Word of Encouragement (03/28/2023)

And of Levi he said, "Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah; ⁹ who said of his father and mother, 'I regard them not'; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant. ¹⁰ They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. ¹¹ Bless, O LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again." (Deut. 33:8-11)

Moses prays for the LORD to bless Levi’s work (“Bless, O LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands”) and to protect him (“crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again”).

Work is an important part of our life. This is so not simply because we spend a major part of our waking hours engaged in it but also because it is God’s calling. If it is something God has called us to do, we ought to do it right and do it well. But can we do it right and well without God’s blessing? “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps. 127:1).

Here, Moses asks the LORD to bless Levi’s substance. What does this mean? The Hebrew word for “substance” also has in it the idea of “power” and “strength” as well. So, this petition asks the LORD to bless Levi’s strength. God has already given us the strength we possess by molding us according to His purpose and granting us life. Why do we need God to bless our strength? It may be asking the LORD to increase our strength to do the work He has called us to do. It can also mean asking God to make our endeavors effective and efficacious. Don’t we need this kind of blessing? No matter how proficient we are at something, we can always grow in it. We also know that, no matter how skillful we may be, we are always only one careless oversight away from a major failure. We must not forget to humbly ask the Lord to bless us when we engage in our work, especially when we feel confident. It would be well for us to remember that pride comes before the fall.

This petition to bless Levi’s strength is intimately connected with God’s acceptance of his work. Considering Levi’s calling, “the work of his hands” has a special reference to his work at the temple, especially assisting with offering sacrifices at the altar. You can see how important this petition is. Temple worship was the centerpiece of Israel’s life. This was visibly demonstrated to the people of Israel by the way their encampment was arranged: the tabernacle was placed at the center and the twelve tribes were encamped around it. This only made sense since the tabernacle/temple was where God chose to dwell among His people. The temple was also where sacrifices were offered for the atonement of their sins and the expression of their praise and gratitude to God. The LORD’s acceptance of their work was important not only for themselves but also for the rest of Israel because of their priestly role.

I’d like to take this opportunity to ask the Lord to pray on behalf of your elders, especially the teaching elders who are entrusted with the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. Even though they are not priests, mediating between you and God, they are the ones who minister the means of grace to you. For their work to be accepted by God means that it is ministered with efficacy for your spiritual growth. Let us also ask the Lord to bless our work to make it effective and fruitful as well as acceptable to Him as our worship.