Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:17

"His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." — KJV

This is the reason I have decided to seek a place to commune with God where the truth is important: Unicorns.

Hypothetical: A man is accused of "rolling a stop sign." He is pulled over and found in possession of a large quantity of an illegal substance, a loaded firearm, and evidence of unlawful acts for which justice would demand years behind bars. Yet the man walks away free because there was never a stop sign to roll where he was stopped. He shouldn't have been pulled over in the first place. He leaves unrepentant—acquitted on the most minor of details.

Details matter. Words matter. Context matters. If I am going to be held to account for my deeds, I want to be certain I understand the rules.

Lately, I have been listening to the debates echoing from every corner of the Church. I am not alone. There is an undercurrent rising. I felt it stir within weeks of entering recovery—raw, unnamed currents driving me into uncharted waters. Then things shifted. I opened the Bible, and I stopped reading passively. I started examining the words themselves.

A force compelled me to dig deeper as I began writing my confession. Now I find myself wrestling with confusion and exhaustion. The men elevated as authorities cannot agree on foundational truths. Every translation seems to carry an agenda or a conflicting gloss. How can a man choose a path when every map offered to him has been redrawn to protect an institution?

Then the obvious answer surfaced: Pray.

That is the crux of the matter. We were never meant to rely purely on our own fractured intellects, nor can we entrust our souls to custodians who have no skin in our survival. We are called to pray. Beyond the doctrinal firefights, the translation disputes, and the historical rifts, prayer is the one foundation where the Baptist, the Catholic, and the Orthodox all run out of arguments and meet the same God.

Moses Blesses the Twelve Tribes

--BSB

1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. 2 He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand. 3 Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words—4 the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob. 5 So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together. 6 Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.” 7 And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.” 8 Concerning Levi he said:  “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah. 9 He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant. 10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar. 11 Bless his substance, O LORD, and accept the work of his hands. Smash the loins of those who rise against him, and of his foes so they can rise no more.” 12 Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.” 13 Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath, 14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons, 15 with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills, 16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers. 17 His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”