Glad Ventures and Grounded Minds Text: Deuteronomy 33:18-19
Introduction: The Great Integration
We live in an age of disintegration. Our modern world is adept at slicing reality into a thousand disconnected pieces. We have the sacred over here and the secular over there. We have our Sunday life in this box and our Monday-through-Saturday work life in another, entirely separate box. We are told that faith is a private matter, a quiet, personal preference that must never be allowed to interfere with the "real world" of business, politics, or economics. The result of this is a neutered Christianity, a faith that is all sentiment and no substance, all hymn-singing and no hammer-swinging.
But the Word of God knows nothing of this sacred/secular divide. The Scriptures present us with a robust, full-orbed faith that claims every square inch of creation for Christ. All of Christ for all of life. This is not a clever slogan; it is a biblical mandate. And in the final blessing of Moses upon the tribes of Israel, we find a remarkable portrait of this great integration. As Moses comes to the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar, he pronounces a blessing that marries our work and our worship, our going out and our staying in, our economic ventures and our theological understanding.
These two tribes, sons of Leah, are blessed together, and their callings are intertwined. Zebulun is the adventurous merchant, the sea-farer, the risk-taker. Issachar is the thoughtful scholar, the tent-dweller, the one who understands the times. One is all about the "going forth," the other is about the stability of the "tents." And what is the result of this partnership? It is gladness in their work, and the overflow of that gladness is a public, mountain-top worship that calls the nations to join them. This is not a privatized faith. This is a faith that generates so much wealth, both material and spiritual, that it becomes a global invitation. This blessing teaches us that when God's people are faithful in their callings, whether in the marketplace or in the study, the result is a joyful, infectious, and world-altering worship.
The Text
Of Zebulun he said, “Be glad, Zebulun, in your going forth, And, Issachar, in your tents. They will call peoples to the mountain; There they will offer righteous sacrifices; For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand.”
(Deuteronomy 33:18-19 LSB)
Joyful Dominion (v. 18)
We begin with the foundational command given to both tribes:
"Be glad, Zebulun, in your going forth, And, Issachar, in your tents." (Deuteronomy 33:18)
The first thing to notice is that this is a command to be glad. "Rejoice," some translations say. This is not a suggestion. Joy in our vocation is a divine imperative. This is because our work is not a post-fall curse. The curse was not work itself, but the thorns and thistles that would frustrate our work. The mandate to fill, subdue, and have dominion over the earth was given in the Garden before the fall. Therefore, our work, when done in faith, is a participation in God's creative and ordering work. It is a good gift.
Zebulun is to be glad in his "going forth." This points back to Jacob's prophecy that "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships" (Gen. 49:13). Zebulun represents the outward-facing energy of the covenant people. He is the entrepreneur, the merchant, the sailor, the one who engages in international trade. His work is dynamic, risky, and expansive. And he is commanded to rejoice in it. This is a direct repudiation of any pietism that views commerce or the pursuit of wealth as inherently sinful. God blesses the diligent, the adventurous, and the enterprising. Zebulun's "going forth" is an act of faith, a form of taking dominion.
Then we have Issachar, who is to be glad "in your tents." Jacob's prophecy described Issachar as "a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant" (Gen. 49:14-15). Issachar represents the inward-facing strength of the covenant people. He is the scholar, the farmer, the theologian, the one who stays put and cultivates what is at hand. He is grounded. Later, in the time of David, the men of Issachar were those "that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (1 Chron. 12:32). This is not laziness; it is the deep, steady work of thought, study, and cultivation. The tents of Issachar are not places of idle retreat, but centers of learning and wisdom. He is to rejoice in his books, his fields, his home, and his deep thoughts.
What we have here is a picture of a healthy, balanced Christian society. We need the Zebulunites, who go out and build and trade and engage the world. And we need the Issacharites, who stay home and think and pray and teach. The activist must be grounded by the contemplative, and the contemplative must be pushed outward by the activist. One provides the economic engine, the other provides the theological rudder. And both are commanded to be glad in their God-given posts.
From Commerce to Conversion (v. 19a)
The blessing then shows us the glorious result of this joyful, integrated labor.
