|
CHAPTER 31:
The final four chapters of Deuteronomy contain one last exhortation from Moses to the people, the official appointment of Joshua as the next leader of Israel, Moses’ commandment to the priests to guard the law of God within the ark of the covenant, Moses’ final song and final blessing, and then the recorded death of Moses and his secret burial by God Himself. Verses 1-6: Moses has continually exhorted the nation throughout his sermons in Deuteronomy to not only honor and obey the LORD their God, but also to remember that it is He that goes before them to conquer the heathen nations of the promised land. God will do to them what He had already done for Israel when they fought Sihon and Og, and Joshua, whom God has appointed to take Moses’ place, will lead them forth in battle. In spite of the vast numbers of the armies of the foreign nations, as well as the fortification of their walled cities, the Israelites are not to be afraid of them. God will go before them, and He will deliver them into the hands of His chosen people. Moses’ humility and meekness are on full display in these final chapters. Even though he is a hundred and twenty years old (v.2), he still possesses the mental and physical capacity to continue leading the people. (Deuteronomy 34:7) But he accepts God’s judgment against him for his earlier unbelief and the punishment that was given to him. (Numbers 20:12[ii]) He willingly and humbly accepts that it is Joshua who will lead Israel into the promised land, and that his – Moses’ – end is near. There’s a powerful lesson here for us today. Just as King David accepted God’s will that it would be his son, Solomon, and not him that would build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, so should we – like Moses and David – learn to willingly and humbly submit to God’s timing and His will for our lives. Moses longed to see the promised land for himself, and he desired to be the one to lead the nation into it, but that was not God’s will for him, and so he surrendered his will to the Lord. Meekness and humility are among the chief hallmarks of a true man of God, and Moses possessed both in spades. There is a remarkable and stark difference from the man here in Deuteronomy and the man who was tending sheep on the backside of the desert when God first spoke to him out of the burning bush. Verses 7-8, 23: Moses now summons Joshua to stand with him before the congregation, and he publicly gives Joshua the same charge that he just gave to the people. “Be strong and of a good courage…” because the LORD “…will not fail thee, neither forsake thee…”. God himself later repeats this exhortation to Joshua after the death of Moses. (Joshua 1:6) Verses 9-13, 24-29: Next, Moses gives the book of the law to the priests for safekeeping and charges them to read it aloud to the whole nation every seven years during the Feast of Booths. (v.10) (Deuteronomy 15:1-2) All the people of Israel – men, women, and children – are to gather at the tabernacle every seven years, including even the foreigners that are among them at that time, in order to hear the law of God. (v.11-12) In this manner will they learn to properly “…fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.” (v.12) (Deuteronomy 4:10) This ritual will also ensure that the children of each generation who have not personally witnessed all the miracles, signs, and wonders that God performed for the first and second generations that came out of Egypt will learn of them and come to fear the Lord as well. (v.13) (Deuteronomy 11:2) The book of the law refers to either the entire book of Deuteronomy, or perhaps just the body of laws contained in chapters 6-28. Moses commands the priests to put it in the ark of the covenant next to the stone tablets that bear the ten commandments. (v.26) It will be a reminder to them of both their propensity for rebellion against God as well as the ever present need to uphold and honor Israel’s part of the covenant after Moses is gone. (v.27) (Deuteronomy 9:7, 24) He even states plainly that future generations will disobey the law and the covenant and turn away from God, utterly corrupting themselves, and thus provoking his wrath and judgment. (v.29) (Deuteronomy 32:5, Judges 2:19, Acts 20:29-30) Verses 14-22: God summons Moses and Joshua to the tabernacle for the official commissioning and transference of leadership to Joshua. (v.14) (Numbers 27:18-19, Deuteronomy 3:28) As before, the Lord appears in the form of a cloud that rests upon the tabernacle. (v.15) (Exodus 33:9) He confirms what Moses had earlier anticipated in the blessings and curses