(Deuteronomy 33:13-16 ESV) 13 And of Joseph he said, “Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, 14 with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months, 15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, 16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
When I write a letter, I usually begin with a greeting like this, “Greetings to you in the name of the Lord. I trust that all is well and you are experiencing the best blessings of God!” On one occasion, someone asked me if all of God’s blessings were equal, to which I replied, “I believe God has some very special blessings reserved that exceed the routine provision of the day!” I was probably just trying to be positive, but when I read these verses of Scripture today, it reinforced my belief.
Chapter 33 of Deuteronomy records the blessings of Moses upon the people of Israel just before his death. While Moses handed out some very impressive blessings to the various tribes, when he gets to Joseph he uses some very descriptive terms about his blessings. Notice,
- “The choicest gifts of heaven.”
- “The choicest fruits of the sun.”
- “The rich yield of the months.”
- “The finest produce of the ancient mountains.”
- “The abundance of the everlasting hills.”
- “The best gifts of the earth.”
- “Its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.”
- “May these rest on the head of Joseph.”
God is sovereign. He can bless anyone He wants, any way He wants, at any time He wants. The truth is, that each tribe was blessed in ways that was specific to their own needs. God knew what they needed, and what would produce the most productive results for them.
Why did God bless Joseph so extravagantly? I believe we gain some insight through the phrase, “him who is prince among his brothers.” Joseph required greater resources because his assignment was broader in scope. God would require much more from Joseph than his brothers. Therefore, the choicest gifts were reserved for the one whose responsibility was greater.
PRAYER: Thank you Father for Your abundant blessings! Give me the wisdom to use them in ways that will bring glory to Your name. Amen.
Thinking Out Loud 