Deuteronomy 33:24-25

Walking Steady on a Rocky Road

 

Introduction: As a kid I grew up, like many of you, and unlike many of you, walking barefooted in the community and around the yard.  On any given summer day, you could find me walking barefooted.  The hardest thing to do was to walk barefooted on a rocky road.  That’s when I needed those shoes, no matter big or small.  As we travel this Christian journey there will be times that we will have some rocky roads.  The purpose of the sermon is to help us to understand that God will give us his grace as we travel these rocky roads of life.  We can travel along with God’s blessings.

 

(historical) Before ascending to Mount Nebo, to take a view of the land he was not permitted to enter and then die, Moses took farewell of the people he had long guided and ruled, by pronouncing on them a blessing in their several tribes.  This blessing in chapter 33 is the counterpart to the song in chapter 32.  In chapter 32/33 Moses dwells on: (calamities to befall/benefits to enjoy; tone is somber/serene; darker side/brighter side of Israel’s fortunes; farewell warning/farewell benediction).   What a balance it was for God to give Moses the bad and the good for his people.  There are many times when want to live in spiritual Utopias and have no problems.  But Moses said, “Man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble.”  It may be dark right now, but the day is coming.  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”  People look at us one day and we don’t look so well, and then they come by another and we look completely different.  John says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” So if it is dim in your life right now, there’s a bright side somewhere!  This blessing consists of a series of benedictions on the tribes.  Even when you come to a rocky road in your life I want to encourage each of us to rest in the benedictory blessing of Moses on Asher.

 

Asher’s name means the prosperous one.  What a correlation it was for what was to become of his ancestors! 

 

 

I.                   Our Condition (24a-b)

·        A Condition of Blessing (participle passive – a completed action)

a.       By a natural law of God’s providence, rapid increase of the people is a fruit of material prosperity.

b.      Increase of children was, in former times, a distinct token of God’s favor.

c.       Numerical increase was a source of defensive strength

d.      Children are a blessing (“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy are they who have their quiver full.” Ps. 127:4-5)

e.       Our children are a blessing to us.

·        A Condition of Acceptance by his brethren; not jealousy & animosities.

 

II.                Our Substance (24c)

·        Foreshadowed Agricultural Prosperity-upon the northern hills of Palestine the olive tree flourishes, and authorities affirm that no agricultural produce is so abundant as that of the olives. (‘I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.’)

·        Olive trees will flourish in rocky soil, and have longevity.

 

III.             Our Dwelling (25)

·        (25a) Defense that cannot be penetrated – the iron shoes can be translated, ‘thy bars shall be iron and brass.’ ‘Thou shalt be strong and bright, like iron and brass.’

·        (25b) "Whatever thy trials or difficulties may be, I shall always give thee grace to support thee under and bring thee through them." This strength is equal to rest.  God will give you rest.  Even in the midst of your enemies you can have rest.

 

Conclusion: Jesus traveled a rocky road.