address to the people in chapters 28-29. Israel would, indeed, disobey and turn to false gods and break their covenant with the LORD. They will suffer His divine wrath and punishment and be scattered among the heathen nations, and God’s face will be hidden from them. (Isaiah 1:15) They will know that they are suffering because the Lord is no longer in their midst. (v.16-18) (2 Chronicles 15:2) Because of this, God commands Moses to write a song that he will teach to the children of Israel as a constant reminder to them of the consequences of disobedience. (v.19) When the time comes for the nation to be delivered unto judgment for their sin, they will remember the song and know why they are being punished. (v.20-21) This is an act by a loving and caring father for His children whom he knows will betray His covenant. He knows the imagination of their sinful, wicked hearts (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Hosea 5:3), and He is instituting new rituals like this one and the reading of the law by the priests to the people every seven years (v.10-11) in order to help them remain committed to His covenant. And in those times when they will fail and disobey, they will remember the law and the covenant and will turn back to the Lord. Verse 30: Moses now gathers the whole congregation before him in order to teach them the new song. CHAPTER 32: Another song of Moses. Verses 1-3: As he’s done before, Moses calls on heaven and earth to hear and to testify as witnesses to what he’s about to say to the people. (Deuteronomy 4:26, Psalm 50:4, Isaiah 1:2) These first three verses of the song strongly echo the same style and substance as the many psalms of David. Moses’ desire is that these words will fall upon the hearts and minds of the people as rain on the grass and herbs of the field. (Isaiah 55:10-11) Rain is refreshing. It nourishes and gives life to all living things. (Psalm 72:6) Without rain, nothing would grow. The grass of the fields would quickly wither and die in the heat of the sun, and that’s a fitting metaphor for what Moses warns will happen to the people in later verses of this song if they ignore the word of the LORD. Verses 4-14: For the first time in scripture God is referred to as a Rock, indicating His unchanging permanence and consistency. (Psalm 18:2) God is a God of truth, justice and righteousness. He is perfect, and there is no sin in Him. (Deuteronomy 7:9, 2 Samuel 22:31, Job 34:10, Isaiah 65:16, Jeremiah 10:10) It is we, the fallen and broken creation, that have erred. In sharp contrast to holy and perfect God, we are corrupt, sinful, and anything but permanent. We are full of pride and rebellion, and we have gone astray. Moses calls Israel “…a perverse and crooked generation.” (v.5) (Deuteronomy 4:25, 31:29, Philippians 2:15) They have repaid God’s goodness, kindness, and mercy with rebellion, grumbling, lack of faith, and disobedience to His law and covenant. (v.6) (Psalm 116:12[xv]) God is their father, and they have spurned Him. (Exodus 4:22, Deuteronomy 1:31, Isaiah 63:16) Once again, Moses reminds the people of God’s promise to Abraham, how the Lord separated Abraham’s seed unto Himself. (v.7-9) Long before Abraham was born, God had “…separated the sons of Adam…” (v.8) at the tower of Babel, knowing whom of their descendants would be His portion and inheritance. (v.9) (Genesis 11:8, Exodus 19:5) The previous generations, going all the way back to Jacob, had testified to their sons and daughters of God’s promise to the seed of Jacob. (Exodus 12:26-27, 13:14, Psalm 44:1, 78:5) Joseph’s last words to his family also testified of this and of God’s future deliverance of His people. (Genesis 50:24-25) Moses describes God as a mighty eagle, sheltering Israel under His wings during their long sojourn in the desert after coming out of Egypt. (v.10-11) (Isaiah 31:5) He even uses the phrase “…the apple of His eye…” in verse 10 to emphasize to the people just how special and sacred their status was – and still is – to God. (Psalm 17:8, Proverbs 7:2, Zechariah 2:8) It was God alone who did all of this, and there is none other like Him. (v.12) It was God who preserved the nation during their time in the wilderness and gave them victory over their enemies. Bashan (v.14) is the region east of the Jordan where Israel enjoyed the spoils of their conquest of Sihon and Og. (v.13-14) Verses 15-18: But despite God’s blessings and providence, Israel forsook the Rock of their salvation. (v.15, 18) (Isaiah 17:10, Jeremiah 2:32) The name “Jeshurun” is an ironic one, for it means “upright”, and the nation was anything but upright