（申33）带职侍奉的西布伦 (Deut 33) Zebulun Serving with a Vocation

（ChatGPT was applied for translation from Chinese. 中文在后面）

Deuteronomy 33:18–19:
“Concerning Zebulun he said, ‘Zebulun, rejoice in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents be glad. They shall call peoples to the mountain; there they shall offer righteous sacrifices. For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of the treasures hidden in the sand.’”

This is part of the blessing of the tribes of Israel before Moses’ death. In this blessing, why is the tribe of Zebulun mentioned first, and the tribe of Issachar after? This does not match their order of birth. According to Genesis 30:17–20, Zebulun was the sixth son of Jacob’s wife Leah, while Issachar was the fifth, born earlier.

According to Rashi’s commentary (https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.18.2?lang=bi) ,
Zebulun went out to do business, while Issachar stayed in the tents to study the Torah. They formed a partnership: the former used the money he earned to support the latter. Since the latter’s achievements in Torah are related to the support of the former, therefore in the blessing of Torah the former is mentioned first.

The tribe of Issachar’s achievements in Torah, according to Rashi on Deut 33:18–19, include: calculating the calendar, establishing leap months, calculating the times of the new moons, so that Israel would go to Jerusalem for the biblical festivals and sacrifices at the correct seasons and dates. Their attainments in Torah study should have been great. Two hundred of them became leaders of the biblical judicial system, the Jewish courts (see 1 Chronicles 12:32: “Of the tribe of Issachar, there were two hundred chiefs, all men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; their kinsmen were at their command.”). Their study of Torah was very strenuous; Genesis 49:14–15 compared them to a “strong donkey… bowed down with burdens, becoming a servant to forced labor.”

As for Zebulun in business, they fully used the advantage of dwelling by the sea, so Scripture here says, “For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of the treasures hidden in the sand.” Genesis 49:13 also says, “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall be for a haven of ships, and his border shall extend to Sidon.”

If the two tribes formed a cooperative partnership in business and Torah, then I think their achievements in both fields should be shared, and one cannot say that one has higher status than the other. But already in Genesis 49, Jacob in his blessing mentioned Zebulun before Issachar, contrary to the order of birth. By right, in Deuteronomy 33, in Moses’ blessing, there could have been a balance, mentioning Issachar first. Why then is Zebulun still mentioned first?

Rashi’s commentary (https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.19.5?lang=bi) gives a clue. The verse says, “They shall call peoples to the mountain; there they shall offer righteous sacrifices.” The “they” could refer to both Zebulun and Issachar. But I guess Zebulun’s role was greater here. Because Zebulun went out to do business, they had more opportunities to meet the nations than Issachar, who stayed in the tents studying Torah. Thus in matters of faith, Zebulun could influence them, attracting them to the Creator, bringing them to the Temple Mount to offer sacrifices. Therefore, besides fulfilling their part in the partnership by doing business to support their companions in Torah study, Zebulun also had the extra role of proclaiming Torah to the nations while engaged in business. And since Zebulun could bring Gentiles back to the Lord, they themselves must also have set aside time to study Torah. They could not have been occupied only in business. Rashi (https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.19.3?lang=bi) explains: “They shall suck of the abundance of the seas”—meaning the Creator gave them abundant resources, so that in doing business they would have spare time to study Torah.

In modern times, it is not very realistic for all Christians to give up secular professions to serve full time. Zebulun’s example gives a good model of serving with a vocation. So, Scripture putting Zebulun first in both blessings may also be to encourage believers who serve with a vocation. If they, besides doing their work faithfully to support others in Bible study, also leave themselves more additional time to study Scripture, and more to spread the gospel in the workplace, there will be greater reward. In the New Testament, preaching the gospel is given as the great commission to all Christians: Jesus Christ says in Matthew 28:19:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

（申33）带职侍奉的西布伦

申命记33:18-19 “论西布伦说，西布伦哪，你出外可以欢喜。以萨迦阿，在你帐棚里可以快乐。他们要将列邦召到山上，在那里献公义的祭。因为他们要吸取海里的丰富，并沙中所藏的珍宝。”

这是摩西离世前为以色列支派祝福中的一段话。在这个祝福里，为什么先提西布伦支派，后提以萨迦支派？这和他们祖先的出生顺序不符，根据创世记30:17-20，西布伦是雅各的太太利亚生的第六个儿子，而以萨迦是她生的第五个儿子，更早出生。

根据Rashi解经https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.18.2?lang=bi，西布伦出外作生意，而以萨迦留住帐棚里学圣经，他们形成了合作关系，前者用赚到的钱支持后者。因为后者圣经方面的成就与前者的支持有关，所以前者在圣经的祝福里被先提到。

以萨迦支派在圣经方面的成就，根据Rashi在申命记33:18-19的解释，包括计算日历，设立闰月，计算新月的时间，使得以色列人在正确的季节和日期去耶路撒冷过圣经节日和献祭。他们在圣经研究方面应该很有成就，有两百人成了圣经司法系统犹太法庭的领袖（参见历代志12:32 “以萨迦支派，有二百族长都通达时务，知道以色列人所当行的。他们族弟兄都听从他们的命令。”）他们的圣经研究相当刻苦，圣经创世记49:14-15曾把他们比喻成“强壮的驴…低肩背重，成为服苦的仆人。”

西布伦在作生意方面，则充分利用了他们居住海边的优势，所以圣经这里说“因为他们要吸取海里的丰富，并沙中所藏的珍宝。”，在创世记49:13也说“西布伦必住在海口，必成为停船的海口。他的境界必延到西顿。”

如果两支派在生意和圣经方面形成了一个分工合作的伙伴关系，那么我认为，两者在生意和圣经方面的成就应该都是共享的，不能说哪个比另一个地位更高。但圣经在创世记49章雅各离世前的祝福中就已经违反出生顺序先提到西布伦，按道理到了申命记33章摩西祝福时，完全可以平衡一下，先提以萨迦了，为什么仍然先提到西布伦呢？

Rashi的解经https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.19.5?lang=bi 提供了一个线索。圣经这里提到“他们要将列邦召到山上，在那里献公义的祭。”，这个他们，所指的是西布伦和以萨迦都有可能，但我猜想其中西布伦的作用更大些，因为他们出外作生意，比留在帐棚里学习圣经的以萨迦更有机会接触列邦，在信仰上影响他们，吸引他们归向造物主，到圣殿山献祭。所以西布伦除了在伙伴关系中尽本分作好生意资助同伴学圣经，还额外在与列邦作生意时传圣经。而且，既然西布伦能带外邦人归主，他们自己应该也化一定的时间学圣经，应该不是专门作生意，Rashi 在https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.33.19.3?lang=bi 提到，“他们要吸取海里的丰富”，表示造物主赐给他们的资源很丰富，让他们作生意可以有空余时间学习圣经。

在现代，让所有基督徒都放弃世俗职业全职侍奉是不太现实的，西布伦的例子给了一个带职侍奉的很好模式。所以，圣经把西布伦在两次祝福中都放在前面，可能也是鼓励带职的信徒，让他们除了尽本分作好生意资助别人学圣经，如果他们自己留出更多额外时间学习圣经，更多在职场传福音，会有更多的奖赏。新约里更是把传福音当作全体基督徒的大使命：耶稣基督在马太福音28:19说 “所以你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，奉父子圣灵的名，给他们施洗。 ”