Deuteronomy 33:26-29 - Moses' Blessing.

The glory of Israel's God, and the blessedness of God's Israel.

Ere Moses quite throws up his task, he gives us his view of Israel as a whole. He has had a word of blessing for tribe by tribe, and now he takes one last look at the whole nation, and viewing it in the light of that eternal world on which he is so soon to enter, his words are richer, riper, sweeter than any we yet have read. The name he gives to the people is very significant—"Jeshurun." The word is found but four times in the Scriptures, viz. in Deuteronomy 32:15 ; Deuteronomy 33:5 , Deuteronomy 33:26 ; Isaiah 44:2 . It seems to be a kind of diminutive from יָשַׁר , and in the passage before us it appears to be used as a term of admiration and endearment; some would think it equivalent to "a righteous little people" (see Gesenius). Anyway, the root-notion of the word is connected with righteousness. And the fundamental conception which Moses has of the nation is that it is a nation in covenant with Jehovah on the righteous basis of sacrifice, and that it is one, moreover, which has righteousness for the corner-stone of its constitution and polity. And he pronounces them blessed in two senses: they have a God who is infinitely greater than all gods; they have privileges which make them greater than all other peoples. Hence we have a double theme to meditate upon, from the evangelic standpoint.

I. NONE IS SO GLORIOUS AS ISRAEL 'S GOD . It is one mark of Divine condescension that our God lets his people speak of him in language they can best understand; e . g . "None like unto the God of Jeshurun" is a phrase which would seem to imply that there may be some other gods, but none equal to the one God (cf. Micah 7:18 ; 1 Samuel 2:2 ), whereas in fact there is no other. Still, men of other nations worshipped other beings whom they deemed to be gods; and Israel's God, in his infinite condescension, suffers himself to be put in contrast from them, although he is God alone.

1. He is "the eternal God." The word rendered "eternal" here is one which refers to God's having existed from the eternal past. "From everlasting" he is God—he is Jehovah. He changes not.

2. He is one who "rideth above the heaven," etc.; he is over all. In the glory of his transcendent majesty, all things are under his feet. "He maketh the clouds his chariot; he walketh upon the wings of the wind."

3. He is one who bears up Israel and all things in his arms. "Underneath are the everlasting arms"—arms spread out, expanded with the intent of bearing all. " Everlasting arms ," that will remain thus spread out and bearing all to eternity, without weariness, though they have borne the weight of all things from eternity.

4. He is one whose active energies are ever going before his people, to "thrust out" their enemies. Whatever would obstruct them shall be taken out of the way.

5. He himself is and will be the Dwelling-place in which his people can abide. " Thy Refuge " (see Psalms 90:1 ; Psalms 91:2 , Psalms 91:9 ; Isaiah 4:6 ). It is not at all unlikely that the figure of God as a permanent Home to his people suggested itself to Moses by way of contrast, as the people had lived such a wandering life, and abode in tabernacles (so Keil). Let these five features which mark Israel's God be put together. May we not well say, "Who is like to the God of Jeshurun?"

II. NONE CAN BE SO BLESSED AS GOD 'S ISRAEL . This is seen whether we consider what God is to them, or what they have and are in, through, and from God.

1. Their blessedness arises from what God is to them ; it is an incomparable blessedness. For:

Each of these five points, the correlatives of those under the first head, requires expansion.

2. It arises also from what they have and are in and through God .

(a) "Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee: i . e . they threatened to destroy, and they are proved false.

(b) "Thou shalt tread upon their high places;" i . e . the high and fortified places in which they gloried shall be as ramparts over which you shall walk.

Who can desire to be more blessed than this? Yea, who can conceive of a greater blessedness? Is it not enough to set the heart a-longing? May not the remark be appropriately made in closing, that—

It behooves each one of us to make sure that we are of the Israel of God, so that we may know this blessedness is ours!

HOMILIES BY J. ORR