Bible Study With Jairus

Bible Study with Jarius – Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben Live: A Study of Pride, Loss, and Redemption

Bible Study with Jarius – Deuteronomy 33:6
Let Reuben Live: A Study of Pride, Loss, and Redemption

“Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.” – Deuteronomy 33:6

 

Why Reuben Matters

Moses proclaims prophetic blessing over the twelve tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33. These blessings are not sentimental farewells. They are spiritual verdicts, prayers, and revelations that expose both human failure and divine mercy.

Each tribe carries a distinct story. Each reveals a different way humanity falls, and a different way God saves. Together, the twelve tribes form a complete testimony of redemption — how sinners are confronted, judged, humbled, and ultimately restored by grace.

Today, we turn to Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

Reuben is not often preached as a hero. His story is uncomfortable and forces us to look honestly at pride, self-deception, and the devastating cost of unchecked desire. But it also reveals something powerful: God’s refusal to abandon a fallen son.

Many believers may see themselves in Reuben. We fail in the same ways time and time again. But let us turn to the story and look into the light of hope found there.

Knowing God’s Nature, Not Just His Acts

Before we examine Reuben’s failure, we must understand a foundational principle of this study: Knowing God’s nature is essential to spiritual stability.

Many believers know what God does, but do not truly know who God is. They know His miracles, His commandments, His blessings — but not His heart.

Many believers know what God does, but far fewer know who God is.

When we only know God’s actions, faith easily becomes rule-following. Religion and practice replace relationship and love. Obedience becomes external rather than internal. This is how idol worship begins, even inside the church.

Knowing God’s nature protects us from falling and reveals His principles. It guards us from pride and from falling into religious legalism. When we know Him in this way, we gain a deeper and fuller understanding of how God views sin, repentance, judgment, and grace.

Without that knowing, even sincere believers can slip into religious legalism or idol worship. We may think we are serving God, while actually serving our own pride, our own standards, or our own image of righteousness.

This is why Scripture consistently calls God’s people not just to obey, but to know Him.

Knowing ourselves and our sinful nature is the next big thing. We must understand our fallen human nature. Knowing God and knowing ourselves are the keys to understand the prophetic word toward the twelve tribes by Jacob and Moses. In both of their prophecies, Jacob and Moses pinpoint the goodness of God and individual characteristics, even failures of each tribe. But their fates do not stop there. These prophetic words also point to their redemption of their future. There are three pillars to understand the prophecies regarding the twelve tribes of Israel: God’s goodness, our fallen nature, and God’s redemption. Only through these lenses, can we understand their prophetic futures.

A Warning from the Pharisees

Consider this familiar scene from the Gospels that illustrates the danger of legalism.

When a sinful woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, the Pharisees were offended. According to the law, she was unclean. According to their religious standards, she should have been rejected. The Pharisees knew the law. They knew the rules. From their perspective, this woman was unworthy. Their judgment was based on external behavior and religious standards.

Jesus, however, revealed the heart of God. He did not excuse sin, but He recognized repentance, humility, and love. Where the Pharisees saw a violation, Jesus saw a transformed heart. This moment exposes a dangerous truth: You can follow religious rules and still be completely blind to grace.

It is possible to defend religious correctness while actively resisting God’s grace. Without knowing God’s heart, even sincere believers can oppose the very work God is doing. In the case of the Pharisees, they missed the heart of God, and they did not know their own fallen nature. Hence they also missed the prophetic future of this woman. When an amateur sees a gold mine, he only sees dirt. When a professional miner sees it, he discovers gold.

When the Pharisees saw only a sinful woman, Jesus saw the prophetic future of a beautiful member of the body of Christ. The Pharisees only saw the dirt, but Jesus saw the gold. Jesus saw a bride without any wrinkle and a royal priesthood. Our perspectives about God’s heart, our fallen nature, and God’s redemption plan determine if we understand any prophecies. Prophecy is about the future; it may require us to see through the dirt of the past (and even the present) to find the gold of the future.

Pride: The Veil Over the Heart

At the root of Reuben’s story is pride. Pride convinces us that we see clearly when we do not. It places a veil over the heart, making us think that self-examination is unnecessary. Pride is what causes us to feel offended rather than repentant when we are corrected. We consistently think that we are really “not that bad” and devise all kinds of excuses to ignore the seriousness of the harm we cause because of our bad choices and selfish sin.

Pride blinds us to God’s heart and His principles of righteousness and truth. When pride governs the heart:

• We excuse our sin
  • We underestimate its consequences
  • We resist accountability
  • We confuse confidence with righteousness

Pride does not merely lead to failure. It hardens the heart against repentance. This is the spiritual environment in which Reuben fell.

Pride is a false identity; it cannot handle negligence and humiliation. Thus pride leads to hatred. Reuben’s story and my homeland’s story of pride are similar. China was proud. The Chinese name for China literally means “Central Kingdom” and Japan was always associated with the word “small” in the Chinese history. China proudly called herself “Big China” and called Japan “Small Japan.” This concept lingers even today. My Japanese student in China told me a story. She did not recognize a huge Chinese spring onion as spring onion, so she asked a Chinese chef “What is this?” The Chinese chef proudly said, “This is BIG SPRINGONION, you don’t have this big spring onion in your small Japan, do you?”

Pride is a way China tries to disguise the humiliation of almost being conquered by this small Japan. Pride is what lingers today, with the blessing of yesterday.

Why was Reuben full of pride? Because he was the first born? Or because he was the son of the first wife of his father? He may have thought he was entitled to everything. Maybe the pride, negligence, and humiliation from Jacob and Rachel toward Leah, Reuben, and his brothers caused them to harbor inner hatred in their hearts. He may have been resentful to his father.

Bilhah, the maid of Rachel was also neglected by Jacob. Her two sons were taken away by Rachel. Satan utilized their hatred to commit the sins against Jacob. On the surface it was lust that caused their sin, but in their hearts it was hatred due to negligence and humiliation.

Pride is a façade; it is a false identity. Our real identity should be in the Son of God. I believe ancient China worshipped the one true God, but she has fallen to idol worship. This is why God allows humiliation to come upon her.

Humiliation can lead to hatred, but it also leads to humbling. China still uses national pride to control and mobilize Chinese people. Whenever there is a crisis for the government, they utilize Japan as a threat and pass humiliation. They claim that only their leadership united the Chinese people to defeat Japan. But this narrative of "defeating Japan" under Communist Party guidance is built on a false foundation — a false identity.

China must turn to find God and become a Christian nation—a nation with a true identity.

Pride is not unique to a specific group of people. It is a human sin in its nature. It does not only happen in countries without knowledge of the Gospel like China, it also happens to countries that have historically had Christian roots. Today the greatest danger for the Christian West is pride. This is a false identity. We linger in the pride of yesterday’s familiarity with God, but we forget the intimacy with God that we need today. Our true identity in Christ will make us humble before God and become more closely united with him. This will protect us from falling away from any entitlement as Reuben who lost his birthright even though he was the firstborn.

Reuben the Firstborn

Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn son. By birthright, he stood first in authority, inheritance, and responsibility. The firstborn was meant to carry a spiritual symbol of leadership and priestly authority.

Yet Reuben committed a grave sin. He defiled his father’s bed (Genesis 49:4, 1 Chronicles 5:1 ESV), violating covenant order and moral boundaries. This was not a private mistake. It was a spiritual rebellion.

As a result, Reuben lost what could not be recovered by human effort:

• His birthright
  • His authority
  • His inheritance
  • His place in the lineage of Jesus Christ

Jacob’s words in Genesis 49 over Reuben are severe. Scripture does not minimize the cost of sin.

“Sinning” is synonymous with “being lost in identity.” We sin when we forget our identity as children of God. The moment that the prodigal son in Luke 15 lost his identity, he sinned. The moment he realized he was the son of his father and that his father was rich, he stopped sinning.

Sinning is a coping mechanism for those who have lost their identity. Just like using drugs, alcohol, and being addicted to pornography is a coping mechanism to ease pain, sinning is a temporary coping mechanism for those who are lost. Reuben lost his identity! Losing his birthright is just a picture of the fact that he lost his identity.

There is no sin in the first three chapters of the Bible in Genesis or in the last three chapters of the Bible in Revelation. Sin is only temporary in time and there is no sin in eternity. We are on a journey where sin is present with us. But just because sin is temporary does not mean it does not have consequences, even huge consequences.

Consequences Written into History

Reuben’s failure echoed through generations: His tribe became small. His influence diminished. His legacy was marked by instability.

Most significantly, Reuben lost the heavenly blessing of becoming part of Christ’s genealogy. The firstborn position passed to his brother, Joseph. “His birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he could not be enrolled as the oldest son” (1 Chronicles 5:1b ESV).

This is a sobering reminder: Grace does not eliminate consequences. God forgives, but sin still causes irreversible damage. Yet the damage is not the end of the story.

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV). It is true for us today and it was true for Reuben then.

Moses’ Prayer: Let Reuben Live

When Moses blesses the tribes in Deuteronomy 33:6 (ESV), he speaks a short but powerful prayer: “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”

This prayer reveals the heart of God beyond the judgment of the law. Reuben deserved total annihilation, but Moses asks that God, in His mercy, would let him live and limit his punishment.

Notice that the consequence remains. Moses does not ask God to restore Reuben’s birthright. He does not reverse history. Instead, he intercedes for mercy on Reuben’s behalf.

Generations later, something remarkable happens. Reuben’s descendants do not remain passive. They search their hearts. They repent. They rise up to fight alongside the other tribes for God’s kingdom. And their story shifts from failure to faithfulness.

In the final vision we find in Scripture, Reuben is not missing. His name is included on the pearly gates of New Jerusalem. “And on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed” (Revelation 21:12 ESV).

How can humiliation bring forth real humility? How does a curse become blessing? It takes time to realize and it requires God’s illumination. God not only works through words, but also through circumstances. That is called the discipline of the Holy Spirit. God will allow you to go through troubles until you come to repentance. It takes time and it also takes another life. It is the life of Christ, and it is the life of a pearl.

From Sinful Son to Pearly Gate

A pearl is formed through irritation and injury. What begins as a damaging wound becomes something beautiful through patience and transformation. Reuben’s story follows this pattern.

What began as disgrace becomes an entrance into glory.

This reveals a deep truth about salvation: God does not merely forgive sinners. He transforms them into gateways of grace for others.

Imagine Reuben talking with his brothers on the pearly gates of New Jerusalem. Reuben says, “I thought I was the firstborn and that I should receive all the attention. But both me and my mom were neglected. Negligence caused me to harbor hate toward my father and my aunt Rachel. I defiled the bed of my father with Bihah. I lost my earthly blessing, and I missed the opportunity to become an ancestor of Christ. God would not have deprived me of this blessing if I had not sinned.” Simeon says, “My heart was full of hatred toward Joseph, and I thought the way to solve my problem was to go rid of Joseph. I lost that blessing too.” Levi says, “I blindly followed Simeon, I killed many people. I lost the blessing too.” Judah says, “I also lost my identity by leaving the land of Judah. I got lost in the land of Moab and my wife and two sons died. It is God’s chastisement to me. I would’ve never made it into the genealogy of Christ without Tamar. She is more righteous than I.” Reuben says finally, “Brothers, thank God! We are all here now and our names are all written on the pearl gates of New Jerusalem. God is good. What Satan meant for evil, God used for good. He used our pain to transform us while Satan tried to use it to demonize us. Finally, God has won! We are transformed to the living stone of God’s temple. Praise God!”

Failure Does Not Define You

Reuben’s story speaks directly to believers who carry shame: Failure is not your identity. Sin is serious. Consequences are real. But repentance and grace open a future that the law and judgment alone would close. Salvation is not determined by human theology or religious reputation. It is judged by God, who sees the heart. Through Christ, sinners become sons. Broken stories become testimonies. Loss becomes purpose.

I am a living illustration of this truth. When I came to London to study, I encountered the Gospel on the street. I heard people were mimicking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in a play and the word of the Gospel pierced my heart. I realized I was a total failure. I was broke and had no money to finish my schooling. I was sinful to betray those who loved me. An English sister, Emma, told me about Jesus and asked me to receive him. She prayed for me, “I pray a group of loving Christians will surround you in America.” I came to America and almost became homeless. But God answered Emma’s prayer to send a group of Christians to help me.

I was saved through the Gospel because others acted as pearl gates in my life — believers who carried the message of salvation and opened a way for grace to enter. I testified to my parents, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus. I became the pearl gate to bring them into New Jerusalem.

This is the calling of the church. This is also the calling of the Jews in the end time as God says in the time of restoration, all the Gentles will grab the clothes of Jews to beg them to bring them to worship God in Zion (Zechariah 8:22-23). We are not saved merely for ourselves. We are shaped to become entrances through which others may encounter Christ.

A Call to Share the Word

If this message has touched your heart, I invite you to partner in spreading the gospel.