and obedient when they turned to false gods. Israel provoked God with their disobedience and their detestable acts (v.16), choosing to worship demons and other false gods of their own imagination. (v.17) (Psalm 78:58, 1 Corinthians 10:22, Revelation 9:20) That is, incidentally, the essence of false gods and idols that are made by the hands of men. They are demons given physical form and likeness by the wicked imagination of men’s hearts. Verses 19-27: In response to Israel’s gross apostasy, God “…abhorred them…” (v.19) and hid His face from them (v.20), meaning that He withdrew His presence from among them. Their sin incurred His righteous jealousy and wrath, and He, in turn, provoked Israel to anger by using the foreign nations around them to inflict His judgment upon them. (v.21) (Romans 10:19) God’s righteous anger has no limits, extending even to the depths of hell (v.22), and capable of consuming the whole world in an instant. Verses 23-26 echo all of the curses from chapter 28. There is a shift in the verb tense of this section, starting with verse 20, indicating the purposes of this whole song. Much of what Moses speaks of in these verses has not actually happened yet to the current generation about to enter the promised land. But that’s the point of the song, to remind those future generations of why the Lord is angry with them and why they’re under judgment. Verses 28-33: Here Moses points out the ignorance of both the first generation that came out of Egypt as well as those future generations in the promised land. In both cases Israel is willfully ignorant of their own situation and the reasons for both their previous victories over their enemies as well as their present judgment and punishment for their disobedience. Verses 28-29 are a rebuke of the nation’s shortsightedness and ignorance. (Psalm 81:13, Luke 19:42) The previous generation that was denied entry to the promised land had quickly forgotten God’s miraculous delivery of them from their bondage in Egypt as well as His promise to Abraham. The future generations in the promised land would be guilty of the same thing, hence the divine judgment against them. (Deuteronomy 31:29) How could such a small nation have defeated so great an enemy as the Amalekites and the Moabites without the clear intervention on Israel’s behalf by God? (v.30-31) The gods of the heathen peoples are false. Only the one true God, the Rock of Israel, has the power to bring up nations or cast them down. (v.31) (1 Samuel 4:7-8, Jeremiah 40:2-3) The enemies of Israel are full of wickedness, perversion, and rebellion, as were Sodom and Gomorrah. (v.32) The fruit of their sin is death by way of God’s wrath and righteous judgment. (v.33) Verses 34-43: The whole purpose of God’s judgment against Israel is to make them see the error of their ways and bring them back to Him through genuine repentance. As before in Genesis, the word “repent” used in here in verse 36 to describe God’s action towards Israel does not mean that He regrets punishing them. Rather, it refers to His compassion and love for His chosen people, no matter how badly they have gone astray. (Psalm 135:14, Hebrews 10:30) (v.36) Once again, the LORD compares Himself to the false gods which the Israelites had been worshiping. (v.37-40) Their idols of wood and stone are utterly lifeless and incapable of the awesome, supernatural power which God displays on behalf of His chosen people. (Isaiah 1:24, 66:16, Jeremiah 50:28) God’s judgment against Israel is designed specifically to make them see how impotent their false gods really are, and that Jehovah – the one, true God – stands alone. There is none other like Him. (v.39-40) (Isaiah 41:4, 43:10) God promises that all those who hate Him and His chosen people will suffer His righteous and mighty wrath. (v.41-43) Vengeance upon the wicked belongs to God alone, and He will repay His enemies. (v.35, 43) Paul quotes verse 35 in Romans 12:19. (2 Kings 9:7, Revelation 6:10, 19:2) Verse 43 calls for the nations to rejoice with Israel, further indication that God has always included the gentiles in His plan of salvation. Through Israel all nations of the world are to be blessed. But those that rise up against Israel will be destroyed. This is one of God’s enduring promises throughout scripture. Verses 44-47: Moses ends the song with one final admonition to the people to take this song to heart, as well as all the words of the law of God. (v.46) (Ezekiel 40:4, 44:5) To do so is not futile, but is, in fact, the key to victory, long life, and happiness in the promised land. (v.47) (Deuteronomy 8:3, 30:15) Verses 