SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 18

FINAL BLESSINGS

MOSES BLESSES ISRAEL

From Deuteronomy 33

Before he died, Moses gave this blessing to the people of Israel:

[From Mount Sinai Adonai came upon us, from Mount Seir He dawned upon us, from Mount Paran He shone upon us. With tens of thousands of holy ones at His right hand with flaming fire. He loves His people; Those consecrated to Him are in His hands. They have followed in His steps and received their directions from Him. Moses commanded a Law for us, a possession for the people of Jacob. Adonai was made King in Jeshurun, chosen by a great convocation of the leaders of the tribes. Let Reuben live and never die, but let his tribe increase. Adonai, hear the pleas of Judah, and bring him to his people. Give him strong hands, and help him conquer his foes. Grant Your Thummim and Urim to Godly Levi, whom You tested at Massah, with whom You wrestled at Meribah. He obeyed Your orders to punish sinners, even to members of his own family. He teaches Your Commandments to Jacob and Your Laws to Israel. He presents the incense to You, as well as the burnt offerings. Bless, O Adonai, the might of Levi, and accept the work of his hands. Crush his enemies, and let them never rise again. Benjamin is Adonai’s beloved; He lives beside him securely. Adonai surrounds him always and dwells with him. May Adonai’s blessing be on Joseph’s land, with choice gifts from heaven above and from earth below. Give him the richest fruits that grow beneath the sun, from the harvests that grow with the cycles of the moon. Let the choicest produce grow on the everlasting hills. May he be blessed with the best that the earth has to offer and with the favour of Adonai who appeared in the burning bush. Bless Joseph, the crown among his brothers, with all of these blessings. Like a young majestic bull with the horns of a wild ox, may he push the nations to the ends of the earth. May this blessing be upon the multitudes of Ephraim and upon the thousands of Manasseh. Rejoice when you go forth, Zebulun. Rejoice when you stay home, Issachar. They have invited people to their mountain, where they offer their sacrifices; They draw riches from the seas and treasures from the sand. Blessed are those who build Gad, who crouches like a lion tearing the arm and head. He took the choicest lands, reserved for the commander; He became the leader of the people, making sure Adonai’s commands were obeyed. Dan is like a lion’s cub, leaping forth from Bashan. Naphtali is satisfied with Adonai’s blessings, possessing the coast of the Mediterranean and the Negeb in the south. Asher is favoured above his brothers; He dips his feet in soothing oil. There is no god like the YHVH of Jeshurun, Who rides through the heavens in majesty to come to your rescue. The Eternal YHVH is your home; He puts His everlasting arms beneath you. He drives out your enemies before you and cries out for you to destroy them. In His care Israel lives in safety in a land of grain and wine, while heaven sends dew upon him. How richly blessed are you, O Israel, that other people have been rescued by Adonai? Adonai is your Shield and Helper, your Sword of Victory. Your enemies shall kneel before you, while you trample on their high places.]

COMMENTARY

LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: GLASS IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Moses blessed the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar with the {hidden treasures of the sand.} He was perhaps referring to something produced from sand that was highly prized and precious; glass. It is not known when or how glass was invented. The ancient historian Pliny claims that glass was first made by accident. A group of sailors from Phoenicia; present-day Syria and Lebanon; built a bonfire on the beach. The heat of the flame accidentally melted together all the necessary ingredients; silica from sand, lime from part of their cargo, soda from the seaweed and potash from the burnt wood; and glass was born. Whether or not this is the case, it is possible that the ancient Egyptians were the first people in the world to work with glass. Glass was extremely expensive in ancient Egypt. The process of making it was slow and took special skills. Wealthy Egyptian homes were equipped with gleaming glass pitchers, dishes, jars, perfume containers and many other glass vessels. The people wore glass beads, pendants, rings and amulets, all made from glass that had been coloured to resemble semi-precious stones like garnets, amethysts and turquoise. Egyptian glassmakers produced stunning colours in their glass by mixing it with metallic oxides; certain substances they got from various metals. Copper yielded shades of blue and green; cobalt produced an extremely deep midnight blue; gold imparted a deep pink colour; and other oxides yielded red, yellow, milky-white. Glassmakers treasured their skills. They kept their formulas secret by writing them in code. One such formula dates back to sixteen hundred years before Moshiach.