Please consider leaving a Google review for Jarius Bible Word Ministry. Like, comment, forward, and share this message so that it may reach others.

The platform may be small. Language may feel limited. But the Holy Spirit is not limited.

Let all those like Rueben, all who have fallen into the snare of sin and death, rise again through the grace of God to live anew for truth and righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us be the gates through which others are led into the heavenly kingdom.

 

Devotional Reflection

Reuben confronts us with uncomfortable honesty. Pride blinds. Sin destroys. You will face consequences. This is a truth that applies to all of us, no matter the sin. Pride is a presumption of who we are not, and it is a false identity. Sin is a coping mechanism and an acronym for losing your identity.

Yet grace persists. Jesus Christ is the oyster and we are the pearls. Though his wounds and ours, we will become the gate of God’s city. Sinners can come in if they repent and the king of the earth will bring forth the glory to the city (Revelation 21:24).

If you are carrying regret, ask the Holy Spirit what He may be redeeming through it. Loss is not always the end. Sometimes it is the beginning of transformation.

Reflection Questions

1. Where might pride be preventing honest self-examination in your life?
2. What consequences of past choices are you still carrying?
3. How does Moses’ prayer for Reuben reshape your understanding of grace?
4. In what ways could God be transforming your failure into a doorway for others?
5. What would it mean for you to live as a “pearl gate” of salvation today?

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 24:10–18 LAWS ABOUT JUSTICE TOWARD THE OPPRESSED

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 24:10–18

LAWS ABOUT JUSTICE TOWARD THE OPPRESSED

Scripture Reading

“When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you. And it shall be righteousness for you before the LORD your God.

You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is poor and counts on it, lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.

Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.

You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this.”

Deuteronomy 24:10–18 ESV

Introduction

Today’s passage discusses justice for the fatherless, the widow, the poor, and the immigrant. Before we dive into this topic, I want to connect this passage to the current situation in America.

Today, the American church is deeply divided in their attitude toward immigrants. Some Christians quote this passage and others to show that we should be loving towards immigrants and other neighbors. This is clearly taught in the Bible. But other Christians argue that Satan can use our false sympathy to welcome many immigrants whose beliefs are not in line with Christian values. These Christians argue that if we are not aware of Satan’s schemes, our nation may eventually become like Europe, heavily influenced by Islam. This division among Christians contributes to the political and cultural division in society at large.

As Christians, how should we interpret this passage in Deuteronomy? I am hoping to interpret it from the perspective of the three pillars of the Bible: Priesthood, Law and Prophets. I pray that this understanding will help us to maneuver the difficult situation in the world today.

Three Essential Pillars for Understanding Old Testament Truth

Some years ago, a survey revealed that many people do not read the Bible simply because they do not understand it. This statement is supported by a common Chinese saying: “Those who have the privilege of reading the Old Testament often never make it past Exodus, and those who read the New Testament rarely go beyond Romans.” After Exodus, readers encounter laws, rituals, and regulations that feel dense and difficult. Similarly, in the New Testament, after Romans, the depth of doctrine can appear overwhelming and complex.

If Chinese Christians, who are some of the most hardworking Bible readers in the world, still struggle with these passages, how much more do many Americans struggle! This is understandable. The Bible is not a book that can be rightly understood without the help of the Holy Spirit and proper instruction. As you read this article, I pray that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things (see John 14:26).

To help us understand this passage in Deuteronomy, I want to share three pillars that are essential for understanding the Old Testament and, by extension, the whole Bible.

If you asked me to summarize the entire Old Testament, I would say three things: Priesthood, Law, and Prophets.

1. The largest portion of the Old Testament describes the priests and the temple they served. The priests not only took care of the temple of God and maintained the dwelling place for the presence of God, but also helped the poor, the weak, and the sojourners. In the New Testament, Peter says that we as believers are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
2. Another large portion of the Old Testament describes the law given by Moses. The law reflected the nature of God, who cares deeply for those who are weak and deprived. In the New Testament, Paul says that the law has been written on our hearts as the law of spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).
3. Another significant portion of the Old Testament contains the writings and stories of prophets. The ministry of the prophets was to help the people of God find His will in each unique situation. God specifically said that he would decide each case individually, not allowing a child to die for the sins of their fathers or vice versa. The prophets helped bring this individualized, situational wisdom to the people. Like the prophets of old, New Testament believers are anointed by the Holy Spirit, who guides us (1 John 2:27).

Understanding these three pillars will help us understand the Old Testament, specifically the passages we are reading today. When we encounter a passage, it is very helpful to ask three questions to better understand it.

• Priests: How can we fulfill our priestly duty by helping this person with their needs and bringing them closer to him?
• Law: How is God’s nature shown by this passage? How can we help this person understand the nature of God?
• Prophets: What is the unique situation here and how is God leading the person?

We will examine the Deuteronomy passage using these three aspects. Understanding our present-day priestly ministry, awareness of God’s nature, and attentiveness to God’s leading will help us to not only grasp the meaning of this passage but also apply it to our everyday experience.

Note: You may wonder why we are not including the kings in this summary. Please understand that the kingship was set up when the Israelites failed to function as priests to God. The book of 1 Peter uses the words “royal priesthood,” indicating that priesthood and kingship have been reunited as one in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:9). So we are treating them as one entity.

The Priesthood

First, we must understand the important role of priests. One of the roles of the priests in the Old Testament was to take care of the temple, perform the sacrifices, and assist with worship. They maintained the house of God, the dwelling place for God’s presence. Today, the body of Christ, the church, is also the temple of God on earth (Ephesians 2:21-22). Our individual bodies are also described as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Bible says that sinning against our body is sinning against the Lord, since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, if we are joined with a prostitute, we are one body with the prostitute, but if we are joined with the Lord, we are one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Our holiness and unity are important. We must take care of the unity of Christ’s body and the purity of our individual bodies.

In order to remain holy, and tend to the presence of God among us, we must fulfill our priestly duty to deal with sin. In the Old Testament, sin was atoned for through the blood of animals, which covered their sin. In the New Testament, the blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin. However, we must also confess and turn from our sin and live holy lives so we can be a pure dwelling place for God’s Spirit. We must first be clean and holy ourselves so we can become mediators on behalf of others. 

However, many Christians in America today are not fulfilling their priestly duties. They are living in sinful habits and are unaware of the presence of God. They not only experience personal moral failures, but also mistreat the weak, the poor, the widow, and the sojourner, which is considered sin in the eyes of God. When individual Christians neglect their priestly duty to confess their personal sins and experience the presence of God in their personal lives, it will be difficult for the church at large or the body of Christ as a whole to experience a strong sense of God’s presence.

Taking care of our personal holiness and tending to the presence of God in our lives is only one aspect of the duty of the priesthood. We must also take care of others and intercede for them. It is commonly known that Old Testament priests had to help their fellow Israelites prepare their sacrifices. It is hard to imagine a good priest refusing to help an Israelite offer their sacrifice to the Lord. But it’s less commonly known that priests were also required to take care of widows, orphans, poor people, and foreigners. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus denounced the priest who refused to help the man who was beaten almost to death by a thief (Luke 10:31).

Similarly, as a holy priesthood, we must take care of people’s physical needs so that they can get closer to God. One Chinese preacher stated that the love and care we show to unbelievers helps prepare them to receive the gospel. Just like a Chinese cook must warm the pot before adding the oil and the other ingredients, we must love people to prepare them to receive Christ’s truth. Showing love and care is like warming the pot.

We can draw several other analogies from this metaphor. On the one hand, if we don’t love people, it is like throwing ingredients and oil into a cold pot. The pot will not be pre-warmed and the food will not cook correctly. The person will not be receptive to the gospel. On the other hand, if we love people with purely human sympathy without sharing the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, it is like adding ingredients to a burning-hot pot with no oil in it. The ingredients will scorch and will not cook properly.

However, when we warm our listeners with the true love of Christ, their hearts will be prepared to receive God’s word. For example, when we preach to Chinese students on U.S. campuses, we first warm their hearts by loving on them. Then we preach the gospel to them from God’s word. As a result, many receive Jesus Christ into their hearts. This model is followed by many Christians around the world and by Jesus Christ Himself. He first walked beside the disciples on the road to Emmaus for eleven miles, listening to their grief and warming their hearts, before he explained God’s word and helped them understand the meaning of his death and resurrection. Similarly, in the book of Acts, the apostles appointed godly men to provide food for the widows who were being neglected. After this event, the book of Acts reports that many priests believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 6:7). I do not believe this is a coincidence. I believe the priests’ hearts were warmed by this demonstration of love to the poor and needy. Since priests were commissioned to serve both God and man, they were touched by the apostles’ and evangelists’ acts. As the priests saw the Christians caring for the poor, the priests’ hearts turned to Jesus.

If we want to understand the Word of God, we must view it through the lens of priesthood. As good priests, God wants us to serve both God and man. We must strike a good balance between loving people and maintaining the holiness of God. Loving people without maintaining the holiness of God’s temple will lead to corruption. American churches who demonstrate love and kindness without maintaining a high standard of morality will eventually become woke. On the other hand, churches who focus only on God’s standards may run the risk of disobeying God’s command to love the poor, the immigrant, and the needy.

The Law

Second, we must understand God’s nature as revealed in these laws. God revealed his standards in the Old Testament law, including this passage. But God’s intention is not to just reveal who he is. He also desires that we become partakers of his holiness. God wanted the nation of Israel to be "a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). Jesus taught us to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). If we only stop at knowing who God is, we will fall short. God not only desires that we know who he is, but also that we become like him.

Understanding the law of God means not only knowing his nature but also imitating his nature. If we study the law of God but ignore the compassion of God, like the Pharisees did, we will totally miss the mark. However, if we emphasize only God’s love without balancing it with his justice, we will also miss God’s heart. In order to love immigrants in a balanced way, we need to understand God’s heart and become like him.

One time a Vietnamese Christian brother told me, “My daughter does not like immigrants, even though she is the daughter of an immigrant. Many second- and third-generation immigrants do not welcome new immigrants because they think these immigrants will take up their resources.”

I replied, “Through God’s mercy, we were allowed to come to the United States as immigrants. Apart from this opportunity, we may never have had the chance to get saved or to gain a Christian education which has enabled us to serve God and his church in such a powerful way. Furthermore, our kids would not have had the opportunity to be born in this wonderful country.”

So when we come to some passages like this, we should seek the heart of God as revealed in these laws. If we don’t understand the heart of God, we may end up becoming legalistic. Even if we can recite the verses word for word, we may not grasp the true meaning. Just like the Pharisees, we may need Jesus’ corrective words: “I desire compassion [for those in distress] and not [animal] sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13 AMPL).

The Prophets

Now that we understand the heart of God and the holiness of God, we must ask ourselves, “How can we become holy as he is?” To answer this question, we need the ministry of the prophet. The prophet provides guidance in each unique situation with the goal of helping us partake in the holiness of God.

God loves justice and will not pardon sin, but God also wants his judgement to be carried out according to his leading in each individual instance. His word says, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16). In other words, we do not legalistically judge people without looking at the unique situation.

When we forget God’s instructions in this area, we “judge the book by its cover,” or judge the son by the father. I was certainly a victim of this. My father began his career as a peasant laborer in a brick factory, was later put in charge of the storage units in this factory, and was later promoted to the level of accountant in this factory. He took some college-level classes and later got a job as an auditor in the local county government. He got the job through pure luck and with the help of some relatives. But he soon discovered that his training and education was not enough for this new job. Since he was not good at his job, he was ridiculed and bullied, and his colleagues pointed fingers at me behind my back. I was very hurt and humiliated by that. If I was deeply hurt by being ridiculed for my father’s incompetence on the job, imagine how much humiliation a son would receive if his father had actually committed crimes. That is why God’s word instructs his people to deal with each situation individually and not to make broad, sweeping conclusions.

A story I heard from a Latino-American pastor illustrates this point perfectly. This pastor said that after his father came to the U.S. illegally, he was captured by a patrol officer. The officer asked him why he had come here illegally. He said he had been called by God to come to America to preach the gospel to many Latinos. The officer happened to be a Christian as well. To test if the man was telling the truth, the officer asked him to recite Psalm 23. He recited it perfectly and the officer let him go. This is a perfect example of God’s leading in this unique situation.

Application and Devotional Reflection

Immigration is a controversy that has torn apart the fabric of American society and of the world as a whole. But understanding the law and the individual leading of God in this chapter will help guide us today.

God commands justice, but He also commands compassion. He protects the poor, the worker, the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner. A father is not punished for the sin of a son, and a son is not punished for the sin of a father. This teaches balance.

We must hate sin, but we must love people. We cannot hate immigrants. But we also should keep our sovereignty. During my one-year stay in London, I observed the strong influence of Islam. This showed me that Satan may be attempting to destroy Christian civilization in America through mass immigration. So we need a balance. Each situation must be handled with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If individual Christians neglect their priesthood, we fail to warm unbelievers’ hearts in preparation for the gospel. Revival does not start with numbers. It starts with the presence of God in individual lives. If we fail to take care of individuals, the church becomes weak. If the church becomes weak, society falls into darkness. We must take care of our priesthood.

