Deuteronomy 33 Devotional

The God Who Holds His People

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’”Deuteronomy 33:27 (BSB)

The last words Moses speaks over Israel are a blessing, not a warning. He speaks over the tribes one by one, and the blessings are as varied as the tribes themselves: life for Reuben, help for Judah against his foes, the work of teaching for Levi, rich land for Joseph, strength for Asher to match his days (33:6-25). Before any of that, Moses says simply that the LORD loves his people (33:3).

One blessing is especially tender. Benjamin, the beloved of the LORD, rests secure in him, shielded all day long and resting on his shoulders (33:12). The song ends by widening that picture to the whole nation. There is no one like Israel's God. He is their home from age to age, his arms hold them up from beneath, and they are a people the LORD himself has saved, with him as their shield (33:26-29). After all the laws and warnings of Deuteronomy, Moses' final word points to who holds Israel. Whatever you carry today, you are not the one holding everything up.

To think about: What weight are you carrying as if everything depends on you, and how does this picture of God's arms change that?