48-52: The same day in which Moses finishes the song and delivers it to the people, God calls him to go up to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, east of the Jordan river, and where Israel is currently camped. (v.49) (Numbers 33:47-49) The whole of Deuteronomy, which is all of Moses’ final words to the children of Israel, have been delivered here in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan river, in the shadow of the mountains to which God now calls Moses to ascend one final time. On Mount Nebo God will supernaturally allow Moses to view the whole of the promised land after which Moses will “…be gathered unto thy people…” in the same manner as Aaron. (v.50) (Numbers 20:28, 33:38) It was because Moses had failed to honor God in the presence of all the nation that God denied him entrance to the promised land. (v.51) (Leviticus 10:3, Numbers 20:12) But God also graciously allows Moses to view that land before his death. (v.52)
0 Comments
CHAPTER 29:
Moses’ fourth and final address to the people is short and to the point. As with the previous two, this one begins by stating that the LORD has commanded Moses to speak all “…the words of the covenant…” (v.1) to the people. This includes not just the initial ten commandments that were given at Mount Sinai in Horeb, but also everything since then here in the land of Moab, which is the first two sermons of Moses that are recorded here in Deuteronomy. (Leviticus 26:46, Deuteronomy 5:2-3) Verses 2-3: As with his first address, Moses begins this final one with a brief history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, reminding them of God’s miraculous signs and wonders that He performed for not only the Egyptians but for the benefit of Israel also. (Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 4:34, 7:19, 11:7) Verse 4: Yet, despite all those signs and wonders, there were many in Israel who did not believe. They are the ones that grumbled and rebelled against God and Moses during the trek to Mount Sinai. They were also the ones who worshiped the golden calf, who followed Korah in his rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and who were also among the first generation that hearkened unto the ten spies whose lack of faith in God caused them to disobey God’s commands and promises regarding the conquering of the promised land. Yet Moses also seems to be referring to the current generation of Israelites that are standing before him now when he says that God has not opened their hearts, eyes, and ears to perceive His ways. (Isaiah 6:9-10, Ezekiel 12:2, Matthew 13:14, Acts 28:26-27, Romans 11:8, Ephesians 4:18) There is some debate among Biblical scholars and commentators about the true meaning of this verse. The Calvinists point to this as proof of God’s predestination and sovereign election, that He has deliberately blinded the hearts of some so that they will not be saved. They point to the other verses throughout scripture which I listed above as further corroboration of this doctrine. Another interpretation is that God has blinded the hearts of the Israelites in response to their disobedience and lack of faith, and that this verse is Moses’ warning to the current generation of their future apostasy and judgment which he detailed in the previous chapter. I have already discussed the false doctrine of Calvinism in my commentary of Exodus, so I will not go into that again here. Suffice it to say, the best interpretation of this verse is the latter one, especially in light of the curses and judgment by God in the previous chapter. Moses is warning the people that not only has God withheld from all of them some spiritual knowledge and insight, but that there will also be many among them whose lack of faith after conquering and settling the promised land will cause the nation to turn from God. This is why Moses reminds them of the signs and wonders that God did in Egypt. Even after all that God has shown His people then and up to this point, there are some whose hearts are – or will be – hardened because of their own persistent unbelief. Verses 5-8: Moses then reminds the people of God’s providence and provision for them during the forty years of wandering in the desert. The purpose of that was not only punishment for the first generation because of their unbelief, but also that the people would come to know the Lord their God more closely and personally. (v.6) (Exodus 16:12, Deuteronomy 8:2-4) This is one of the fundamental truths of the life of the believer today. God sometimes keeps us in the wilderness of trial and temptation so that we might draw closer to Him as we wait for whatever plan He has for our lives to be brought to fruition. Verses 9-13: Moses is addressing the entire nation of Israel: every man, woman, and child, from the tribal leaders all the way down to the lowliest servant. His message is clear and to the point. The only way that Israel will prosper is by obeying all of God’s law. (Deuteronomy 4:6, 1 Kings 2:3) God, through Moses, is both reminding and renewing His covenant with this generation of Israel that is about to enter the promised land. (v.12-13) (Nehemiah 10:29) Moses emphasizes once more that Israel is a holy nation, separated and consecrated unto God, which was first promised to Abraham and then passed down to Isaac and Jacob. (v.13) (Genesis 17:7-8, Exodus 6:7, Deuteronomy 28:9) Verses 14-20: Four times in this chapter does Moses use the words “today” or “this day”. (v.10, 12, 13, 15) Moses stresses to the people that God is renewing His covenant not only with everyone present on this day, but also their descendants who are yet to be born. (v.15) (Acts 2:39) This is an everlasting and eternal covenant, a promise made to Abraham that can never be broken. It is a covenant that has yet to be completely fulfilled, even in our present day. But there is coming a time when God will gather from the ends of the earth His chosen people, and He will have a final reckoning with them. And then they shall rule the whole earth with King Jesus Himself sitting on the throne for a thousand years. Israel will no longer be the tail but the head as Moses first mentioned in the previous chapter. Moses now circles back to the topic of idolatry, reminding the nation of the wickedness and abominations that they witnessed both before and after leaving Egypt. (v.16-17) He stresses yet again the importance of Israel remaining faithful to the LORD their God, the one and only true God. Moses warns them of the deceitfulness of their hearts, and that anyone among them – whether present on this day or any future generations – who chooses to turn away from God to worship idols and ignore the curses that Moses warned of in the previous chapter will face God’s wrath and judgment. (v.18-19) (Deuteronomy 11:16) He compares such individuals to a corrupt root whose vine produces the bitter fruit of gall and wormwood. (v.18) (Deuteronomy 32:32, Acts 8:23, Hebrews 12:15) God will not spare that man who disobeys but will instead “…blot out his name from under heaven.” (v.20) (Exodus 14:7, 32:33, Deuteronomy 9:14, 2 Kings 14:27, Psalm 74:1, 79:5, Ezekiel 23:25) Verses 21-28: God’s wrath and judgment against the Israelites, should they forsake the covenant by turning away from Him to idolatry and other wickedness, will be so great as to not only destroy the evildoers but will also scorch the land itself. The promised land will appear as the plains where Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim once stood: barren, blackened, unable to grow anything because of the salt and brimstone. (v.23) (Genesis 19:24-25, Isaiah 1:9, Jeremiah 17:6, 20:16, Hosea 11:8, Zephaniah 2:9) The people of the surrounding nations will look at it and marvel amongst themselves, wondering why God has done this. But they will also know the answer: the Israelites did not honor and obey the covenant they made with the LORD their God. (v.24-26) (1 Kings 9:8, Jeremiah 22:8) Moses closes this section by reminding the people of “…all the curses that are written in this book…” which God promised to send upon Israel if she fails to uphold all the commandments and statutes of His law and covenant. (v.27-28) (Daniel 9:11) Verse 29: Biblical scholars and commentators have interpreted this statement in a number of ways. Given the context of the preceding verses, some scholars say that Moses is referring to God’s ability to see the sins committed in secret by individuals, and that He will punish them accordingly. And if the nation as a whole does not deal with those individuals whose sins are committed in public or are known to others (i.e. idolatry), then God will judge the whole nation accordingly. This would certainly fit with earlier statements by Moses in his second address to the people. However, in the larger context of not only this book, but the Bible as whole, a more appropriate reading of this verse is that God is not revealing, even to His chosen people, everything about Him and His ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9) More specifically, the “secret things” that Moses is referring to are most likely God’s knowledge of the future and His overall plan for Israel. Moses is exhorting the people not