Deuteronomy Chapter 33
The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’
28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens shall also drop dew.
~ Deuteronomy Chapter 33:27-28 ~
These were the final words of Moses.
And we read of his final blessing to the tribes of Israel. And he concludes by saying that it is God’s plan for Israel to live in safety…. in a land that is not just flowing with milk and honey, but one where heavens will drop dew in a land of grain and new wine.
Such a wonderful blessing from God. It is always God’s intention to keep Israel safe and bless her. But He knew, and we all know now, that Israel would choose other gods who could never provide the blessings that the One True God can.
Resting in the everlasting arms of God proved too difficult for Israel.
What about us? Do we also receive the blessings of God but ultimately turn away from the eternal God who is our refuge, holding us up with His everlasting arms?
I love Hymn 149 – Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
This hymn came about when the song writer learned of the passing of the spouses of 2 of his friends. Struggling to find words to comfort them, he came across Deut 33:27-28 and this became the inspiration for this much-loved hymn.
In reading the Bible, we have the benefit of hind-sight through the recordings in the Holy Scriptures to know that the people of Israel stumbled and fell many times in their life of faith. If only they remembered the words of Moses of God’s everlasting arms that will keep them safe and secure from all alarms. If only they had done this, they would have avoided all the needless sufferings.
But sadly, there are many, including myself, who tend to forget this and chase after things that are not everlasting and cannot promise us safety and security.
May this hymn inspire us today to lean on this everlasting arms of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ
