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Wednesday 10/21/26
Thru the Bible: Old Testament Review – Deuteronomy Part 3 & Joshua Part 1
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Thru the Bible: Old Testament Review – Deuteronomy Part 3 & Joshua Part 1
Overview of Deuteronomy Part 3 and Joshua Part 1
We ended in Deuteronomy 32 last week, leaving chapters 33-34 for tonight, just before we begin the book of Joshua.
Deuteronomy 33 is a prophetic description of the tribes of Israel which very much correlates with Jacob’s blessing over the sons who fathered the 12 tribes. That account was found in Genesis 49 and we did not go over that at the time, but tonight I will offer a side by side comparison.
Both examples were precipitated by the imminent passing of a leader. In this case, Moses gathered the tribes of Israel to speak prophetic words over their future territories and characters.
While both lists address similar subjects, they do so from differing angles and using different symbolisms and metaphors.
Jacob’s words were inspired prophetic blessings, the Hebrew word was nāg̱aḏ which means to declare and report something.
Moses’ words were prayers and prophetic forthtellings. The Hebrew word berāḵāh “blessing” was used. The general idea is one of good favor bestowed upon another, and in this case these were largely in keeping with God’s promises. But there is a difference between Joseph’s prophecies and Moses’ prayers and forthtellings.
The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah.
The blessings of a father are not, in most cases, predictive but proclamations over a son. They are called blessings because typically they were good and they did carry the power of patriarchal authority, but were very often in step with the knowledge a father had of his sons and an honest appraisal of where those character traits would take them as they were fleshed out in the days of their lives.
Most of these throughout scripture were good, if the son possessed predominately positive attributes. However, we do have a few examples of blessings which not even the love and vision of a father for his beloved sons could shape into something ultimately positive and we will see that.
So blessings were like a verb gift of a proclamation over a son which revealed to the son what the father saw in them. Their giftings, their strengths and where those traits might take them and how they might manifest. It was very powerful.
Any developmental psychologist or psychoanalysis who is worth their salt will tell you that such declarations over a son solidify them into manhood. They are now grounded.
Possessing a clear knowledge of how they appear in the eyes of their father defines a person. They know what their father believes concerning them. It answers the one question most in the modern world spend their entire lives in the pursuit of – identity!
The one person in the whole world who carries that power is a father and if he fails to communicate who their son is (and daughter) they will spend their lives in the pursuit of their father’s unspoken approval.
What Moses was doing was far more detached. It was predictive and purely inspired. His was not a pronouncement based upon the seeing of the eyes and the wishing of the heart, but was a manifestation of the spirits of knowledge and understanding which would also rest upon Messiah Jesus when He came. As such, Moses was looking into the future and with certain knowledge foretelling what was awaiting each tribe due to the choices they would make.
A direct comparison reveals how these two major blessings align and where they diverge:
Differences in Tone and Purpose:
The most significant divergence between the two accounts is the presence of discipline versus pure grace.
- Jacob’s Blessing (Prophecy and Reproof): Jacob speaks to his sons as a father who knows the strength of their characters as well as their personal flaws. His words contain harsh rebukes, historical grievances, and warnings alongside predictions of future inheritance.
- Moses’ Blessing (Pure Benediction): Moses speaks as a spiritual surrogate father. His address is stripped of all condemnation or mention of past sins, focusing strictly on divine favor, protection, and the tribes’ ultimate placement under God’s covenant.
So it is inappropriate to view these as contradictory, but rather complimentary. They are like two sides of the same coin and are a very unique way of conceptualizing the place where sovereign predictions and freewill intersect.
