Chapter 33 records Moses’ blessing for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Much as Jacob had blessed his sons before he died (which we read at the end of Genesis), Moses blessed each of the twelve tribes before he died (which we are reading at the end of Deuteronomy). As we read through the blessings we see Moses didn’t offer the same blessing for each of the tribes, and as we might expect his longest blessing was offered to the tribe of his own origin: Levi. Throughout the Bible we find blessings are never “equal.” Often the firstborn are not given as great a blessing as the second-born. Jesus treated three of His disciples to greater opportunity than the other nine. We find out God isn’t “fair” in His distribution of gifts, blessing, land, and other aspects of life. How is this possible? It’s possible, because God makes the rules, and the only place we find “all men” are created equal is in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. I put “all men” in quotes, because when the document was written, women weren’t equal, and only men who were white property owners were part of the “all” who were created equal. Even they weren’t created equal, as each was endowed by God with different natural aptitudes and skills, and each who belonged to Jesus Christ was given different spiritual gifts by God as well.
My purpose is not to denigrate our founding fathers, nor to say I think God is wrong not to treat us the same. My purpose is to show us that equality is a great standard to follow in living out our roles as citizens of the United States of America, and that equality is for all people. When it comes to how we treat each other as Jesus’ followers, we are to treat each other with love and respect. But we can’t treat each other the same or equally, nor is there any place in the Bible that tells us we ought to do that. As Moses offered varying blessings to each of Israel’s tribes, we will live with differing relationships toward all the people in our spheres of influence. We will be closer to some than others. We will show preference to some over others. So long as we do that in love and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that is good.
Deuteronomy 34 records the final acts and the death of Moses. Some seeking to criticize the idea Moses authored the first five books of the Bible, have asked, “Did he write Deuteronomy 34, too? Of course not! He could have written a portion of it, but Joshua or someone else would have written the account of his death, that no one knew exactly where he was buried and these comments: “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew fact to face. The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.” Indeed, Moses was an incredible servant of the Lord, yet, because of a couple acts of disobedience, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Was that fair? As the first couple paragraphs remind us, fairness is not God’s first standard. God’s decisions are beyond our standards of fairness. He decided Moses would not enter the Promised Land, so Moses didn’t. He did many amazing things in his life, and is remember as a prophet like no other.
As we reread John 4, let’s turn to the end of the chapter, where we read about the “official” in Cana who asked Jesus to heal his son. Jesus’ response doesn’t seem “fair.” (Because we’re on that topic today!) Jesus’ response when the man asked for Him to heal his son was, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” Jesus didn’t ask what the son’s problem was. He didn’t seem to show compassion. He cut right to the point: Only signs and wonders bring faith to you people. The father didn’t care about Jesus’ bluntness. His son was dying. That’s what he point in front of Jesus. If Jesus didn’t come down to the man’s house, his son was going to die. Jesus took the opportunity to show He didn’t need to be present physically to performa a miracle. He dismissed the man by saying, “Go. Your son will live.” The man went home, and found out his son was fine. When he asked when the son got better, the man realized it was the exact moment Jesus had said, “Go. Your son will live.” The man became a believer that instant, as did his household.
Interesting: Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe,” and then He performed a sign, and a whole family believed. Jesus hadn’t told the man about the demand for signs, because He wasn’t going to perform one. Jesus knew human nature. He still does. When He does signs and wonders these days, often through His followers, some believe and others don’t. It was the same in Jesus’ day. Some who saw the amazing signs Jesus performed, decided to go out and determine how to kill Him. Others, such as this official, saw a sign and believed. Our task is to be faithful to Jesus, whether we see signs or not, whether He uses us to perform signs or not. It’s easier for some when they see signs, but even then some continue in disbelief. That’s why following Jesus requires belief or faith, and it was so even for those who saw Him perform signs and wonders in person!