Jeshurun... (part 2)
Yesterday we looked at "Jesuhurun", the "pet name" God gives to Israel.
We saw how the name is ironic in that it means "upright" but we know that Israel was not always upright. We also saw that it was prophetic in the sense that Israel (and you and I) would become upright because of what Jesus did for us on the cross when He died to atone for our sins.
Today we look at the rest of this passage, remembering that it is the conclusion to the blessings Moses was pronouncing over the 12 tribes before they entered the Promised Land under the newly appointed Joshua. And let's recognise that this is the Spirit-inspired heartfelt blessing of a leader who had served his flock through thick and thin for over 40 years...
It needs to be said that while this passage may sound triumphalistic, it is a promise given to a nation that has experienced slavery, the hardship of the wilderness, the consequences of disobedience and the reality of waiting. This is no "name it and claim it" theology for armchair Christians, these are precious promises to pilgrims and sojourners.
And so the promise comes to Jeshurun, (the not-so-upright-but-forgiven-and-beloved Israel). The promise is that the glorious God (who rides the clouds in majesty) will also be the arms that catch and hold them. This again echoes the irony of "Jeshurun": God is "up there" and we should strive to live up to His holiness, but when we stumble He will catch us "down there".
And so He will ultimately drive out our enemies and grant us security and victory over our enemies. This is the promise given to those who would journey with God. Not quick fixes, not name-it-and-claim-it, but journey.
| "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' So Israel will live in safety alone; Jacob's spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew. Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places. " (Deuteronomy33:26-29) |