Comparison of Key Tribes and Subjects:
While both blessings use similar animal imagery and territory-based themes, their specific assessments of individual tribes vary dramatically:
|
Tribe |
Jacob’s Blessing (Genesis 49) |
Moses’ Blessing (Deuteronomy 33) |
Alignment Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reuben |
Praise highly: 1st of Jacob’s strength Rebuked strongly: Condemned for sleeping with Bilhah; Jacob states he will “no longer excel“. |
Preserved by Grace: Moses simply prays, “Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few“. |
The prayer of Moses seems to concur with the judgement of Jacob. It was a “even though this is true, may this happen” sort of thing. |
|
Simeon |
In temperment: Simeon and Levi are linked together by Jacob due to be alike in temperament. Cursed and Scattered: Due to violence at Shechem Jacob cursed their anger and desired to never be unified in their council. He pronounced a scattering and dividing of them among their brethren. |
Omitted Entirely: Simeon is completely left out of Moses‘ list. |
Agree (Silently): Simeon’s omission matches Jacob’s prophecy that they would dissolve into other territories. After entering the Promised Land, Simeon received land allotments directly from the southern parts of Judah because their population was small and weak. When the ten northern tribes split away, Simeon largely aligned with or lived within the southern Kingdom of Judah, surviving the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE. Following the Babylonian exile this became the shared condition of most tribal genealogies outside of Levi and Judah in that they blended into the whole of the Jewish nation rather than separate tribes. Most still knew their lineage, but there were no tribal divisions to speak of. |
|
Levi |
See above |
Elevated to Priesthood: Praised for loyalty during the Golden Calf incident; given the Urim, Thummim, and teaching role. A prayer to God to be pleased with his efforts. |
Contradictory Context: Jacob punishes their violence; Moses rewards their priestly devotion. This agrees with God’s promise that if a man does evil all his life, but at the end turns – what will be remembered is his righteousness. |
|
Judah |
The Royalty and reigning power: Praised as a lion; promised the scepter, the praise of his brothers, the obedience of nations until it is handed over to Messiah to whom it belongs. Symbolisms of redemption through blood bringing righteousness. |
The Needy Combatant: Was a prayer more than a pronouncement. Asking God to listen to Judah’s voice, bring him to his people and help him against his foes. |
This was a yin/yang comparison. While Judah did reign independent and longer than the united northern tribes, and Messiah as the Lion came from them with righteousness through His blood, the prayer of Moses was that Judah’s prayers be heard, that the Messiah be brought to His people and aided against all who came against Him. This likely has future Messianic fulfillment still to come. |
|
Joseph (Ephriam & Manasseh) |
Bountiful and Strong: Celebrated as prolific & fruitful, powerful & victorious against their enemies due to Messiah hands upon them. Immense blessings of the deep, the skies, offspring. |
Exalted Double Portion: Like Jacob’s word, Moses pronounces lavish blessings in agriculture and massive military power for Ephraim and Manasseh. But included the favor of the One in the burning bush. |
Strong Agreement: Both texts mark Joseph out for unmatched material abundance and numerical dominance. Ephraim is Judah’s counterpoint and reveals the suffering servant aspect of Jesus while Judah His rule and authority. Ezekiel 37:15–28, brings these together when God commanded him to take two sticks—one labeled for Judah and the other for Joseph/Ephraim—and hold them together until they miraculously become one stick in his hand. |
|
Zebulun |
Maritime Trade: Focused on dwelling by the haven of the sea & being a haven for ships. . |
Economic Wealth: Commanded to rejoice in their going out and tents, drawing out the abundance of the seas. |
Strong Agreement: Both highlight their unique coastal/commercial geography. |
|
Issachar |
Strong & laborious: Described as a strong-boned donkey who settles between saddlebags. His land will be pleasant but he will be another’s servant as the price. |
Blessed with Zebulun |
See Above |
|
Dan |
Judge & victorious: A judge compared to a viper which though small, gains the upper hand of his enemies. |
A lion’s cub who will leap forth from Bashan. This likely signifies their eventual conquering of Laish just west of Bashan. It was the land that fell to them by lot and was a rich land fertile soil & abundant water supply. It marked the northernmost anchor point of the nation. |
This appears to be an affiliation through different metaphors. Together they can be seen as Dan, though small, did take a land by stealth and cunning that was rich in soil and water and marked the northernmost point of Israel’s corporate land mass. |
|
Gad |
Raided but fighting: Described as raided by marauders but as striking back in the end. |
Described as a lioness that attacks. Of the kill, the best part is set aside for himself – who obeyed the righteous laws and ordinances of the Lord. |
Both passages trace the evolution of the tribe from a vulnerable, heavily raided frontier group into fierce, counter-attacking warriors. They secured the fertile lands of Gilead east of the Jordan and kept its promise to help the rest of Israel conquer Canaan. |
|
Asher |