Second, we must learn the law of God and allow it to transform us. If we don’t know God’s nature through the law, we will fail. But if we become legalistic and lose the compassionate heart of God, we will also fail.

Third, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit without resisting Him. We should be open to the prophetic voice through the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the sure word of prophecy in the Bible (2 Peter 2:19). Regarding the immigrants, we must have the heart of God toward the sojourners but also be aware of Satan’s strategy to destroy our Christian heritage through mass immigration.

The three pillars of the Old Testament (priesthood, law, and prophets) can provide guidelines for our Christian lives today. We must take care of God’s presence and take care of others, we must know the holiness of God and demonstrate the compassion of God, and we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times. If we apply these three principles, we will not only understand the Bible better, but we will also live out the heart of God.

 

 

Reflection Questions

1. What is the function of priesthood in the Old Testament? What does it mean for believers today?

 

1. How can we understand the holiness of God expressed in law without losing God’s compassion, like the Pharisees did?
   
   
2. How can we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in each situation without becoming legalistic?
   
   
3. How do the ministry of priest, law, and prophet function in today’s church?
   
   

 

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 32:48-52 The Nature of God and the Leading of God

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 32:48-52

The Nature of God and the Leading of God

 

Scripture Reading

“That very day the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.’”

(Deuteronomy 32:48–52 ESV)

 

Moses’s Death Reviews the Nature and the Leading of God

Deuteronomy 32:48–52 records one of the most sobering moments in Scripture: Moses is called to ascend Mount Nebo, to see the Promised Land from a distance, and to die without entering it. This moment is not merely about judgment; it is a revelation of something deeper — the distinction between the nature of God and the leading of God.

Moses knew God. Scripture affirms this. He knew God’s ways, His holiness, His righteousness, and His standards. Yet in this final act of his ministry, Moses missed something crucial: not only the nature of God, but the leading of God for that specific moment.

This tension forms the heart of this message.

The death of Moses sits within a larger redemptive context. The first generation of Israelites was promised entry into Canaan, yet they died in the wilderness. Scripture is clear that this was not because God failed to keep His word but because the people hardened their hearts in unbelief.

God remained faithful and unchanged. He is immutable, constant in His nature and purpose. Humanity however is mutable, living in time and subject to change. God who stands both within and beyond time relates to humanity progressively, which often makes His dealings appear unpredictable to finite minds.

To assume we can fully comprehend the ways of an infinite God is itself a form of pride. His nature is revealed, but His leading must continually be discerned.

Understanding God’s nature guards us from rebellion. Understanding God’s leading guards us from presumption.

God’s attributes do not change. His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, and justice remain constant. Yet the way He leads His people may differ across seasons and generations. If we assume that God must move tomorrow exactly as He did yesterday, we risk resisting His present work.

At the same time, assuming we can always predict or interpret God’s leading apart from humility is equally dangerous. The balance is found in continual dependence on the Spirit of God.

 

Moses, the Rock, and the Two Generations

The background is familiar. In the wilderness of Zin, Israel lacked water. The first time this occurred, God commanded Moses to strike the rock. Moses obeyed. Water flowed.

This act was deeply symbolic. The rock represented Christ, the spiritual Rock who was struck once to bear God’s righteous judgment on behalf of sinful humanity. The anger was not released upon the people, but upon the Rock. This prefigured the cross.

Years later, the same situation arose. Another generation. Another moment of thirst. But this time, God’s command was different. Moses was instructed to speak to the rock, not strike it.

Instead, Moses struck the rock again.

This was not merely disobedience. It was a failure to discern that God’s leading had changed, even though His nature had not.

God’s rebuke of Moses was severe because Moses was not merely an individual. He was a representative. His actions shaped Israel’s understanding of who God was.

At Meribah, Moses struck the rock in anger when God had commanded him to speak to it. That act mattered not only because of disobedience but because it misrepresented God’s holiness before the people.

Scripture later reveals the typological meaning of the rock.

“For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 10:4)

The rock was struck once. It was not to be struck again. Moses’ second strike disrupted the divine picture God was communicating. Christ would suffer once, not repeatedly.

 

Moses’ Plea and the Larger Redemptive Picture

Moses pleaded with the Lord to enter the Promised Land, but God refused. This refusal was not rooted in cruelty but in revelation.

Moses functioned as the mediator of the Law. The Law reveals God’s holy standard and exposes human inability, but it does not grant inheritance. Scripture later makes this distinction clear.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

(John 1:17)

Entrance into God’s promise is ultimately by grace, not works.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

(Ephesians 2:8–9)

Moses was allowed to see the land, but Joshua led the people into it. Joshua’s name shares the same Hebrew root as Jesus and functions as a typological pointer. The Law reveals. Grace brings in.

Joshua’s name means “Jehovah becomes our salvation.” The purpose of Moses’s ministry was to prepare for the ministry of Joshua. The purpose of the law was to set up God’s standard and reveal His nature. The ten commandments reveal who God is in His holiness and how God wants people to interact with Him and their fellow human beings. He gives us a standard regarding our dealings with God and people. Another function of law is to point to Jesus Christ, who is “the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

 

The First and Second Generation: Law and Grace

To understand this, we must distinguish between the two generations of Israelites.

The first generation represented the old man — rebellious, unbelieving, and unable to enter God’s rest. God’s leading toward them was severe because the purpose was death to the flesh. That generation had to die in the wilderness.

The second generation represented something different. They still complained. They still struggled. But they represented the weakness of the flesh in the regenerated man. God’s leading toward them was not to destroy, but to sustain, nurture, and bring them into the Promised Land by grace.

Moses treated the second generation the same way God treated the first. That was the mistake.

He understood God’s nature, but he missed God’s leading. We can see the same thing happening in the modern church. When I was a new believer, the more mature believers in the church were very patient with me and showed me a lot of grace. I was zealous to serve God but also lived according to my fleshly nature. But these believers understood that transformation takes time, and they gave me space to grow. Likewise, God understood that it would take time for the second generation of Israelites to be transformed. On the outside, they often acted the same as their fathers had. But inwardly, they had already experienced circumcision of the heart. This is similar to the experience of New Testament believers. Our sin has been dealt with on the cross, but it takes time to overcome the habit of living in sin.

 

The Locomotive Illustration: Position vs Practice

This distinction can be illustrated with the image of a locomotive.

When a train’s engine is shut off, the train does not stop immediately. It continues to move because of momentum. In the same way, when a believer is crucified with Christ, sin is dealt with positionally. Yet habits, patterns, and practices may continue for a time.

Spiritually, the believer is dead to sin. Practically, the flesh still needs to be put to death through the Spirit. This is why Scripture teaches that believers must walk by the Spirit, even though they already live by the Spirit. Paul mentions that we need to put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit (Romans 6:13). In other words, sin has lost its power in the spiritual realm because Jesus Christ already took care of it on the cross. But in our everyday lives, the deeds of the body and the habits of the flesh are still strong. The locomotive’s engine has already shut off, but it will take a while for it to come to a complete stop.

This is why God’s leading for a believer is different from His leading for a nonbeliever. But Moses failed to recognize this distinction.

God dealt with sin by putting it on the cross, where Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. There is no room for negotiation. This is why God told Moses to strike the rock. Paul clearly states that the spiritual rock accompanying the Israelites was Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).

But God’s approach toward the second generation of Israelites—and toward believers who have found new life in Christ—is much gentler. He asks Moses to speak to the Rock, which symbolizes applying Christ’s work on the cross to our lives. It takes time and repetition. It requires the patience of a father or a nursing mother. When I had my child, a seasoned parent from my Bible study shared some parenting advice with me. He said, “Children won’t absorb your advice or instructions the first time you tell them. They will forget what you say, and you will have to keep reminding them. But don’t get upset. Just keep repeating yourself. Eventually, they will internalize what you are saying.” This is so true. God knows that our flesh is strong, but He is willing to patiently guide us into the abundant life of Jesus Christ.

 

Sabbath: Nature and Leading Together

The Sabbath perfectly illustrates the principle of God’s nature and leading.

The Sabbath reveals the nature of God — God rests. God is peace. Humanity needs rest because God Himself rested. Yet the Sabbath also reveals the leading of God. In the Old Testament, Sabbath observance preserved Israel from worldliness and idolatry. In the New Testament, Jesus declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He healed on the Sabbath. He placed mercy above ritual.

The nature of God did not change. But the leading of God did. Those who clung rigidly to the rule missed the movement of God. How can we understand the balance between the nature of God and the leading of God in regards to the Sabbath? When the people of Israel were totally focused on the world and on idol worship, God asked them to keep the Sabbath. The purpose of the Sabbath was to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations full of idol worshipers and to separate them from the busy lifestyle of the world. Sabbath required them to stop working one day a week to seek God and worship Him only. This ritual helped the Israelites become a holy people dedicated to God so that God could use them to bring the Savior into the world. God’s heart was to save mankind through Jesus Christ, who would be born from the nation of Israel.

But in the New Testament, God’s leading regarding the Sabbath was different. Because the Pharisees were completely focused on outward conformity and religiosity, Jesus challenged their mindset by breaking the Sabbath. He realized that they no longer cared about other people. They only cared about making sure people followed their rules. They didn’t care about the woman who was bound by Satan for eighteen years. They only cared about making sure Jesus didn’t break the law by healing that woman on the Sabbath. Jesus rebuked them by saying, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” (Luke 14:5 NIV) He also said, “Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?” (Luke 13:15 NIV) Jesus called them hypocrites. He also called himself the Lord of Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

The Sabbath laws reveal the nature of God. He is compassionate and wants to save humanity. That is His nature. Even though His leading was different in each historical period, it always served the same purpose: to bring this compassion to mankind. God strictly required the Jews to keep the Sabbath so they could be a holy nation and bring Jesus Christ, the seed of holiness, into the world. But after Jesus Christ came to earth, God’s leading was no longer bound by the rituals of the Sabbath. Instead, his compassionate desire to save humankind allowed people to bring healing and compassion to others on the Sabbath. The nature of God had not changed, but His leading had. And the Pharisees totally missed it.

Moses also likely missed the fact that God’s leading had changed. He may not have realized that the ministry of Joshua represented a new phase of God’s leading. God had used Moses to prepare for the ministry of Joshua, but now it was time for Moses to step down. He would die physically, but the Promised Land would endure. Similarly, the Law came to an end, but Jesus Christ lasts forever. The Sabbath was temporary and could now be broken, but compassion and love will never go away.

The Apple Tree Illustration: Nature Cannot Change, Growth Can Be Choked

An apple tree will always produce apples. It cannot produce pearls. That is its nature.

Yet an apple tree can be prevented from bearing fruit — deprived of sunlight, water, nourishment, or choked by stones and thorns.

In the same way:

• You cannot change the nature of God
  
  
• You cannot change the life God has placed within a believer
  
  
• But you can hinder its growth through disobedience, presumption, or pride
  
  

Sin may not cost a believer eternal life, but it can cost manifested presence, spiritual vitality, and anointing.

Presumption always costs something. Once you are born, your biological relationship to your father can never be reversed. Even if you rebel against your father, you cannot change the fact you are his son. But you can definitely lose your experience of fellowship with your father. People debate whether Christians will go to hell if they sin after becoming a Christian. I tend to believe they will not lose their salvation, since Jesus said clearly that no one can snatch believers out of His hand (John 10:28). But this does not mean there is no discipline in heaven. And if we sin, we may lose our experience of fellowship with God here on earth. Moses’s rebellion may not have cost him eternal life or his reward in heaven, but it certainly cost him his earthly life, his ministry, and his anointing. When a Christian sins, they may not lose eternal life, but they will lose their experience of God’s presence in their life.

The story of Moses has an important lesson to teach all Christian leaders today. We can never change the fact that we are children of God, just like we cannot change the nature of an apple tree. But our lack of obedience can hinder our growth. We must cooperate with God, the experienced gardener, and allow him to remove all the hindrances to bearing fruit. Just like an apple tree needs sunshine, fertilizer, water and pruning, we need God to prune us.

God’s leading often involves a pruning process. The Israelites’ forty-year wilderness journey was a pruning process. When God told Moses he could not enter the promised land, God was pruning him so that one day he could appear with Elijah to talk with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. The household of Israel is currently going through a pruning process so that one day, the whole house of Israel can be saved when the number of the Gentiles is fulfilled.

Humility and God’s Leading

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

Moses’s failure was not rooted in immorality, but in assumption; assuming that what worked before must work again. This is the danger of spiritual maturity without continued dependence. The Bible tells us that Moses knew God’s way and His nature, but this did not mean that Moses would get it right every time. In this situation, I believe he failed to understand God’s leading.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humility is what keeps a servant sensitive to God’s current leading.

As Watchman Nee famously said, we are not working for God; we are God’s work. We are His masterpiece.

I was born in a poor Chinese farmer’s family. My wife always said: “Who will listen to you preach in English?” I had low self-esteem. I couldn’t overcome it because of my background. When God called me to preach internationally in English, I struggled: “God, I’m just a little Chinese potato [an average, insignificant person]. How can I do this?”

But God continued to patiently lead me, transform me, and empower me. Today I am confident—not because of me, but because of Jesus Christ who empowers me. In the same way, God led the second generation of Israelites (and new believers in our current age) with grace and empowerment. God gives grace to the humble and empowers us to do the mighty things we cannot do on our own. God is looking for humble vessels. We need to humble ourselves so God can give us strength.

God is raising up men and women of God from third world countries to do His work. These countries used to receive spiritual help from the West. But now, God has shown me that a massive movement from China will transform the world. The revival will not only spread to nearby countries like Japan and North Korea, but it will also bring transformation to Muslim countries and even Israel. The Chinese revival will bring the fire back to Europe and America and help revitalize their faith. Do not despise what God is doing in this present time, and do not miss the new movement of the Holy Spirit today.

 

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: A Living God

God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — not because He led them the same way, but because He led them differently.

• Abraham was called to leave the idol worshipping land
  
  
• Isaac was called to stay in the promised land
  
  
• Jacob was led through brokenness and transformation by going down to the land of idol worshippers again
  
  

Same God. Different leadings.

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. A living God leads living people in living ways. That is why Jesus says that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of the living (Matthew 22:32). God leads each person differently. Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom and God was willing to negotiate with him about it. In the end, however, Sodom could not be saved because it was violating God’s nature of holiness. But Lot could be saved because God was willing to lead Lot to salvation. Moses’s pleas to enter the good land were not granted, but God was willing to bring him back after a season of pruning. God may have said no to you yesterday, but He may say yes to you today. The times and seasons are shifting, so don’t lose heart. Simply ask God again for what you desire.

I met a Korean prophet in 2018 and asked him what about the leading of God for my translation business. He said, “You should not put too much time into it.” But recently, God raised up Christian marketing firms to help me in this regard. I asked the Lord, “Are these new firms from You?” I realized God’s leading had changed. Since I needed more resources to support my ministry, God was willing for me to spend some time developing my business. Even if God said no to you once, don’t conclude God will always continue to say no to you on this matter. You must discern the changing seasons and the new ways God may be leading you.

 

The New Jerusalem: Golden Street and the River

In the New Jerusalem, the main street is made of gold. It represents the unchanging nature of God’s holiness, righteousness, and truth.

But flowing through the city is a river, ever moving, ever fresh. This represents the leading of the Holy Spirit. The golden street is a boundary, like the law. The river flowed down the middle of the main street. It flowed within the boundaries of the street of gold.

Just like the river could not leave the street of gold, we cannot leave the guidance of the unchanging nature of God. But within these boundaries, the Spirit leads each believer uniquely.

On the top of the mountain is the throne of the Father and the Lamb. Out of this throne flows the river of the water of life. If you follow the golden street or the river, both will bring you to the throne of God. The nature of God and the leading of God is essentially one and the same.

 

The Danger of Misunderstanding the Leading of God

God’s new movements throughout history have often been resisted by the very people who were most confident they already knew His will. The Pharisees defended the Law yet missed Christ. Reformers were opposed by institutional religion. Spirit-birthed renewal movements were frequently condemned before later being understood.

The issue is not tradition. The issue is confidence without discernment.

To assume we know God exhaustively is itself a form of pride.

History shows that when God moves, those who rely solely on structure, tradition, or past revelation often resist Him.

The Pharisees knew Scripture yet rejected Christ.

The early church wrestled with Spirit led expansions that challenged Jewish boundaries.

Reformers were condemned before being understood.

Spirit-birthed renewal movements were dismissed as error before bearing fruit.

The danger is not reverence for truth.

The danger is confidence without discernment.

To assume we know God exhaustively is not maturity. It is pride.

 

Closing Devotional Reflection

This passage is not asking whether we know correct doctrine. It is asking whether we remain leadable.

Moses knew God. Israel knew God’s power. The Pharisees knew God’s Law. Yet each, at different moments, resisted God’s present leading.

The Spirit was given so we would not repeat that pattern.

Moses saw the land but could not enter. Not because God was unfaithful, but because Moses applied yesterday’s leading to today’s situation.

The danger for every generation is not immorality alone, but spiritual presumption — assuming we know how God must move next.

To walk with God faithfully, we must hold tightly to His nature while remaining deeply sensitive to His leading.

Take time to sit with this passage and allow the Spirit to search your heart.

Moses’ life reminds us that long obedience does not make us immune to momentary presumption. Leadership does not remove the need for dependence. Experience does not replace listening.

God remains faithful, holy, and purposeful, even when His ways confront our expectations. He invites His people not merely to know Him, but to follow Him.

 

Reflection Questions

1. In what ways can familiarity with God’s past dealings create assumptions about His present instructions?
2. How can emotional pressure or frustration cause even mature believers to misrepresent God’s character?
3. What practices help you remain attentive to God’s present leading rather than relying solely on past experience?
4. How does understanding the finality of Christ’s finished work shape your approach to obedience and repentance?
5. Are there areas where your position in Christ is secure, but your daily practice still needs greater yielding to the Spirit?
6. For those in leadership or influence, how can private intimacy with God be matched by public faithfulness in representing Him?
7. What does sensitivity to the Spirit look like in ordinary decisions, not only in moments labeled spiritual?

 

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 33:1–5 Knowing God Through Intimacy, Not Just Knowing About Him

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 33:1–5

Knowing God Through Intimacy, Not Just Knowing About Him

Scriptures:

1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.

2 He said,

“The Lord came from Sinai

    and dawned from Seir upon us;

    he shone forth from Mount Paran;

he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,

    with flaming fire at his right hand.

3 Yes, he loved his people,

    all his holy ones were in his hand;

so they followed in your steps,

    receiving direction from you,

4 when Moses commanded us a law,

    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

5 Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun,

    when the heads of the people were gathered,

all the tribes of Israel together.

Deuteronomy 33:1–5 ESV

 

Knowing God Through Intimacy, Not Just His Acts

Moses begins his final blessing not by speaking about Israel, but by revealing the nature of God Himself. He describes who God is before he speaks about what God has done. This is intentional. Moses speaks this way because Moses knows God.

Unlike the Israelites, who often knew only the acts of God, Moses had encountered the person of God. He had seen God’s glory and stood in His presence. And so, when Moses speaks, he speaks from revelation of God’s personal presence, not merely from experience of God’s acts.

This contrast exposes a recurring problem among God’s people. There is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Many of the Israelites could recount miracles, deliverance, and provision, yet their hearts remained distant. They knew what God could do, but not who God was.

This pattern is not unique to them. It mirrors the condition of many believers today. We may have heard about God, experienced His acts, or benefited from His mercy, yet still lack a true understanding of His intrinsic nature.

True faith is not formed by information alone. It is formed by revelation. To know God is far more than being aware of what He does. It is to encounter who He is.

That is why Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” Moses knows God’s ways and God’s character from personal experience. So when he introduces us to who God is, we’d better pay attention.

I once heard a wise saying from a successful businessman who is also a Chinese Christian church elder. He said, “A bald man will never be able to convince someone to buy hair growth supplements.” What he meant was that if we have not personally experienced something, it will be very hard for us to convince others about it.

But the opposite could also be true. We could hear someone talking from personal experiential knowledge, and yet we may not have ears to hear. Just like Jesus told his disciples, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12) This is what happened with Moses. Even though he spoke about God’s character from an intimate, experiential knowledge and personal relationship with the Lord Jehovah, the Israelites did not believe his words. Instead, they rebelled against his commands, even when Moses was still alive.

It’s important not to judge the Israelites, because we could easily make the same mistake. We often let God’s words slip right past us. Instead, we must learn to come to God with the same intimacy as Moses did.

Moses often waited for God to speak. He waited on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran. Can you relate to Moses? Can you imagine what he might have been feeling? Have you ever waited on God for a long time, hoping to hear from Him? Have you prayed and fasted and hoped to receive an answer to your prayer? Have you begged God earnestly for years to give you the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Have you trusted the Lord for something He promised would come to fruition in your life? Have you experienced the gracious appearance of God after waiting on Him?

If you have, then you know how it feels to wait on God. You may have felt anxiety as you doubted whether He would show up for you. You likely felt excitement when he came and spoke to you.

We often hear people say, “God is never late, but he is never early. God is right on time.” I don’t think God was already there waiting for Moses when he arrived on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, or Mount Paran. It was the opposite. It was Moses who had to wait upon the Lord—sometimes for many days and nights!

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7)

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)

There are so many verses in the Bible about waiting on the Lord. “Waiting on the Lord” is the lost art of worshipping God with intimacy. It is especially scarce in today’s world, where people’s attention is often consumed by social media and other digital distractions.

Imagine you were Moses waiting on the Lord. I can picture Moses waiting for hours and hours, day after day on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran. Then suddenly, the Lord appeared!

Our passage of scripture compares God’s appearance to a sunrise. If you have ever gotten up early to see the sun rising, you can understand Moses’ excitement. You waited in the cold, dark night, watching expectantly for the dawn. You kept your eyes on the horizon, wondering when the sun would appear. Then suddenly, the sun jumped out from behind the horizon or out of the sea! Can you feel the excitement? If you can picture that excitement, then you can easily picture the excitement Moses felt when God appeared to him.

“The Lord came from Sinai

    and dawned from Seir upon us;

    he shone forth from Mount Paran;

he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,

with flaming fire at his right hand.”

Just like the sun jumped out from behind the horizon, God appeared to Moses with splendor! Not only did God appear to him, but also tens of thousands of holy ones. Just like an entourage of fans and bodyguards always follows a celebrity wherever they go, God always has an entourage. The cherubim are always surrounding him. He never appears to us alone!

This passage talks about the joy of waiting on God and experiencing His appearance. God says in 2 Timothy 4:8 that he rewards those who love his appearance. If you have never waited on the Lord or experienced His appearance, you are missing out on one of the most exciting experiences in the world! Don’t let Moses’ words slip past you. Pay attention and seek the personal presence of God!

God Revealed in Deuteronomy 33 Verses 1-5

In Deuteronomy 33:1 -5, Moses presents God as the One who comes in glory and fire, surrounded by holy ones, yet who lovingly holds His people in His hand. This God is both majestic and intimate, holy and loving, powerful and faithful.

Moses does not present God merely as a miracle worker, but as a covenant-keeping King who reigns among His gathered people. Because Moses had encountered God personally, he could reveal God accurately.

Those who know only the acts of God often follow Him for benefits. Those who know God Himself follow Him out of love, surrender, and trust. Knowing God transforms the heart. Knowing about God can leave the heart unchanged.

The Bible tells us that Jacob saw a vision of two camps[1]: one camp of angels in heaven, and another camp of Israel on earth. Jacob knew what this vision meant. It meant that heaven was open for him and that God and the angelic armies were with him. Jacob was not the only one trying to get back to God’s promised land. It was God who had been leading him this whole time and who continued to lead him. And not only God was with him, but also His angels. God is the Lord of Hosts—the Lord of Angel Armies. He has a big entourage!

Moses saw the same vision, so he said,

Yes, he loved his people,

    all his holy ones were in his hand;

so they followed in your steps,

    receiving direction from you,

 when Moses commanded us a law,

    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

 Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun,

    when the heads of the people were gathered,

    all the tribes of Israel together.

The Lord is the Lord of the heavenly hosts, and he is also the King in Jeshurun. He is the King in heaven, and he is also the King on earth! He has two camps! Heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:1). Nothing in heaven or earth is hidden from God’s sight (Hebrews 4:13). But the problem is that heaven is closed for some of us. But it should not be that way. Heaven can be open for us if we wait on the Lord! Moses waited upon the Lord on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran, he saw heaven open and the Lord appear.

In these five verses, Moses was simply recounting his experiences of seeing the Lord’s appearance after waiting upon the Lord. I have waited upon the Lord many times and seen his appearance in the spirit. I know what I am talking about and I know what Moses was experiencing here.

Understanding the Heart of Man

Scripture does not flatter the human heart. Jeremiah declares that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. This means that without divine revelation, people can engage in religious activity and still misunderstand God completely.

The Law was never given as a means of earning righteousness. It was given to reveal the holiness of God and expose the true condition of man. Before the Law shows us what is wrong with us, it reveals who God is.

The law also shows us our sinfulness. The Hebrews described our inward pull toward sin as the Yetzer Hara, the bent of the fallen heart. Left to ourselves, we do not naturally choose God. We are not morally neutral. We are fallen.

Paul affirms this reality when he says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None is righteous. None seeks after God by their own strength. When this truth is ignored, people begin to believe they are good simply because they are religious.

