing how to walk worthy of the calling you have received. (Dr. Jeremiah)

To say that character has nothing to do with blessedness is untrue, both to conscience and to the Christian revelation; and however we trace all things to grace, we must also remember that we get what we have fitted ourselves for. There is a certain vocation to which a Christian man is bound to make his life correspond, and his conduct should be in some measure worthy of the ideal that is set before it. Now, we shall best understand what is involved in such worthiness if we make clear to ourselves what the Apostle means by this ‘calling’ to which he appeals as containing in itself a standard to which our lives are to be conformed. God reveals Himself in any fashion, and by any medium, to a man, the man fails to understand the deepest meaning of the revelation unless his purged ear hears in it the great voice saying it.

For in Jesus Christ we see the possibilities of humanity realised, and we have the pattern of what we ought to be, and are called thereby to be.

Now, if that is the call, if the life of Christ is that to which we are summoned, and the death of Christ is that by which we are inclined to obey the summons, and the Spirit of Christ is that by which we are enabled to do so, what sort of a life will be worthy of these? Well, the context supplies part of the answer. ‘I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation … with all meekness and lowliness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.’ That is one side of the vocation, and the life that is worthy of it will be a life emancipated from the meanness of selfishness, and delivered from the tumidities of pride and arrogance, and changed into the sweetness of gentleness and the royalties of love.

‘Fruitful in every good work’-a many-sided fruitfulness, an encyclopaediacal beneficent activity, covering all the ground of possible excellence; and that is not all; ‘increasing in the knowledge of God,’-a life of progressive acquaintance with Him; and that is not all:-’strengthened with all might unto all patience and long-suffering’; nor is that all, for the crown of the whole is ‘giving thanks unto the Father.’ So, then, ‘ye see your calling, brethren.’ A life that is ‘worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called’ is a life that conforms to the divine will, that is ‘fruitful in all good,’ that is progressive in its acquaintance with God, that is strengthened for all patience and long-suffering, and that in everything is thankful to Him. That is what we are summoned to be.

The more nearly we come to realise the purpose of our calling, the more ‘worthy’ of it we are, the deeper will be our consciousness of our unworthiness. The more we approximate to the ideal, and come closer up to it, and so see its features the better, the more we shall feel how unlike we are to it. The law for Christian progress is that the sense of unworthiness increases in the precise degree in which the worthiness increases. The same man that said, ‘Of whom {sinners} I am chief,’ said to the same reader, ‘I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.’ And so the two things are not contradictory but complementary. On the one side ‘worthy’ has nothing to do with the outflow of Christ’s love to us; on the other side we are to ‘walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called.’ (MacLaren)