Rich land & great provision: This seems to be largely attributes of the land that would fall to them by lot. It was a land of High-Quality Wheat and abundant Olive Oil. They did provide for the delicacies of King Solomon and also served as specialized warriors. Notably Anna the prophetess, served God day and night in the temple and was among the very few in Israel who recognized Jesus for Who He was a Messiah even as a baby. |
Blessed with offspring, Moses said, “may he be favored by his brothers and may he dip his foot in olive oil.” The word “foot” was sometimes used as a euphemism for the genitals, especially of the woman, which would make this a fertility blessing but also a reference to the abundance of olive oil they enjoyed. This continued with the hope that their gates would stand strong for a long time. |
Both blessings refer to agriculture and offspring. After Manasseh and Benjamin, Asher exhibited the 3rd greatest increase in numbers among all the other tribes. |
|
Naphtali |
Free-spirited & bearer of good news: The description given for Naphtali is very difficult to understand through the symbolism offered. But that the tribe would be free-spirited evokes notions of swift and agile which connects with the beautiful words perhaps referring to messages. |
Overflowing with the Lord’s blessing, they are encouraged to possess the west and the south. While the land was geographically apportioned to Naphtali under Joshua, the fulfillment of actually possessing it safely was stalled for centuries until Barak arose by the prophetic encouragement of Deborah. |
While they use different metaphors, Moses‘ statement effectively functions as the physical fulfillment of the poetic future Jacob foretold. The connection is not immediately obvious but Naphtali inherited the Galilee region. This tribe’s land became the exact backdrop where Jesus Christ delivered the vast majority of His “beautiful words” in the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom. |
|
Benjamin |
Eager, ravenous & dividing the plunder: |
Beloved of the Lord will dwell safely by God Who continually protects him and places him between his shoulders. |
Both statements address the tribe of Benjamin, but they represent a dramatic contrast and evolution—shifting from raw, fierce martial strength to divine security and favor. The phrase “dwells between his shoulders“ is often understood by biblical commentators as a geographic or spiritual allusion to the Temple/Jerusalem, whose physical location eventually rested within the tribal territory of Benjamin. |
In the end, the two blessings function a lol like bookends to the Pentateuch.
From their humble beginnings as a small but growing family, Jacob looks at the tribes through the lens of family history and human character. His “blessings” carry the tone of a father and include details from their beginnings as a people.
Moses, on the other hand, looks at them through the lens of fulfilled prophecy and divine destiny. His words focusing more upon the promised land and on how God will supernaturally sustain them and bring about His Messianic promises despite their failings.
Now we are just going to read the final chapter of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12,
“(1) Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan, (2) all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, (3) the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.
(4) The LORD then said to him,
“This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”
(5) So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said. (6) He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth–peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is.
(7) Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.
(8) The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
(9) Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him.
So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
(10) No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.
(11) He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do against the land of Egypt–to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land, (12) and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”
Overview of Joshua
Joshua 1:1-18,
“(1) After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses:
(2) “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. (3) I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. (4) Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River–all the land of the Hittites–and west to the Mediterranean Sea.
(5) No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.
(6) “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. (7) Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you.
Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.
(8) This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
(9) Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(10) Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:
(11) “Go through the camp and tell the people,
‘Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.'”
(12) Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh:
(13) “Remember what Moses the LORD’s servant commanded you when he said,
‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ (14) Your wives, young children, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your fighting men must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them (15) until the LORD gives our brothers rest, as He has given you, and they too possess the land the LORD your God is giving them.
You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”
(16) They answered Joshua,
“Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. (17) We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
(18) Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death.
Above all, be strong and courageous!”
1st lesson is regarding the second spying out of the land. Two men were sent in.
The intentions of God with Pharaoh and Egypt did their job in causing the fame of God and the fear of Him and His people Israel to go before them.
Rahab told the men that Jericho had heard of all God did for Israel and they knew their God was the God of all creation. So placing her faith in God and these two men, she saved her family and herself and coupled together with the faith and good report of these two men aided the conquering Jericho.
Now you may remember that I told you that the well accepted findings of a British Archeologist in the 1950s caused the Biblical account to appear false. Her name was Kathleen Kenyon and she had carried out an excavation of that area. She arrived at the conclusion that there was no evidence that the walls of Jericho mentioned in the Bible surrounded that city at the end of the Late Bronze era – which would loosely correspond to the dating of the Jericho conquest of Israel mentioned in the book of Joshua.
Not surprisingly this is the account of the Jericho wall on Wikipedia as well. However, further investigation of the area throughout this last century tells quite another story…one that most Google searches will neglect to reveal.
In Deuteronomy 9, we have an account of Moses telling Israel that they were now about to cross the Jordan river, to dispossess nations which were greater and stronger than themselves, having large cities with walls that reached high up towards the sky. Evidently Kenyon did meticulous work but arrived at wrong conclusions due to mis-dating.
Her findings showed a Jericho that had indeed been heavily fortified and burned by fire, but she had incorrectly concluded that the Bronze Age city of Jericho had been destroyed by the Egyptians around 1550 B.C.. Later investigations and analysis of the evidence, has revealed that the destruction actually took place around 1400 B.C. (end of the Late Bronze I period), which is precisely when the Bible says the conquest occurred.
The Fallen Walls
According to Joshua 6:20, the wall “fell down flat”. The Hebrew words depict that the wall literally fell beneath itself. Archaeological evidence provides us with a picture which corresponds to that account. It appears that the mudbrick city wall collapsed and was deposited at the base of the stone retaining wall when the siege took place.
An account on this from Kenyon’s own work was very detailed. Evidently on the west of the tell, at the bottom of the retaining wall she found,
“fallen red bricks piling nearly to the top of the revetment. These probably came from the wall on the summit of the bank [and/or] … the brickwork above the revetment.”
40 plus years later, excavating the southern end of the mound, an Italian team found the exact same thing.
Now, if you remember Rahab’s house was incorporated INTO the wall of Jericho, so if the walls fell, how was she and her family spared when they were supposed to stay inside her home with a scarlet cord tied outside? According to Joshua 2:12-21; 6:17 & 6:22-23 they were indeed spared.
Well again, archaeology has shed some light on this as well. You see, at the north end of the tell of Jericho, the German excavation of 1907–1909 found a small stretch of the lower city wall did not fall like everywhere else. An 8 foot high portion of that mudbrick wall was still standing. Furthermore, that section of wall still had the clear remains of intact houses built against the wall!
This was clearly the “low-income” area of Jericho, what we might call the slums.
Some things never change, but regardless of where the spies found Rahab, she was NOT invisible to God or the Holy Spirit Who worked on her heart to convince it and compel it to act in faith.
The final question is, if there were two walls, and it is the city walls that fell, how did the Israelites get over the 12-15 foot wall at the base of the tell?
Again, archaeology reveals something about that as well. Evidently the bricks from the collapsed upper walls formed a ramp against the retaining wall by which the Israelites could easily climb to the top.
It is interesting how precise the Bible is about this. It is something one could easily read over or past if they did not have this knowledge, but the passage actually tells us that they had to climb up into the city. The wording was, “the people went up into the city, every man straight before him”.
As I’ve told you many times, the Bible is the ONLY religious text which offers specific places, dates, names and events which when pressed upon even by secular science, stands the test and proves true. Some of these facts did not get revealed until over 40 years after the Kenyon expedition and no doubt many people’s faith was severely challenged by what seemed like incontrovertible evidence running contrary to the scriptural account. But faith needs no evidence, it simply knows, and in the end the truth will be revealed. Maybe not in our lifetime, but it will be revealed, so do not lose faith.
