Focus: Judah's Blessing

Text: Dt.33:7

"And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies."

In the last moments of his life Moses blesses the 12 tribes of Israel. He speaks words of blessing upon their future. After Reuben, Judah is the next on line to be blessed.

Judah's blessing is fourfold, and they are namely:

*Sure divine response

Moses says, "Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah." It is a great blessing indeed for God to hear Judah's voice. The voice surely involves prayer and praise. Judah's name means praise. He will sing to, and supplicate God. Moses is praying YHVH to attend to his prayer and respond to his request. The first blessing has to do with Judah's spiritual life and his vertical relationship with God. It shows a God-centered life. Judah will have need of God at all times. He will face needs and challenges. Adverse circumstances may surface and threaten to tear him apart, but in those moments God will hearken to his voice. Judah will be a man of worship, a man who recognizes the indispensability and centrality of God in human existence, and indeed, a man of high praise and deep prayer. Judah will not pray or praise in vain, for YHVH will hear his voice.

*Sweet family connection

Moses prays, "Bring him unto his people." It is an awesome blessing for one to be in good terms with one's brothers and family members. The second blessing is the horizontal side of the first blessing, which is the vertical side. Judah will enjoy peace with God and peace with men. Judah will experience divine and human connectedness. God will hear his voice and his brothers will hold him in high esteem. Among his brothers Judah will be welcome. He will not be isolated by his brethren.

*Sufficiency through industry

Moses prays, "Let his hands be sufficient unto him." It is such a blessing when your hands are capable of meeting your needs and supplying your wants. Judah's hands will be hands of industry. Moses is saying, YHVH, don't let Judah labor in vain. Let him succeed in his enterprises and let his diligence pay off so well. Let Judah touch wealth with his hands. Let him by industry gain resources. Grant him the blessing of a fruitful labor.' Moses prays for Judah for God-sufficiency, not for self-sufficiency. Regarding stuff, Judah shall not be in lack. He will achieve success by the power of his hands. Paul says, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2Cor.9:8).

*Supernatural victory

Moses prays, "Be thou an help to him from his enemies." It is an incredible blessing when God makes you victorious in battle. Judah will have God's company in the battlefield and his victory shall be supernaturally engineered. God will secure Judah and grant him military success.

Interestingly, Judah is Israel's frontline commander. He bears the brunt of each battle and every attack. Judah will not be a loser in the battlefield. He will not fight in vain.

In Nehemiah's time, Sanballat mocks, "What do these feeble Jews?" (Neh.4:2). In times of weakness, God will be with him to supply strength sufficient enough to win the battle. Paul says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God…" (2Cor.3:5). The Lord says to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2Cor.12:9).

I want you to know that you are included in Judah's blessing because of your connection with Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood" (Heb.7:14). Our Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah, and He is the holder of Judah's scepter. Jacob says that "the scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Gen.49:10). In Rev.5:5, one of the elders before the throne tells John, "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven." Christ is in your life and you are forever connected to Him. Through Christ you are more than a conqueror. He has overcome the world for us. He has conquered death and Satan and He has given us the victory. Every day He causes us to triumph over life's tests and troubles. He never abandons us. Judah's blessing is our blessing.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter