Resources: Lesson Manuscript & PowerPoint
Franklin Heights Church Connect Groups: https://franklinheights.org/connect/groups/
Review: As we wrap up Deuteronomy and pivot on the 7th to our winter study of Matthew, let’s conclude with an encouraging study from Deuteronomy 33. Last week we looked at God’s readiness to bless those who as His followers are fully committed to Him.
Title: God’s Power
Text: Deuteronomy 33:1-5, 26-29
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 33:29, “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”
Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that [Theme:] Believers can live without fear knowing that they serve the one true God.
Introduction: The parent is in the pool with their little one ready to jump into their arms. You see the child hesitate…” Can I trust that my Mommy will catch me?” The Mother assures the child that the child will most certainly be caught safe and sound, and the child boldly leaps forward in faith and trust. We can have childlike assurance and faith to boldly leap forward in our walk, knowing the arms of God will be there to catch us.
Main Points:
- King (Deuteronomy 33:1-5)
“This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. 2 He said,
“The Lord came from Sinai
and dawned from Seir upon us;[a]
he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire[b] at his right hand.
3 Yes, he loved his people,[c]
all his holy ones were in his[d] hand;
so they followed[e] in your steps,
receiving direction from you,
4 when Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus the Lord[f] became king in Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.”
- Moses is saying his last words in this section, and he’s commissioning Joshua, and there is a hymn that calls God’s people to live faithfully toward God.
- Rooted in God’s omnipotence, not Moses’ accolades, he speaks a blessing over Israel.
- The imagery of God as a Warrior Who fights for them was just the kind of God they needed to face their Canaanite enemies. [Gospel:] It’s the kind of God we need to face our greatest foe of sin, and so Jesus did when in the gospel we see Him boldly ascending calvary’s hill to take our sin away forever. What a great, conquering Warrior is our Savior.
- Although some scholars say “holy ones” could be God’s angels, here it most likely fits that He calls his own believers/followers His “holy ones” (C.R. Lev. 11:44; 20:26).
- That God holds His own in His hand, compels us to live lives bowed in worship to Him.
- God instructs, speaks to, and directs us in verses 4-5.
- “The King of Jeshurun” used here is a poetic name for God as the King of Israel.
- II. Dwelling Place (Deuteronomy 33:26-29)
““There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,[a]
and underneath are the everlasting arms.[b]
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy.’
28 So Israel lived in safety,
Jacob lived alone,[c]
in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”
- In verses 6-25 Moses blessed Israel.
- A triumphant declaration is given in verses 26-28 that God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is none other like Him, riding along victoriously.
- God surrounded them with security, above, before, and beneath them. God would keep fighting their battles and defeating their enemies as long as they marched forward in step with Him.
- Echoing Deuteronomy 7:13-14, he would meet all their needs in the land depicted in agrarian provisions.
- Israel is and was special to God, He is and was their shield and sword, defender and warrior before Whom their enemies would tremble.
- When Jesus rose from the dead the third day after His crucifixion, all of Hell, the evil one and His minions trembled in utter defeat. The follower of Jesus is assured of victory.
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is God.
Lifeway Explore says, “There is one and only one living and true God.”
Isaiah 46:9, “remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,”
I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus,”
Gospel:
Gospel Conversation Transition Statement: Many people live with perpetual defeat, always feeling beat up by life. And when they cross our paths they need to be met with a kind, caring, listening ear from a heart that genuinely cares for them. When we transition to the gospel to share the ultimate care with them found in Jesus we could say, “I haven’t dealt with that exact battle in life, but I have been experienced my share of personal battles. May I share with you the hope I have found in Jesus?”
Big Takeaway(s):
Believers can live without fear knowing that they serve the one true God.
Believers can trust God’s love for them.
Believers should find their security in God alone.
Discussion Questions:
When was a time when someone said something to you that blessed your life?
Why do you think the Bible portrays God in so many ways, such as Warrior, King, and Shepherd? Which biblical portrait or title comes to mind first when you think of Him and why?
What does it teach us about God that He is our “dwelling place”?
What is one of your big takeaways from God’s Word here?
Caleb Walker 
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