This was the error of Israel, and it remains a danger for believers today.

The reason we only know God’s acts instead of his ways is because we have a veil over our hearts. In 2 Corinthians 3:14-17, Paul explains that when the Israelites read the Old Testament, a veil lies over their hearts. But whenever they turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (ESV).

In order to remove the veil from our hearts and find intimacy with the Lord, we need to behold the Lord. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (ESV).

The law is meant to give us a vision of the coming Savior and of heaven. But we don’t always see this vision clearly. Paul says that the law is like a guardian or teacher who takes care of school-aged children. Sometimes a parent tries to help their children grasp the parent’s true heart and vision, but the child has a hard time grasping it. For example, I send my daughter to Chinese classes and encourage her to learn Chinese well. But she resists my instructions and complains about it. “Why do I have to learn Chinese since I live in America?” she asks. I reply, “God promised me that there will be a great future revival in China. I will be given a huge responsibility during this revival. I want to be able to pass the baton on to you one day.” But she does not care, and she just goofs off in the Chinese class. To her, it is a waste of time. She is still young, but I hope she will eventually understand my calling. I need to wait patiently for her to grow up. In the same way, the law is a schoolmaster that waited patiently as Israel grew to maturity.

Right now, we are still waiting. All creation is eagerly waiting for the “revealing of the sons of God” and the time when “creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19, 21). Many saints in heaven are waiting for us to finish the spiritual race so that they too can receive their rewards (see Hebrews 11:39-40). When we don’t realize this, we are just children with veils over our hearts. When we have a veil over our heart, we do not know God’s ways and we lack a vision of heaven. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” KJV). The purpose of the law is to give us a vision of heaven.

Law, Self-Righteousness, and Deception

When the Law is misunderstood, it becomes a tool for self-justification rather than revelation. We imagine that obedience earns sanctification or that moral effort secures right standing with God. In doing so, we misunderstand both the Law and ourselves.

This deception explains why many believers remain trapped in cycles of sin and confusion. We admire God’s power but resist His nature. We know His acts but not His ways.

Israel wanted deliverance without transformation. They wanted freedom from Egypt, yet their hearts longed to return there. God, in His love, refused to leave them unchanged. He revealed Himself not only to rescue them, but to re-form them.

True maturity in the faith begins when the believer moves beyond surface knowledge and into a deep, reverent understanding of who God is.

How can we move from head knowledge into heart knowledge? Simply by spending time with the Lord and waiting on Him. The Lord will illuminate our hearts and help us remove the veil and transform us into the image of God in Jesus Christ. We will experience one degree of glory after another. Moses had to cover his face so the glory wouldn’t fade away. But the glory that shines on us in the face of Jesus Christ will never fade away!

We need to spend time with the Lord! We need to wait upon the Lord! I don’t think Moses would have known God so intimately if he had not waited upon the Lord. He waited, waited, and waited on this mountain or that mountain. He waited until the Lord appeared!

During my ten years of infertility, I prayed daily during my lunch hour in a park near my workplace in Washington, DC. I would pray to God, “When I walk to that big tree, appear to me there!” When I walked to that tree, the Lord did not appear there. I then told the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, “I will say ‘Father, I love you’ one hundred times, ‘Jesus, I love you’ one hundred times, and ‘Holy Spirit, I love you” one hundred times. Please appear to me there.” Nothing happened. In a prophetic conference in 2016, a woman from England came to me and said, “I don’t know you and I don’t know why, but I feel that God is telling me to give you this message: There was a moment of time when you prayed to God and poured out your heart to him. Those prayers were so raw and so genuine, he heard all of them. He just wanted me to tell you he was very delighted with it.” It immediately brought back my memories of those days and those prayers, those times of waiting upon the Lord! In this case, God did not speak to me face to face, like He did to Moses, but he spoke to me indirectly through this lady. Either way, God rewarded me for seeking His face.

Grace, Repentance, and the Knowledge of God

When God’s nature is misunderstood, grace itself becomes distorted. Some see grace as permission to sin rather than power to be transformed. But a heart that treats grace lightly has not yet encountered God deeply.

Grace does not minimize sin. It reveals its weight and then supplies the mercy that leads to repentance.

Jesus illustrates this clearly in the account of the woman with the alabaster box. As she wept at His feet, the religious leaders judged her. But Jesus, perceiving their hearts, declared that the one who is forgiven much loves much.

This was not a statement about forgiveness being measured in portions. It was a revelation of the human heart. When a person understands the depth of sin and the reality of their fallen nature, true repentance is born. Conviction deepens. Love intensifies. Worship becomes sincere.

Those who believe they possess their own righteousness often remain hardened. But those who know they have none are drawn into genuine dependence on God. Paul later confessed that he once persecuted the Church in the name of God. He had religious zeal, but he did not yet truly know God.

Knowing God and Walking in His Will

Knowing God is not optional for the Christian life. It is essential. It is only through knowing God that believers learn to walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh. Galatians teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are in opposition.

Israel failed not because God was unclear, but because their hearts remained untransformed. They held tightly to God’s acts while resisting His nature. Yet God, in His mercy, continued to reveal Himself, desiring not just obedience, but relationship.

To know God is to be changed by Him. The story of the twelve tribes of Israel is the story of being transformed from sinners to saints who are worthy of having their names written on the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. To understand the prophecies given by Moses to the twelve tribes, we must understand God’s nature and our own hearts. These are the two fundamental principles that help us understand Moses’s prophecies. Moses knew the nature of God and he also knew the character and personality of each tribe, just as Jacob knew each of his sons. Jacob’s prophecies for his twelve sons were based on his observations of their hearts, their character, and their behaviors. His prophecies were the seed that led to the eventual destiny of each of the twelve tribes. Similarly, Moses’s prophecies were the development of the prophetic calling or destiny of each tribe given by the Lord.

 

A Closing Prayer

Father,

We confess that we often settle for knowledge about You rather than true knowledge of You. Reveal Yourself to us. Expose the deceitfulness of our hearts and lead us into repentance that produces life. Teach us to see Your grace not as a license to sin, but as power to be transformed. Draw us beyond familiarity into reverence, beyond information into intimacy. We desire to know You, not merely what You do.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

Reflection Questions

• Have I settled for knowing about God rather than knowing Him personally?
• Do I view grace as transformation or permission?
• Has my understanding of sin produced repentance or self-justification?
• Have you waited upon the Lord and experienced his personal presence? Has he appeared to you or spoken to you?
• Ask the Lord to reveal His nature to you, not just His works.

 

 

 

[1] “Mahanaim” means two camps

Bible Study With Jairus - Deuteronomy 33:23 The Story of Naphtali: Learning to Respond Redemptively in a Fallen World

Bible Study With Jairus - Deuteronomy 33:23

The Story of Naphtali: Learning to Respond Redemptively in a Fallen World

 

Deuteronomy 33:

23 And of Naphtali he said,

 

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,

    and full of the blessing of the Lord,

    possess the lake and the south.”

 

Some of the twelve sons of Israel receive more attention than others. For example, preachers and teachers frequently mention Joseph and Judah, Rueben and Benjamin, and even lesser-known sons such as Dan. These sons receive attention because of the prophecies made about them by Jacob or Moses. But we rarely hear much about Naphtali, even though he is also a son of Jacob whose name will one day appear on one of the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. Like the other sons of Israel, Naphtali went from being a sinner to being worthy of having his name written on one of the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. So let’s learn a bit more about him. Naphtali deliberately chose to get rid of hatred, forgive others, and saturate himself with the favor and blessing of the Lord. When Moses blessed Naphtali in Deuteronomy 33:23, he said, “he shall take possession of the sea and the south” (BSB). This refers to an enlargement of his kingdom’s influence. “The sea” is often used to refer to the Gentiles, and “the south” usually refers to Jerusalem. (Naphtali’s land is in the north.) When Jacob blessed Naphtali in Genesis 49:21, he said that Naphtali was like “doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (NIV). In other translations, it says, “He uses beautiful words” (NKJV). This beautiful imagery reminds us of someone who receives the joy of forgiveness and becomes a happy preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we dive into the story of Naphtali, we will see how he suffered from abandonment, how he watched others become dehumanized with hatred, how he chose to forgive and take a different path, and how he eventually became a person full of joy because of the salvation power of the Lord. The story of the transformation of the twelve tribes of Israel is still a work in progress, and their ultimate destiny will be fulfilled when they finally become pearly gates in the New Jerusalem. Similarly, the story of the tribe of Naphtali is not yet complete, but his territory will eventually expand to the sea and the south. He will bring the glad tidings to the Gentiles, leading to the salvation of the whole house of Israel.

Progressive Revelation and God Speaking in Stages

One of the great truths that Scripture teaches is that God reveals Himself progressively. He does not reveal everything at once, but unfolds His purposes over time.

At one point, God spoke through Jacob, a dying father blessing his sons in Genesis 49. Later, God spoke again through Moses, a covenant mediator standing at the edge of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 33. These were not disconnected moments. Moses’ words were not a contradiction of Jacob’s prophecy. They were a continuation.

This reveals something profound. God’s redemptive story unfolds in stages, across generations, according to His eternal purposes.

Hebrews 1:1 reminds us that long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

God was not finished with the twelve tribes when Jacob spoke. He was not finished when Moses spoke. And as Paul explains in Romans chapters 9 through 11, God is still at work even when His people experience seasons of hardening, discipline, or divine restraint.

Jacob spoke as a father shaped by relationship and observation. Moses spoke as a prophet shaped by covenant and destiny. Together, their words form a single redemptive thread. The prophecies of Jacob toward his sons are seeds and based on his observations of the unique personality and character of each of his sons. Moses’ prophecies are his prophetic declaration of the future of the twelve tribes of Israel. Some of these may only be fulfilled at the end of the age. This teaches us that God does not discard previous revelation. He builds upon it.

The story of the twelve tribes is not static. It is transformative. It is still moving toward redemption.

Some may ask why the Old Testament matters when we live under the New Covenant. The answer is simple. Scripture is not divided in intention. It is one unified revelation inspired by the all-wise God. What was concealed in the Old Testament is revealed in the New, and what is revealed in the New was already present in seed form in the Old.

Dan and the Image of the Serpent

Jacob describes Dan with chilling imagery in Genesis 49:17. He calls him a serpent by the way, a viper by the path.

This is prophetic language. A serpent does not confront openly. It hides. It waits. It strikes from concealment. Venom is not loud. It is stored.

Scripture does not explicitly explain how Dan became this way. What follows is inference, not doctrine, but it is inference guided by the symbolic language Scripture itself employs.

Dan, just like his brother Naphtali, was born into a fractured household. His biological mother was Bilhah, a maid. His legal mother was Rachel. His identity was complex and likely contested. In a home marked by rivalry, favoritism, and emotional displacement, identity easily becomes a battlefield.

I can imagine words spoken carelessly. “You are not really Rachel’s.” “Your mother is a maid.” I can imagine affection shifting when Joseph was born—Rachel’s biological son, the beloved child of promise described in Genesis 37:3. I can imagine comparison slowly fermenting into resentment.

Hatred rarely arrives fully formed. It is nursed. It is fed by silence, neglect, and unresolved wounds.

The image of the serpent fits a heart that learned to survive by suspicion. A heart that chose to strike before being struck. A heart that internalized pain until it became poison.

To be honest, I have felt this myself. After being wounded deeply by a relative, I sensed bitterness creeping into my heart like a serpent. Quiet. Patient. Waiting. Wanting revenge. My own experience helps me understand Dan not as a villain, but as a warning.

Again, this is inference, but it is an inference consistent with biblical symbolism.

 

A Fallen Household and Divergent Responses

Jacob never intended to have four wives. His desire was to marry Rachel alone, as seen in Genesis 29. Yet deception, cultural practices, and human weakness led to a fragmented household. Scripture does not endorse this structure. It records it honestly.

This story teaches an important lesson. We live in a fallen world and fallen things happen, even when we never intended them to.

Neither Dan nor Naphtali would have wanted to be born in such situations, nor did their father imagine having children in such disordered circumstances.

In situations like this, it is important that we trust the Lord to make the best out of our mess. He has the power to make us into people with great impact according to his will if we yield our free will to him.

Back to our thought process.

From this disorder came rivalry, competition for affection, identity confusion, and moral failure.

Reuben’s sin with Bilhah in Genesis 35:22 reveals the moral disintegration that can occur when boundaries collapse. Scripture does not excuse his sin, but it does show us the environment in which it occurred.

Dan and Naphtali shared the same origin, the same mother, and the same broken system. Yet their responses diverged. They were both taken away from their mother Bilhah and raised by Rachel. Both of them may have experienced the shock of finding out they were not biological children of Rachel, but her maid. They likely watched as Joseph took their place as the most beloved. They all had to deal with the fact their older brother Reuben slept with their mother. What a sense of shame, negligence, and abandonment they must have felt when they found that out! According to Genesis 49:17, Dan became like a snake, full of hatred. Perhaps he was demonized with hatred. On the other hand, I imagine that Naphtali said to himself, “I am not going to be like Dan. I know that what happened is not fair. But I choose to be released from the bondage of hatred. I choose the freedom of forgiveness.”

