| “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12). |
| This beautiful verse comes near the end of the book of Deuteronomy. In some parts of that book, particularly toward the end, Moses had to warn the children of Israel of what would happen to them if they disobeyed the Lord, and worshiped false gods. He spoke very faithfully to them, for he said, “I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you” (Deuteronomy 31:29). The Lord Himself knew very well that the children of Israel would not follow His ways, but would rebel against Him. |
| Yet the Lord was gracious to them, and gave them a wonderful blessing through Moses, just before he died. Moses loved the Lord, and he loved the people of Israel. He had led them through the wilderness for forty years, and had seen and heard all of the complaining and rebellion that had happened during that time. Yet he blessed the people, urging them to be faithful to the Lord, so that they would enjoy His blessing. |
| How beautiful are the words of our verse today! Just as Israel was beloved of the Lord, so we are also. The Lord wants to protect us “all the day long,” and keep us “between His shoulders.” The shoulders in a man are his place of strength, and you may remember that when the shepherd had found the lost sheep (Luke 15:5), he placed it on his shoulders and brought it home. The Lord Jesus wants to carry us too, and keep us from harm. He was willing to do this for the children of Israel, and is willing to do it for us too. |
