This is the Blessing
33: 1-29
On the day Moses died, he delivered his final blessing
and then ascended Mount Nebo to view the Land of Promise from afar.
The previous chapters were surely not easy ones for Moses to write. There were the curses of Chapter 28 and those prophecies of the Great Tribulation found in his song in Chapter 32. But praise God, this was not the end of the book of Deuteronomy. As all the other prophecies of the end times, ADONAI ends the story on a bright note when it concerns His own. So, in Chapter 33, Moshe takes us past all the curses and the Great Tribulation, right into the Messianic Kingdom and the blessings that will be bestowed on the people of God.
There is one sad note in the listing of these tribes. Simeon is not listed. There is always a reason why one tribe is omitted from the list of tribes in the Scriptures. While we cannot be dogmatic about it, some say that Simeon’s territory was absorbed into that of Judah. We know that Simeon and Levi had taken cruel revenge on the men of Shechem for the rape of their sister Dinah (see the commentary on Genesis Ie – The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi). Jacob had condemned both of them (see the commentary on Genesis Lf – Simeon and Levi are Brothers, Their Swords are Weapons of Violence). But because the tribe of Levi was the only tribe to show their allegiance to ADONAI during the golden calf incident (see the commentary on Exodus Gv – And All the Levites Rallied to Moses) they were set apart by God for His service. Simeon, however, was implicated in another great sin in the wilderness. Because the curses of Balaam did not achieve their goal, he sent Moabite women to seduce the men of Isra’el to sin. Moses ordered that all who participated in that sin should be killed. But the carnage stopped when Zimri, a leader in the rebellion, and a prince of a Simeonite ancestral household, was killed (Numbers 24:14). Evidently, because of these two sins, Moses had omitted the tribe of Simeon from these prophecies at the time of the writing of Deuteronomy.
Nevertheless, because of the grace of our Lord, we see the tribe of Simeon included in the 144,000 during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el), the allocation of land during the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 48:24-25), and his name written on one of the twelve gates in the New Jerusalem (see the commentary on Revelation Fu – The New Jerusalem had a Great, High Wall with Twelve Gates). This should be an encouragement for all believers. For it teaches us that although we might go through difficult times, they are only for a brief moment. For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comprehension (Second Corinthians 4:17).
Dear loving Heavenly Father, What a joy it is to look ahead from life’s trials to our eternal inheritance and blessing You have for all Your children. The Ruach Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, also heirs – heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah – if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:16-18). The joy of heaven will be forever and life’s trials will all be over. I desire to bless You with my life on earth. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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