Dan became associated with deception and idolatry, as seen in Genesis 49:17 and Judges 18. Naphtali, however, was described as a deer let loose (Genesis 49:21) and later as “abounding with favor” and “full of blessing” (Deuteronomy 33:23)

Same environment. Same pain. Different responses.

This teaches us a sobering truth. Circumstances may shape us, but they do not define us.

Naphtali was called “doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (NIV). In other translations, it says, “He uses beautiful words” (NKJV). I was like Dan before I was saved. I felt the snake was biting my heart and released the venom through me to intend to hurt others who hurt me. I was full of hatred. After I was saved, I released my forgiveness toward this relative and received the joy of God’s salvation and forgiveness. I became full of peace, abounding with the favor of God, just like Naphtali was.

God uses a beautiful picture to describe those who receive the joy of salvation through God’s forgiveness of them and their forgiveness of others. He says they are like a deer who jumps for joy, surrounded by many fawns, giving forth the beautiful words of the gospel. There is no better way to describe the blessedness of forgiveness!

Pain as Refinement Through Joseph

Joseph’s life shows us that suffering can either harden the heart or purify it. Betrayed by his brothers, imprisoned unjustly, and forgotten by men, Joseph nevertheless chose forgiveness. In Genesis 50:20, he declared that what others meant for evil, God meant for good.

In the same way, we can be confident that through our pain, God is building something remarkable for His glory. The Bible shows us time and time again how God uses difficult things to bring out the best in us. I know it is easier said than done, but we can trust God to do the same for us.

Peter says we are refined like gold in the fire, burning at intense heat. But we aren’t consumed, we are refined.

Paul clearly says in Romans 5 that hard times produce endurance, a kind of faith that is long lasting and beyond this world.

We should learn to trust the Lord with our pain and difficulties, allowing him to use them to make us and mold us. He is the potter, and we are the clay.

In the lives of Dan and Naphtali, pain became a refining fire. But what emerged from that furnace depended on each man’s heart.

Naphtali chose freedom. Dan chose concealment.

In the same way, our response to our pain will determine the outcome. We can choose to respond like Naphtali, submitting our pain to the Lord and not choosing to conceal it or seek vengeance. Vengeance is of the Lord! Hallelujah.

God’s Ongoing Redemptive Work

Paul teaches in Romans 11 that Israel experienced a hardening—not because God failed, but because God was working. The story pauses, but it does not end. Discipline serves as a tool of restoration.

The Old Testament does not conclude without hope. It finds fulfillment in Christ. What was concealed is now revealed.

God is patient with people. He is patient with processes. He is patient with hearts still learning how to respond rightly.

As a matter of fact, God is still completing his work of uniting the Jews and the Church, building them together into the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is not yet present here on earth. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are not yet written on the twelve pearly gates. Metaphorically speaking, the pearls are still being formed inside the oyster of suffering. The redemptive story of Naphtali is not complete; it is a work in progress.

Where is the tribe of Naphtali today? Based on the Biblical record, only two tribes survived when the Northern kingdom disappeared. Those tribes were Judah and Benjamin. Currently, the other ten tribes of Israel are spread out throughout the world, and some of them are in the land of Israel today. But God will eventually call them back and mark them as members of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7. Naphtali is among those who are marked, but Dan is not there. Dan was lost as a tribe, but his name eventually made it onto one of the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Dan went through many trials and tribulations between Revelation 7 and Revelation 21.

We are in the end times, but we are not yet seeing the great disasters described in the end of Revelation 6 regarding the sixth seal. This passage says, “There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Revelation 6: 12-14).

In order to become a pearly gate in the New Jerusalem, Dan went through many trials. Naphtali was spared from these trials. This reveals a simple truth. We can either repent now, like Naphtali, or repent later after going through hell and back, like Dan. I choose to be like Naphtali: to forgive all those who hurt me. To let it go. To acknowledge that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Going through trials, pain, and refining fire is unavoidable in this life. But it is the way God chooses to refine us so we can eventually become pearls and precious stones in the New Jerusalem.

 

Naphtali and the Favor of God

Moses declares in Deuteronomy 33:23,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,

    and full of the blessing of the Lord,

    possess the lake and the south.”

This blessing is striking not because it is loud or dramatic, but because it is quietly redemptive. Moses does not describe Naphtali as dominant, feared, or forceful. He describes him as satisfied.

This is not the language of struggle. It is the language of rest. Naphtali is not striving for blessing. He is resting in it.

Yet this satisfaction was not born from ease. It was forged in a broken household and within a fallen world.

To my knowledge, the Bible never says anything bad about the tribe of Naphtali. They do not commit terrible mistakes or horrible acts. The Bible does use negative imagery to describe Dan, calling him a snake. This is because Dan later worshipped the golden calf. As a result, Dan’s name was cut off from those who were marked in Revelation 7. Similarly, Benjamin was almost cut off from the twelve tribes because of the tribe’s sinful acts, as recorded in the book of Judges. But the imagery Jacob used for Naphtali is positive. He describes him as a deer. Similarly, Moses blesses Naphtali as someone sated with the favor of God and full of the blessings of the Lord. Even the Lord has nothing bad to say about him.

Together with the land of Zebulun, Naphtali forms part of the land of Galilee. In Isaiah 9:1, God said that even though this land was formerly disgraced, a great light would shine forth from it. Matthew quoted this prophecy as a way to confirm the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of Peter, which both began in Galilee. Naphtali was a seaport that was heavily used for fishing, and now it would become a port for bringing people into the Kingdom of God. Peter became a “fisher of men” in the land of Galilee.

Moses blesses Naphtali by saying he will inherit the lake (or sea in some translations) and the south. We know that Naphtali’s land is in the north, yet his destiny is to possess the sea and the south. The sea may represent the Gentile people who will come into the kingdom at the end of time. The south may refer to Jerusalem, which is in the south. It also may refer to the Jewish nation as a whole. When Naphtali experiences God’s salvation and the joy of His forgiveness, this tribe may spread God’s glad tidings to the sea, to the Gentile nations, to the south, to Jerusalem, and to all the Jews.

God promises that one day the whole house of Israel will be saved, after the number of the Gentiles who will be saved is complete. Perhaps this future salvation of Jews will begin with the tribe of Naphtali and then spread among the nations to bring the Gospel back to the Jews. You never know. God promises that one day he will gather all Jews from all corners of the earth and bring them back to the Holy Land. As the recipient of God’s favor and blessing, Naphtali surely will be a part of this prophetic future. They will surely bring glad tidings via the sea to the world, and bring the Gospel to the south, which is Jerusalem.

 

 

Devotional Reflection

Lord,

Search my heart.

Expose the places where pain has taught me to hide.

Heal the places where wounds have taught me to strike.

Teach me to run free like Naphtali.

Teach me to rest in favor rather than fight for validation.

I give You my history.

I surrender my reactions.

I choose Your process over my defenses.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Reflective Questions

• Where have I allowed pain to coil inside my heart rather than releasing it to God?
• Do I respond like the serpent or like the deer when I am wounded?
• Am I hiding, striking, or learning to trust?
• What would it mean for me to be sated with favor rather than driven by resentment?

 

 

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:12 The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:12

The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

 

The Prophecy of Benjamin

Let us explore the story of Benjamin through the prophecies spoken over him. Moses declared that Benjamin was “the beloved of the Lord,” one who dwelt in safety, surrounded by God all day long, with God dwelling between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12 ESV).

This is prophetic and poetic language. It points to Benjamin as a person and to his inheritance and calling in the Promised Land.

Canaan, which later became Israel, was divided into twelve portions and given to Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, along with Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, rather than receiving land, was set apart for the priestly line.

Geographically, the land of Benjamin sat between Judah and Ephraim. Jerusalem itself lay within Benjamin’s territory. Zion, the dwelling place of God, and later the tabernacle and temple, were all located there.

Benjamin’s calling was bound up with worship. His tribe was associated with the place where God and humanity would meet. The physical geography reflects a spiritual truth: Benjamin’s destiny was to be a carrier of God’s presence.

Yet this destiny did not emerge from an easy beginning.

Difficult Beginnings

Benjamin’s beginning was marked by sorrow. He was born on the road, during Jacob’s return to the land of promise. His mother Rachel died in childbirth. With her final breath, she named him Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow.”

Jacob immediately intervened. He renamed the child Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This moment reveals two perspectives. Rachel named her son based on her experience of grief, loss, and death. Doubtless, Jacob felt these things too. But he did not move downward into despair; he moved upward toward the land God had promised. Benjamin’s renaming was Jacob’s refusal to allow sorrow to define his son’s future.

 And so Benjamin entered the world at the intersection of grief and hope. And throughout his life, he carried both.

Jacob’s Prophecy

Near the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons and spoke prophetic words over them. Some of these words were expansive and filled with promise, others, not so much.

His words over Benjamin in Genisis 49:27 are brief:

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
and at evening he divides the spoil.”

This is far from a gentle blessing. In biblical imagery, the wolf often represents cunning, selfishness, and predatory instinct. It is not a flattering picture. Wolves are strong, intelligent, persistent, and driven by appetite. They survive and take what they can.

Jacob was naming a real character issue in his son. Benjamin was strong-willed, stubborn, and self-focused. Jacob did not offer a blessing or messianic prophecy. He named what he saw.

This begs the question: Why would Jacob see Benjamin this way?

Backstory

Benjamin was the youngest son. By the time he was born, Jacob had already endured betrayal, exile, rivalry, and reconciliation. He had loved deeply and lost painfully. When Joseph disappeared years later, Benjamin became the last remaining son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved most.

Scripture makes clear that Jacob favored Rachel’s sons. That favoritism shaped the family profoundly. When Joseph was gone, Benjamin became the center of Jacob’s fear and affection. Jacob guarded him intensely. When famine forced the family to consider sending Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob resisted, fearful of losing him as he had lost Joseph.

This kind of protection shapes a person.

Being the youngest often means growing up shielded. Older siblings carry responsibility earlier. Younger ones are guarded by both their parents and their siblings. This does not make a person morally inferior, but it does affect formation.

Jacob’s fear-driven protection likely produced both security and limitation in Benjamin. Overprotection often delays maturity and favoritism can foster self-orientation. These are human patterns observed across cultures and families.

These fear-led oversights that allowed self-centeredness and immaturity in Benjamin to thrive may have been the ultimate cause of the wolfish characteristics Jacob saw in Benjamin.

From Individual to Tribe

Biblical prophecy often unfolds beyond the individual and into the life of a people. Jacob’s words over his sons were not merely personal assessments; they were seeds planted into future generations.

When we later encounter the tribe of Benjamin in the book of Judges, we see troubling patterns. The tribe demonstrates fierce loyalty, stubborn resistance, and violent refusal to repent even in the face of national collapse. The tribe is not weak. It is strong. But its strength lacks surrender.

This shows a continuity of traits—intensity, persistence, resistance to correction—that echo Jacob’s imagery.

The wolf survives. But survival without humility leads to destruction.

Understanding Character Through the Sons of Jacob

Each of Jacob’s sons carried a unique character shaped by love, neglect, trauma, and family dynamics. We will explore a few of them:

• Reuben, the firstborn, struggled with lust rooted in resentment and emotional neglect. Yet because he had experienced some of his father’s love, he was not fully hardened. He tried to protect Joseph.
• Simeon, however, became deeply demonized. His hatred toward Joseph did not begin with the colorful coat. It grew slowly from childhood favoritism and unchecked jealousy.
• Levi, influenced by Simeon, committed violence, but later chose God decisively. He represents the will transformed. Through obedience, he received blessing.
• Judah failed but repented. He became a mediator, a foreshadowing of Christ, willing to sacrifice himself to restore relationship between father and son.

Each failure became a pathway for transformation. Hatred never solves the problem. Killing the perceived enemy never brings healing. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, because the real problem is never another person, but a heart disconnected from God.

Parallel Gates

God does not discard broken people. He transforms them into what might be called parallel gates.

A parallel gate is a life God uses to bring others into reconciliation, freedom, and worship. No two gates are the same. Each reflects a unique mixture of personality, failure, and redemption.

I shared my own experience as the first Christian in my family. Through my testimony, my parents were brought toward the kingdom. If I had not received the gospel, they would not have had that access. Likewise, someone else was a gate for me.

We are all called to become such gates.

Transformation Into Living Stones

Through the Spirit’s work, we are not only made into parallel gates, but living stones. Each stone is different in color, composition, and brilliance. When refined by fire, it retains its uniqueness while revealing God’s glory.