"They will call peoples to the mountain; There they will offer righteous sacrifices..." (Deuteronomy 33:19a)
This is a stunningly optimistic, postmillennial vision. The fruit of Zebulun's business and Issachar's wisdom is not a bigger bank account or a more comfortable tent. The fruit is evangelistic. Their success is so compelling, so attractive, that they "will call peoples to the mountain." The mountain, in Scripture, is the place of worship, the place where God meets with man, like Sinai or Zion. This is a picture of global invitation. The nations see the blessing of God on the joyful work of His people and they are drawn to the source of that blessing.
This is how the Great Commission is meant to advance. It is not just about preachers preaching, though it is certainly that. It is about Christian merchants being so honest and producing such good products that their pagan trading partners ask them, "Why are you like this?" It is about Christian scholars and thinkers producing such profound and beautiful work that the world is forced to take notice. When our work is excellent and our joy is genuine, it becomes a magnet for the nations. Our prosperity becomes a platform for proclamation.
And what happens when the peoples come to the mountain? "There they will offer righteous sacrifices." Notice this carefully. They are not offering just any old sacrifice. They are not engaging in syncretistic, pluralistic worship. The blessing of God on the work of Zebulun and Issachar leads to true conversions and orthodox worship. The nations are brought to the mountain to learn how to worship God rightly, according to His Word. Right doctrine and right practice (orthodoxy and orthopraxy) are the goal. Our economic and cultural dominion must always serve the greater goal of filling the earth with the knowledge and worship of the one true God.
The Fountain of Blessing (v. 19b)
The final clause reveals the source of the prosperity that fuels this grand missionary enterprise.
"For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand." (Deuteronomy 33:19b)
This is the engine that drives the whole process. The "abundance of the seas" clearly belongs to Zebulun, the seafaring merchant. This refers to fishing, of course, but more broadly to all the wealth that comes from international trade and maritime enterprise. God promises to bless Zebulun's ventures, to make his "going forth" profitable.
The "hidden treasures of the sand" is a fascinating phrase. This could refer to a number of things. The sand of the seashore was used to make glass, a highly valuable commodity in the ancient world. It could also refer to the rich minerals found in the soil, or even to the Murex snail, found on the coast, from which the highly prized purple dye was made. Whatever the specific reference, the point is clear. God has packed His creation full of wealth and resources, and He gives His people the wisdom and skill to find it and use it for His glory.
This is the foundation of all Christian economics. Wealth is not created out of thin air. It is drawn out of the "abundance" that God has already placed in His good world. The sea is teeming with life. The sand is full of treasure. Our job is to apply our God-given intelligence and labor, our Zebulun-like energy and our Issachar-like wisdom, to unlock this potential. God does not bless laziness. He blesses the diligent drawing out of the abundance He has provided.
Conclusion: Work as Worship, Wealth as Witness
So what does this ancient blessing have to say to us? Everything. It teaches us to reject the false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Your work matters to God. Whether you are a Zebulunite, out on the high seas of commerce, software development, or global logistics, or an Issacharite, in the tents of motherhood, scholarship, or pastoral ministry, you are to be glad in your calling.
Your work is a form of worship, and when it is done with joy and excellence, it becomes a powerful witness. The world is starving for meaning. They are drowning in a sea of nihilism and despair. They see work as a meaningless grind to be endured for the sake of the weekend. When they see Christians who are genuinely glad in their work, who are competent, creative, and joyful, it is a profound apologetic. It confronts them with the reality of a good God who created a good world and who blesses the work of His people.
And this blessing is meant to be shared. The wealth we generate, both spiritual and material, is not for hoarding in our own tents. It is fuel for the mission. It is for the purpose of "calling peoples to the mountain." Our businesses should be platforms for the gospel. Our homes should be embassies of the Kingdom. Our prosperity should overflow in radical generosity and hospitality that makes the nations curious about our God.
Let us, therefore, be a people who integrate our lives under the Lordship of Christ. Let the Zebulunites go forth with gladness and the Issacharites dwell in their tents with joy. And as God blesses our faithful labor, may we together draw out the abundance of His creation, so that we might call the nations to His holy mountain, there to offer up the righteous sacrifice of their lives, all to the glory of God the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord.