The Names of God - The Sword of Thy Excellency

The Names of God - The Sword of Thy Excellency

The Sword of Thy Excellency

Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, The shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places. 

Deuteronomy 33:29 (KJV)

Because of disobedience, Moses was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land with Israel. In Deuteronomy 33, the Final Blessing which Moses gave Israel is recorded. In the words which Moses spoke over Asher, we have two name for God given in verse 29: The Shield of Thy Help and The Sword of Thy Excellency.

The name Asher means “to be happy.” Moses declared the reason for their happiness. The Lord will be to them like a shield of help. I couldn’t help but see the Holy Spirit in that name. First of all, Jesus said of the Holy Spirit of Promise, that He would be a Help to the Christian (follower of Christ). Then Moses declares this name: The Sword of Thy Excellency. There are many places where a sword is used as a type, or picture, of the Word of God, which we learn from the Gospel of John, is Jesus; He is the Word made flesh and dwelled among us.

So, here we have Moses speaking a blessing over the last tribe of Israel, prophesying the other two parts of the Godhead coming into play, for the purpose of bring “happiness” to the people. Israel had just spent the last 40 years getting reacquainted with God the Father, learning again how to hear His voice and fellowship with Him through sacrificial worship implemented in the Tabernacle of Moses. Now, Moses tells them of the Lord, who will be their Shield of Help, and the Lord, who will be their Sword of Excellency, or as the ESV calls it, the Sword of Triumph. When the full expression of the Godhead in the life of human on earth is experienced, the result will be happiness.

The Hebrew word for “excellency” can also be stated as “majesty”. This speaks of the King and His Kingdom. Royalty is often referred to as “His/Her Excellency”. The pomp and circumstance practice in the presence of the King is call majestic. While the King is on the throne the Kingdom is in a state of triumph. They are at peace because the King reigns.

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (KJV)

Like Israel in the Promised Land, Christians now reign in their life through Jesus Christ, the Sword of Thy Excellency (or majesty). We need to learn the fullness to live as citizens of The Kingdom, serving The King. We do this in the power of Holy Spirit, The Shield of Help. With our Father seeing to our happiness, we have the Son, The Sword of His Excellency, interceding for us night and day, and the power of the Holy Spirit, The Shield of Help, guiding our every step. The Word and the Spirit in concert with the Father; how can we not be happy?