Jacob’s twelve sons were different and unique. The twelve apostles were also different and unique. God does not erase personality. He redeems it. And Benjamin’s story must be understood in this light.

Worship Requires Inner Freedom

Before Jacob could return to worship freely, he had to experience transformation through Joseph.

Joseph’s life shows a stark dichotomy of ruling while in captivity. He ruled outwardly in Egypt, but inwardly his life was the continuation of Jacob’s spiritual journey. When Jacob matured spiritually, Joseph was born, and through Joseph, Jacob himself reigned.

Freedom must first exist in the heart. Without inner freedom, outer freedom leads to corruption.

This pattern is visible throughout history. Where the gospel and truth spread, freedom increases. Where they are absent, oppression grows.

Jacob’s journey was upward, toward Jerusalem, toward worship. Rachel (his wife), representing the flesh, was going downward. She named Benjamin Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow,” but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This renaming declared Jacob’s spiritual direction: upward, toward worship, freedom, and God’s presence.

Joseph represents freedom in the heart.
Benjamin represents freedom of worship.

You cannot worship freely without inner freedom.

The Spoiled Son

After Joseph disappeared, Benjamin became Jacob’s emotional anchor. Scripture records Jacob’s reluctance to let him go, fearing loss above all else.

Spoiling does not arise from cruelty. It arises from fear. But fear-based protection often produces self-centeredness and stubbornness.

But spoiling breeds self-centeredness. In my own life as the youngest child, I saw how favoritism shaped selfishness and stubbornness. Benjamin likely developed similar traits.

By the end of Jacob’s life, he saw clearly. His final word over Benjamin named this reality: a wolf, driven by appetite, unchanged from morning to evening.

Hope Within the Wolf

Yet Jacob’s prophecy is not the end of the story. Moses’ later blessing reveals God’s final word. The wolf would become the dwelling place of God.

This is grace.

Benjamin’s stubbornness, selfishness, and strength were not erased. They were transformed. The same shoulders that once carried self-interest would carry the presence of God.

Benjamin’s story reminds us that our destiny is not determined by our beginnings. God transforms character, not by removal, but by redemption.

The wolf becomes beloved.
The spoiled son becomes sanctuary.
The stubborn heart becomes a dwelling place for God.

This is the journey of Benjamin.
And in many ways, it is our own.

 

A Closing Devotion

Benjamin’s story reminds us that God does not wait for perfection before calling a place or person His dwelling. He does not demand the removal of our sinful traits before He moves in. Instead, He enters what already exists and begins the work of transformation from within.

The wolf was not erased. He was redeemed.

This is how grace works. God does not bypass our history. He redeems it. He does not discard the parts of us that are rough, excessive, or ill-fitted. He reshapes them into something holy.

Benjamin teaches us that worship is not born from flawless character, but from inner freedom. And inner freedom comes when we allow God to dwell where we once guarded ourselves most closely.

The sin that once defined us does not have to imprison us.
In God’s hands, we can become his sanctuary.

 

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you felt labeled or defined by your worst traits rather than your potential for transformation?
2. What part of your character feels most “wolf-like” right now—stubbornness, self-protection, independence, or appetite?
3. Have you ever tried to change yourself by removing traits, rather than offering them to God for redemption?
4. In what ways might God be inviting you to experience freedom in your heart before seeking freedom in your circumstances?
5. Where do you sense God asking to dwell more deeply in your life—not after you change, but as you are?

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:18–19 Rejoice, Zebulun, in Your Going Out: A Study of Humiliation, Dwelling, and Mission

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:18–19
Rejoice, Zebulun, in Your Going Out: A Study of Humiliation, Dwelling, and Mission

 

Why Zebulun Matters

We are continuing our study of Deuteronomy 33. It is Moses’ blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel. Each tribe carries a distinct story, a distinct failure, and a distinct expression of God’s salvation. None of them are interchangeable. Together, they form a complete testimony of how God transforms sinners into sons, and sons into living stones in His eternal dwelling.

Today, we turn our attention to Zebulun, the last son of Leah.

Zebulun is a tribe many believers know almost nothing about. Judah is familiar. Issachar is often celebrated for discernment. Joseph’s suffering and exaltation are widely preached. Benjamin is remembered for strength and warfare.

But Zebulun? Most Christians struggle to describe his calling at all.

That lack of familiarity is itself revealing. Zebulun’s story is not obvious. It does not announce itself. It requires careful listening, patient interpretation, and spiritual insight. And yet Scripture preserves three separate prophetic witnesses concerning Zebulun: from Jacob, from Moses, and from Isaiah. When Scripture speaks about something three times, it signals an invitation for us to pay attention.

Zebulun’s calling is especially important for believers who have experienced humiliation, obscurity, or contempt, because his destiny is forged precisely through those conditions.

A Map of Salvation

To understand Zebulun, we must first understand the role of the twelve tribes as a whole.

The twelve tribes are not merely ethnic divisions. They are prophetic stories of salvation. Each tribe represents a different human failure and a different aspect of God’s redemptive work. Taken together, they reveal the full arc of salvation history.

The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans. Whether Jew or Gentile, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:9–23 ESV). Yet salvation does not end at forgiveness. It moves toward transformation, maturity, and glory. Scripture uses different Greek words to describe this progression: children of God, heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, mature sons.

Romans 8 tells us that creation itself is waiting for the revealing of these sons. When they enter into glory, creation will be liberated from corruption.

This story reaches its climax in the New Jerusalem.

In John’s vision, the city has twelve gates, and each gate bears the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Each gate is made of a single pearl. No one enters the city except through these gates.

This tells us something crucial: God’s work with Israel is not bypassed in the New Testament. It is fulfilled. Jews and Gentiles are joined together into one new humanity, built upon Christ the cornerstone.

The pearl itself explains the process. A pearl is formed through injury. When an oyster is wounded by a foreign irritant, it does not reject it violently. Instead, it releases life, layer upon layer, transforming pain into beauty.

Israel wounded Christ. Christ responded with life.
From that wound came a gate of salvation.

Zebulun must be understood within this framework.

Zebulun as a Dwelling Place

Zebulun was the last son born to Leah.

Leah lived with rejection. Jacob loved Rachel but merely tolerated Leah. Her sons were born into a household filled with rivalry, neglect, and emotional imbalance. Zebulun did not enter a peaceful family story. He entered a painful one.

His name means “to dwell” or “to honor.” After giving birth to Zebulun, Leah declared that now her husband would dwell with and honor her (Genesis 30:19–20 ESV).

This is not accidental language.

Later, Scripture uses marriage to describe something far greater than human romance. Paul explains that marriage is a mystery pointing to Christ and the church, the union between God and humanity. Zebulun’s very name carries the idea of divine dwelling, of God making His home with people.

Zebulun was born with a purpose already inscribed into his identity. He was destined to be associated with God’s dwelling, even though his beginnings were marked by rejection and obscurity.

Calling does not erase pain. In fact, calling often grows out of it.

Jacob’s Prophecy: Life at the Shore

Jacob’s blessing over Zebulun is brief:

“Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;
he shall become a haven for ships,
and his border shall be at Sidon.”
(Genesis 49:13 ESV)

At first glance, this sounds unimpressive. No royal authority, overflowing abundance, or promises of dominance.

But Jacob is not speaking in one-dimensional terms.

Zebulun is placed at the edge.
At the border.
At the sea.

A harbor is not a throne room. It is exposed and vulnerable. It is often looked down upon by those who live inland. Harbors are messy places where people come and go, cultures mix, and stability feels fragile.

Yet harbors are essential.

Jacob reveals Zebulun’s destiny as a gateway tribe. He is positioned where Israel meets the nations. Sheep find refuge there. Ships launch from there.

Zebulun is not called to rule from the center.
He is called to send from the edge.

Moses’ Prophecy: Call the Peoples

Then Moses clarifies Zebulun’s calling in Deuteronomy 3:18–19:

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out…
They shall call peoples to the mountain;
there they shall offer right sacrifices.
For they draw from the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

Here, Zebulun’s mission becomes explicit.

His joy is found in going out and calling the peoples, not just Israel. His inheritance comes from both sea and sand.

In biblical imagery, the sea often represents the Gentile nations. The sand recalls God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the shore.

Zebulun is called to gather both.

This aligns perfectly with Paul’s teaching in Romans 9–11: The salvation of the Gentiles and the salvation of Israel are not competing stories. They are interwoven. God uses one to provoke the other, until both are brought into fullness.

Zebulun stands at that intersection.

Isaiah’s Prophecy: From Contempt to Light

Isaiah reveals the cost of this calling:

“In the former time he brought into contempt
the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
but in the latter time he has made glorious
the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.”
(Isaiah 9:1b–2a ESV)

Before glory comes humiliation.

Zebulun’s land becomes Galilee, a region despised by religious elites. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth [located in Galilee]?” (John 1:46 ESV) was not an idle question. It was a cultural judgment.

Yet Isaiah declares that this very place would see the great light first.

And Matthew tells us plainly that this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, in the region of Zebulun. From there, He preached repentance and called fishermen like Peter and Andrew. From there, the kingdom of God began to spread.

God hid His greatest revelation in the most despised place.

Zebulun Fulfilled in Christ

Jesus embodied Zebulun’s calling.

He lived by the sea, gathered fishermen, called the nations, and revealed divine light even in the confines of human humility.

Zebulun’s destiny was never about prestige. It was about mission.

Pattern for the Church

Zebulun’s story continues in the church today.

God repeatedly chooses people and places marked by humiliation to initiate revival. He strips away pride. He dismantles false strength. He prepares vessels that will go out with joy, not domination. And often his vessels are found in the most unlikely and humble places.

Growing up in rural China, I experienced much humiliation. Even after coming to the United States, I often felt shame and embarrassment. My wife and I saw couples in the church having children, one after another, but we could not. I perceived this as humiliation. I went to a Korean minister to ask for prayer. He told me, “God has a plan to use you in the future. You are going through the same trials as Hannah, Rachel, Rebecca, and Sarah went through in the Bible. God has a plan for you.” This was confirmed to me when God spoke to me in January 2016. He told me that I would have a child that year and that my ministry would be initiated by Him. He also promised me that he would use me greatly if I humbled myself before him.

Sometimes I discuss with my wife, if we could do it all again, whether we would choose to avoid the pain and humiliation or if we would choose the hard path. We agree that we would not have achieved the spiritual maturity we have today without experiencing those sufferings. Some people told us that God was not giving us children as a punishment. But it was actually God’s work in us to help us grow and become vessels that he could send.

This pattern of humiliation and preparation is visible across history and across cultures. And Zebulun is another reminder of this truth.

A Modern Zebulun

There are people and nations in our world today who are deeply despised. China is one of them.

As a Chinese person living in the United States, I sometimes feel that the Chinese people are among the most despised groups in the world. Some second-generation Chinese Americans even feel ashamed to acknowledge that they are Chinese. Koreans, and even people from Taiwan or Hong Kong, sometimes distance themselves from being identified as Chinese.

This attitude exists partly because China is a communist country, but also because of China’s history of defeat in wars against Western imperial powers and Japan. In the past, China took great pride in being the strongest power in the East. Over the past few hundred years, however, she has lost that sense of dignity and honor.

Is there a purpose behind this history of humiliation? I believe there is. God has revealed to me that He has a great plan for China. God allowed contempt and suffering to humble the nation, and through this humbling, He is preparing to build His church in China. God is preparing China for a great spiritual revival.

When this revival happens, God will send out millions of missionaries from China to Japan, Muslim countries, Israel, Europe, America, and many other parts of the world to help bring renewal and revival.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a Chinese believer named Ye prayed to God, asking whether the Chinese church had a future and why God allowed such severe persecution against it. God sent an angel to tell him that He had a wonderful plan for the Chinese church, which would unfold in three steps.

The first step was to dismantle the existing structures of the church. The second step was to rebuild. Then, when a new generation within the Chinese church was ready, God would pour out His Holy Spirit upon them, and revival would come to China. The third step would be to send Chinese Christians to preach the gospel in regions where it has lost momentum, especially in Europe and America.

God has a great plan for China, and China can be seen as a modern example of Zebulun. God has allowed, and continues to allow, persecution in China as part of this purpose.

Persecution has purified the church. Suffering has created resilience. God is raising a people who will go out with rejoicing, not from pride, but from humility.

Just as Galilee was once dismissed, God is again raising voices from unexpected places to call the nations back to worship.

Zebulun is not the tribe of kingship or prosperity.
It is the tribe of sending.

Rejoice in Your Going Out

Zebulun’s call still stands.

To those shaped by humiliation.
To those placed on the edge.
To those sent rather than celebrated.

Rejoice in your going out.

God’s dwelling place is still being built.
His gates are still being formed.
And His light still rises from unexpected shores.

 

Devotional Reflection

Zebulun speaks gently but firmly to those who feel unseen. God often chooses the shoreline, not the center. The edge is where movement begins. The harbor is where God prepares people to go.

