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No claims of absolute originality are made for this material. As one man said, "I milk a lot of cows, but I churn my own butter." Please use these sermons as the Lord leads, but nothing on this site may be used for profit without my expressed, written permission!
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Deuteronomy 33:24-29 I’LL TAKE WHAT HE’S HAVING Intro: Asher was the eighth son of Jacob. He was the youngest son of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. He was the unwanted son of the servant of the unwanted wife. Asher was a nobody living in a house filled with somebodies! The name “Asher” means “happy, or blessed.” Here is what was said about Asher’s birth: “And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher,” Gen. 30:12-13. While his name meant “happy” or “blessed,” I doubt there was a lot of happiness in his life. Asher was not the oldest son, Reuben held that honor. He was not the strongest son, that would have been Judah. He was not the youngest son, that was Benjamin. He was not the most loved son, which was Joseph. Asher would have lived most of his life in the shadows, learning to be content with the leftovers. While Asher may not have been voted “Most Popular” or “Most Likely To Succeed” in Jacob’s family, on two occasions Asher was singled out for special blessings. In Gen. 49, Jacob is dying and he calls his twelve sons to his bedside. He pronounces blessing on some and judgment on others. His words to Asher are worthy of notice. “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties,” Gen. 49:20. In this passage, Moses is about to climb Mount Pisgah. From the top of that mountain, Moses look over into the Promised Land. After that, his earthly journey will end and Moses will die. Before those events occur, Moses takes the time to pronounce blessings upon each of the tribes of Israel. He begins his blessings with the tribe of Reuben and ends with the tribe of Asher. They all received great blessings from Moses, but I am interested in his words to Asher. I suppose we all feel like an Asher from time to time. We feel like we don’t belong and we just aren’t as loved, as capable and as worthy as some of the rest of God’s family seem to be. I find hope and help in Asher’s blessing! In Moses’ words to this little tribe there are some blessings that all of God’s children enjoy. While you and I may never be the most famous and most able of God’s children, we are still among the most blessed. I want to take these verses today and show you the blessings that all the Asher’s in God’s family enjoy. I have no problems with the blessings of the Lord. He has been far better to me that I ever imagined He could be. If I had one request today I would say Lord, I’ll Take What He’s Having. That is the thought I want to magnify today. I guess you’ve done that. You are having dinner and someone at your tables orders something that sounds so good, you want it too. So, you tell the person taking your order, I’ll Take What He’s Having. Let me show you the blessings contained in the words of Moses to Asher. What I want you to see here is that this blessing should be turned into a prayer. We ought to take this blessing and pray it back to the Lord for our church, for other people, and for ourself. We should go to God and say, “I’ll Take What He’s Having.” I. V. 24 THIS IS A PRAYER ABOUT REPRODUCTION The tribe of Asher would experience numerical growth. That is exactly what happened. When the tribes were numbered at the beginning of the exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Asher numbered some 41,500 men of fighting age, Num. 1:40-41. 40 years later, when they are numbered again, the ranks of Asher have grown to 53,400 fighting men, Num. 26:47. That is an increase of nearly 30%. That is significant in light of the fact that the total number of Israel’s fighting men decreased by some 2,000 men over the same period of time. God promised Asher a posterity and He delivered. This is the kind of prayer we need to pray. Not that God would give us physical children. That might be the right prayer for some families, but for others it isn’t. However, this is the kind of prayer that every believer should pray. We should ask the Lord to give us a spiritual posterity. We ask the Lord to help us reproduce our faith spiritually. We have been commanded to do so, Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20. We have been equipped to do so, Acts 1:8. We should pray for opportunities to share Jesus with our families, our friends, and all those we meet in life. This was Paul’s prayer, “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds,” Col. 4:3. It should be ours as well. I. This Is A Prayer About Reproduction II. V. 24 THIS IS A PRAYER ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS The tribe of Asher would be at peace with their brethren. They would be “acceptable” to their brothers. The word means “to approve, to be please with, to delight in.” Asher would be loved by the other tribes. There would be a sweet unity between this tribe and the rest of the tribes of Israel. Again, this is a prayer that should often be on our lips. We should pray that we will walk in peace with those around us. It is inevitable, disagreements, disputes and times of animosity will come between us and others. Our prayer should be that we will be quick to forgive those who offend us and ever watching so that we do not offend others. Here is how Jesus said it: “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith,” Luke 17:1-5. If we want Asher’s blessing, we should pray that we would be “acceptable” to our brethren. We should do everything in our power to walk in love, in peace and in forgiveness of others.
I. This Is A Prayer About Reproduction II. This Is A Prayer About Relationships III. V. 24 THIS IS A PRAYER ABOUT RICHES The phrase, “let him dip his foot in oil,” speaks about the inheritance that was given to Asher in the Promised Land. It was, and still is, a region perfectly suited for growing olive trees. The image in this phrase is one of extravagant wealth. In that day is was customary for slaves to wash the feet of their maters. Slaves always used water for this task. However, those who had great wealth would often dip their feet in oil after washing to keep the feet soft. The picture here is that this tribe will be so prosperous that they will be able to enjoy wonderful luxuries. While they were one of the smaller tribes, they would be one of the most prosperous. This was Jacob’s prophecy as well: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties,” Gen. 49:20. By the way, this prophecy is very far-reaching. The maps of the territory given to Asher suggests the shape of the sole of a foot. The Great International Iraq-Petroleum Enterprise, opened in 1935, crossed the area just at the toe of Asher’s “foot.” Oil brought nearly 1,000 miles across the sands from Mesopotamia began pouring through pipes into the harbor at Haifa Israel. Over a million gallons of oil a day flow through that pipeline. Asher literally “dips his foot in oil.” I would never advocate that we pray for wealth or material blessings. Those things are in the hand of the Lord and He gives them out as He sees fit. However, we are commanded to lay our needs out before Him, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” Phil. 4:6-7. We are told to ask Him and trust Him for the needs that arise in life day by day, “Give us this day our daily bread,” Matt. 6:11. And, we are promised that He will take care of those things for us, Phil. 4:19, Matt. 6:25-33. What a blessing it is to have a Father like our Heavenly Father. He loves His children and He delights in taking good care of them. Ill. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” Luke 12:32. We may never “dip our foot in oil,” but God will take care of His children. We need to pray for those who are in need. When we have need ourselves, we should cast our care on Him and trust Him to take care of His Own. He will never fail to do just that! Before we leave this thought let me remind us that oil in the Bible is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit. We may never have earthly, material riches, but the redeemed are all blessed with abundant spiritual riches, Eph. 1:3. Spiritually speaking we often “dip our foot in oil.” Think about it:
I can’t speak for you, but that makes me feel kind of rich! I am blessed, and I have just scratched the surface of all we possess in Jesus Christ. Don’t let anyone tell you any different! If you are saved, you are wealthy, even if you have no money. I. This Is A Prayer About Reproduction II. This Is A Prayer About Relationships III. This Is A Prayer About Riches IV. V. 25 THIS IS A PRAYER ABOUT RESOURCES Asher is promised that his “shoes will be iron and brass.” This is a promise of military strength, the ability to stand against their enemies. The land Asher inherited in the Promised Land was at the northern tip of Israel. They are promised that they would be given power sufficient stand against the enemies that would invade from the north. The land they inherited was rough and rocky. God is promising them that they would be given the proper shoes for the terrain they faced. In other words, God is promising them that He would help them stand against whatever they faced. That is the kind of prayer we need to pray! We need to ask the Lord to give us the proper footwear for the road we are called to walk. If you are going to a formal event, you don’t need tennis shoes. If you are going to war, you don’t need high heels. We have been working in the yard this week. I didn’t put on my wingtips when I went out to work in the dirt. I chose footwear that was appropriate for the task at hand. This is a promise for sufficient grace for the road of life. That is God’s promise to His people, 2 Cor. 12:9. Regardless of where the road of life leads, the closet of God’s grace will contain sufficient footwear for every step we take. There will be easy days when velvet slippers will be enough to get us through. But, there will be some rough places in the road ahead, and for those rough roads, we must have the appropriate footwear. God promises Asher, and by extension for us, that our footwear will match the road we walk in life. No matter what you face today, tomorrow or thereafter, God has the right shoes for the right road. That comforts my heart. As Israel journeyed thought the wilderness, God saw to their feet. Deut. 29:5 says, “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.” Just remember that our God is in the shoe business and He has the right shoes for all the roads you will ever walk in life. He is able to give you all you need for the road that lies ahead. Iron shoes would allow Asher to trample his enemies under foot. It is the image of superior strength and the ability to defeat one’s foes. This is our promise as well. We face some very power enemies in the persons of the world, the flesh and the devil. Each of those enemies are out for our defeat. We have the promise that our God will help us overcome them all! “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4. Praise His name! He will enable us to trample Satan, self and the world under our feet. He will give us strength to stand for Him against everything that comes against us. Ill. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his mightPut on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand,” Eph. 6:10–13. I. This Is A Prayer About Reproduction II. This Is A Prayer About Relationships III. This Is A Prayer About Riches IV. This Is A Prayer About Resources V. V. 25 THIS IS A PRAYER ABOUT REST The final promise to Asher is this: “...as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” The word “days” comes from a Hebrew root that means “to be hot.” It reminds us of the heat of a Middle Eastern day. Asher is promised “strength” for all the “days” that lie ahead. The promise to Asher is that God will strengthen him for every day he faces. That is another prayer that we ought to pray. I love this promise because it says “days,” not “day.” That teaches us three important truths.
This is a wonderful promise.
God promises us sufficient strength for every day we will face
Here is the Lord’s promise for all your days:
I love those precious promises! Here is another to wrap your mind around: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day,” Pro. 4:18. When we first meet the Lord, there is light enough for each step we take, but as we get nearer home the light shines brighter and grows more intense. When we reach the end of the way, we merely step out into the light and we are home. There is strength for all our days, and there will be strength when our days here end, and our endless day there begins. By the way, I have a sneaking suspicion that death for the child of God is merely and earthly event. The redeemed might not even know they have died. For the child of God death is merely another step that leads them into the presence of the Lord. Thank God, there is strength for the final day as well. Conc: I can’t speak for you, but I’ll Take What He’s Having! I want those blessings on my life, and on the lives of those I know and care about. After these blessings are issued, Moses launches into an anthem of praise exalting the Lord as the only source of help the people of Israel have, Deut. 33:26-29. However, He is enough, and that makes them a “happy” people. Literally, they are an “Asher” people, for that is what the word “happy” means. Are you an “Asher” person? Do you need to come before the Lord and breathe this prayer for yourself? Are there people you know who need this prayer prayed for them? Let’s come before the Father and ask Him to apply Asher’s blessing to our lives, and to the lives of those we love.
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Copyright 2003 by Alan Carr |