If your life has felt like “former contempt,” ask the Holy Spirit what He may be preparing through it. Humiliation is not disqualification. It is training.

Zebulun’s command is not merely to go, but to rejoice in going.

Joy is simply an agreement with God’s purpose.

Reflection Questions

1. Where do you feel most on the margins right now?
2. What experiences of humiliation may have shaped you for mission rather than disqualified you?
3. What “shoreline” has God placed you on that could be a launching point?
4. Who might God be calling you to gather from the sea or the sand?
5. What would it look like to rejoice in your going out?

 

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:12 The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

Bible Study with Jairus – Deuteronomy 33:12

The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

 

The Prophecy of Benjamin

Let us explore the story of Benjamin through the prophecies spoken over him. Moses declared that Benjamin was “the beloved of the Lord,” one who dwelt in safety, surrounded by God all day long, with God dwelling between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12 ESV).

This is prophetic and poetic language. It points to Benjamin as a person and to his inheritance and calling in the Promised Land.

Canaan, which later became Israel, was divided into twelve portions and given to Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, along with Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, rather than receiving land, was set apart for the priestly line.

Geographically, the land of Benjamin sat between Judah and Ephraim. Jerusalem itself lay within Benjamin’s territory. Zion, the dwelling place of God, and later the tabernacle and temple, were all located there.

Benjamin’s calling was bound up with worship. His tribe was associated with the place where God and humanity would meet. The physical geography reflects a spiritual truth: Benjamin’s destiny was to be a carrier of God’s presence.

Yet this destiny did not emerge from an easy beginning.

Difficult Beginnings

Benjamin’s beginning was marked by sorrow. He was born on the road, during Jacob’s return to the land of promise. His mother Rachel died in childbirth. With her final breath, she named him Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow.”

Jacob immediately intervened. He renamed the child Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This moment reveals two perspectives. Rachel named her son based on her experience of grief, loss, and death. Doubtless, Jacob felt these things too. But he did not move downward into despair; he moved upward toward the land God had promised. Benjamin’s renaming was Jacob’s refusal to allow sorrow to define his son’s future.

 And so Benjamin entered the world at the intersection of grief and hope. And throughout his life, he carried both.

Jacob’s Prophecy

Near the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons and spoke prophetic words over them. Some of these words were expansive and filled with promise, others, not so much.

His words over Benjamin in Genisis 49:27 are brief:

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
and at evening he divides the spoil.”

This is far from a gentle blessing. In biblical imagery, the wolf often represents cunning, selfishness, and predatory instinct. It is not a flattering picture. Wolves are strong, intelligent, persistent, and driven by appetite. They survive and take what they can.

Jacob was naming a real character issue in his son. Benjamin was strong-willed, stubborn, and self-focused. Jacob did not offer a blessing or messianic prophecy. He named what he saw.

This begs the question: Why would Jacob see Benjamin this way?

Backstory

Benjamin was the youngest son. By the time he was born, Jacob had already endured betrayal, exile, rivalry, and reconciliation. He had loved deeply and lost painfully. When Joseph disappeared years later, Benjamin became the last remaining son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved most.

Scripture makes clear that Jacob favored Rachel’s sons. That favoritism shaped the family profoundly. When Joseph was gone, Benjamin became the center of Jacob’s fear and affection. Jacob guarded him intensely. When famine forced the family to consider sending Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob resisted, fearful of losing him as he had lost Joseph.

This kind of protection shapes a person.

Being the youngest often means growing up shielded. Older siblings carry responsibility earlier. Younger ones are guarded by both their parents and their siblings. This does not make a person morally inferior, but it does affect formation.

Jacob’s fear-driven protection likely produced both security and limitation in Benjamin. Overprotection often delays maturity and favoritism can foster self-orientation. These are human patterns observed across cultures and families.

These fear-led oversights that allowed self-centeredness and immaturity in Benjamin to thrive may have been the ultimate cause of the wolfish characteristics Jacob saw in Benjamin.

From Individual to Tribe

Biblical prophecy often unfolds beyond the individual and into the life of a people. Jacob’s words over his sons were not merely personal assessments; they were seeds planted into future generations.

When we later encounter the tribe of Benjamin in the book of Judges, we see troubling patterns. The tribe demonstrates fierce loyalty, stubborn resistance, and violent refusal to repent even in the face of national collapse. The tribe is not weak. It is strong. But its strength lacks surrender.

This shows a continuity of traits—intensity, persistence, resistance to correction—that echo Jacob’s imagery.

The wolf survives. But survival without humility leads to destruction.

Understanding Character Through the Sons of Jacob

Each of Jacob’s sons carried a unique character shaped by love, neglect, trauma, and family dynamics. We will explore a few of them:

• Reuben, the firstborn, struggled with lust rooted in resentment and emotional neglect. Yet because he had experienced some of his father’s love, he was not fully hardened. He tried to protect Joseph.
• Simeon, however, became deeply demonized. His hatred toward Joseph did not begin with the colorful coat. It grew slowly from childhood favoritism and unchecked jealousy.
• Levi, influenced by Simeon, committed violence, but later chose God decisively. He represents the will transformed. Through obedience, he received blessing.
• Judah failed but repented. He became a mediator, a foreshadowing of Christ, willing to sacrifice himself to restore relationship between father and son.

Each failure became a pathway for transformation. Hatred never solves the problem. Killing the perceived enemy never brings healing. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, because the real problem is never another person, but a heart disconnected from God.

Parallel Gates

God does not discard broken people. He transforms them into what might be called parallel gates.

A parallel gate is a life God uses to bring others into reconciliation, freedom, and worship. No two gates are the same. Each reflects a unique mixture of personality, failure, and redemption.

I shared my own experience as the first Christian in my family. Through my testimony, my parents were brought toward the kingdom. If I had not received the gospel, they would not have had that access. Likewise, someone else was a gate for me.

We are all called to become such gates.

Transformation Into Living Stones

Through the Spirit’s work, we are not only made into parallel gates, but living stones. Each stone is different in color, composition, and brilliance. When refined by fire, it retains its uniqueness while revealing God’s glory.

Jacob’s twelve sons were different and unique. The twelve apostles were also different and unique. God does not erase personality. He redeems it. And Benjamin’s story must be understood in this light.

Worship Requires Inner Freedom

Before Jacob could return to worship freely, he had to experience transformation through Joseph.

Joseph’s life shows a stark dichotomy of ruling while in captivity. He ruled outwardly in Egypt, but inwardly his life was the continuation of Jacob’s spiritual journey. When Jacob matured spiritually, Joseph was born, and through Joseph, Jacob himself reigned.

Freedom must first exist in the heart. Without inner freedom, outer freedom leads to corruption.

This pattern is visible throughout history. Where the gospel and truth spread, freedom increases. Where they are absent, oppression grows.

Jacob’s journey was upward, toward Jerusalem, toward worship. Rachel (his wife), representing the flesh, was going downward. She named Benjamin Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow,” but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This renaming declared Jacob’s spiritual direction: upward, toward worship, freedom, and God’s presence.

Joseph represents freedom in the heart.
Benjamin represents freedom of worship.

You cannot worship freely without inner freedom.

The Spoiled Son

After Joseph disappeared, Benjamin became Jacob’s emotional anchor. Scripture records Jacob’s reluctance to let him go, fearing loss above all else.

Spoiling does not arise from cruelty. It arises from fear. But fear-based protection often produces self-centeredness and stubbornness.

But spoiling breeds self-centeredness. In my own life as the youngest child, I saw how favoritism shaped selfishness and stubbornness. Benjamin likely developed similar traits.

By the end of Jacob’s life, he saw clearly. His final word over Benjamin named this reality: a wolf, driven by appetite, unchanged from morning to evening.

Hope Within the Wolf

Yet Jacob’s prophecy is not the end of the story. Moses’ later blessing reveals God’s final word. The wolf would become the dwelling place of God.

This is grace.

Benjamin’s stubbornness, selfishness, and strength were not erased. They were transformed. The same shoulders that once carried self-interest would carry the presence of God.

Benjamin’s story reminds us that our destiny is not determined by our beginnings. God transforms character, not by removal, but by redemption.

The wolf becomes beloved.
The spoiled son becomes sanctuary.
The stubborn heart becomes a dwelling place for God.

This is the journey of Benjamin.
And in many ways, it is our own.

 

A Closing Devotion

Benjamin’s story reminds us that God does not wait for perfection before calling a place or person His dwelling. He does not demand the removal of our sinful traits before He moves in. Instead, He enters what already exists and begins the work of transformation from within.

The wolf was not erased. He was redeemed.

This is how grace works. God does not bypass our history. He redeems it. He does not discard the parts of us that are rough, excessive, or ill-fitted. He reshapes them into something holy.

Benjamin teaches us that worship is not born from flawless character, but from inner freedom. And inner freedom comes when we allow God to dwell where we once guarded ourselves most closely.

The sin that once defined us does not have to imprison us.
In God’s hands, we can become his sanctuary.

 

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you felt labeled or defined by your worst traits rather than your potential for transformation?
2. What part of your character feels most “wolf-like” right now—stubbornness, self-protection, independence, or appetite?
3. Have you ever tried to change yourself by removing traits, rather than offering them to God for redemption?
4. In what ways might God be inviting you to experience freedom in your heart before seeking freedom in your circumstances?
5. Where do you sense God asking to dwell more deeply in your life—not after you change, but as you are?

God's End Time Plan_End Time #Prophecy 6 #China Revival #China will become a democratic nation

God's End Time Plan_End Time #Prophecy 6 #China Revival #China will become a democratic nation

 

God often uses my former Chinese college in my prophetic dreams. One night, in another dream, I was dropped through the chimney of my former school’s kitchen. There is no chimney in my college, so I think this chimney might have represented the preaching of the gospel. My appearance represents believers in Christ. Just like Santa came through a chimney with gifts, the gospel will be preached to China as Jesus’ best gift of eternal life. Unfortunately, the people who were in the kitchen were so shocked by my sudden ‘dropping by’ that they strongly resisted me. I was pushed back.

 

In the next scene, I found a big tree near the roof. I slid it down to the ground. When I reached the ground, fierce battles started, and I was tossed back and forth. Eventually, the victory was won, and I found myself lying in a reclining chair conversing in peace with two friends. One friend was a coworker of mine in China who is currently a communist party member. The other is the alumni Christian workmate I mentioned earlier. This scene is prophetic to me as it shows that one day Chinese society will receive reconciliation among different people. Is that enough though? Does God want more for China? I believe so.

 

Chinese Dissidents: Thank you for Preaching the Gospel

 

There was another prophetic dream that God used to start shaking my understanding regarding the political arena. In that dream I was riding a bicycle, and some Chinese dissidents were chasing after me on bikes. It includes a Christian dissident that I know through my work to cover the Chinese dissidents. He is a Christian, but he is also a very active Chinese dissident. I did not know what they wanted to do to me, so I rode faster. I felt fear in the dream and my intention was to stay away from them. Eventually, they reached me and stopped me. The leader of this group of people said to me, “Thank you for your preaching and the books you wrote. These really helped us to succeed in our pursuit of a Chinese democracy.”

 

I looked at them with astonishment. They were in their mid-fifties, and I was in my midforties when I had this dream. Puzzled, I said to them, “How could I have helped you since I am younger than you?” In the next scene, we were in the Christian Brother House I used to live in near the University of Southern California. It was there that I was baptized to be a Christian. Although the leader’s face in my dream resembled only one democratic leader of real life, I know this person was meant to represent the whole Chinese democratic movement. He also represents the future leader of China who may be a Christian in God’s mind. The group of them were chatting with us in a Christian atmosphere. I felt that the love of brothers was among us while we were fellowshipping in the hallway. Later, I realized this was a prophetic dream meant to remind me that God is calling me to preach the gospel to these groups of people and be part of this democratic process in China. I represent believers in Christ in this dream. This real person I saw in the dream is a Christian and a Chinese dissident. I am not saying he will be the future leader of China, but God may choose a Christian to be the leader of the New China. This is a prophetic message.

God's End Time Plan_End Time #Prophecy 5 #China Revival #Communism is about to end

God's End Time Plan_End Time #Prophecy 5 #China Revival #Communism is about to end

 

In March 2020, I was taken into a vision. This was the most vivid 3D-type vision I have had thus far. In it, I saw a great revival happening in China. It was bursting out all over! People were dancing, celebrating, and worshiping God all over the streets of China. In the next scene, I was brought into a heavenly meeting where many saints in glory, including Chinese and Westerners, were meeting. There was a Chinese lady who gave me a tour of the place and she specifically told me that this revival was something she had never seen when she was on Earth. In the end, angels had bound an evil political spirit, and I saw that a great political change would come to China after this great revival. I was so surprised to see the evil political spirit bound. I asked the angel in great surprise, “Is this the CCP?” The angel told me, “Yes.” I saw that China becomes a democratic nation, and they will worship God.