to worry about the future, but to focus on what God has already revealed to them, i.e. His law and covenant. The same holds true for us today. God has only revealed so much in His word, and we should not be concerned with trying to read between every line in order to decipher or speculate about the mysteries in scripture. This is, most often, what leads to false doctrine and what has already caused many false religions. Instead, we are to be diligent in what God has clearly revealed to us in the Bible by honoring and obeying the commandments and statutes that He has laid out for us. Only in the next life, when we are in heaven for eternity with our Lord and savior, will we fully see and comprehend all that God is and all His ways. CHAPTER 30: Chapters 28 and 29 were filled with both warning and prophecy about the future generations of Israel in the promised land. Much of it was very bleak, for Moses predicted a time when the whole nation will turn away from God and fall into apostasy, idolatry, and immorality. As a result, God will pour out His wrath and judgment upon them, and both chapters ended on a dark note of despair, fear, and hopelessness. Verses 1-10: But now Moses reminds the people of God’s love and mercy. If that future generation, while scattered amongst the heathen nations in captivity, remembers the LORD their God and returns to Him in genuine repentance, then God will have compassion on them and deliver them from their bondage. (v.1-3) (Leviticus 26:40, Deuteronomy 4:29-30, 28:2, Nehemiah 1:9, Psalm 106:45, Isaiah 55:7, Jeremiah 29:14, Lamentations 3:22-23, 32, 40, Joel 2:12) It doesn’t matter how far from the promised land they have been taken (v.4), God will gather them back home. (Deuteronomy 28:64, Isaiah 62:11) They will repossess that land, and God will once again bless them as He did this generation that is about to conquer and settle that promised land. (v.5) God will renew His covenant with that generation, circumcising their hearts and thus enabling them “…to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart…”. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 10:16, Jeremiah 31:31-33, 32:39, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26-27) As you can see from the cross references, Jeremiah and Ezekiel go into more detail about this new covenant in their prophecies. This is one of the many promises of God found in scripture, that He is always willing to help the truly repentant by sending His spirit to give them power to break away from sin. That is what “circumcising the heart” means. Circumcising all the males, remember, was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and all his descendants. In like manner, circumcising the heart is a metaphor for the act of one consciously turning away from sin and seeking the LORD’s face, throwing oneself upon His mercy and vowing to honor and obey Him alone. As part of that covenant renewal God will honor the promise He made to Abraham, that all of Israel’s enemies will receive the curses of the law. (v.7) (Isaiah 54:15, Jeremiah 30:16, 20) Anyone that curses her or comes against her will receive God’s wrath and judgment. But the same conditions for God’s blessings, protection, and providence will also apply to that future generation just as it does to the one listening to Moses now. As long as the nation cleaves to God alone, honoring and keeping all the statutes and judgments of His law, then God will uphold all the promises that Moses described in the previous two chapters. (v.8-10) (Deuteronomy 28:11, Jeremiah 32:41, Zephaniah 3:20) Verses 11-14: Moses points out that God’s law is not a mystery that is hidden from the people. It’s not out of reach in heaven or buried in the depths of the sea where no man can access it. (v.11-13) (Proverbs 30:4, Romans 10:6) God has made His law and His will plain to all of Israel via Moses. He’s also revealed it to them in their hearts, so that there is no excuse for the nation to not obey and honor God. (v.14) (Isaiah 45:19, Romans 10:8) Verses 15-20: Moses lays before the people a single, clear choice. They can choose to love the LORD their God by keeping all the statutes and commandments of His law and worship Him alone, or they can turn away from God and do as they please, worshiping false gods and following the wicked practices and abominations of the heathen nations of the promised land. The former will bring God’s blessings, providence, and protection while the latter will incur His wrath and judgment which will result in the loss of the promised land and Israel’s death. The choice is “…life and good…” or “…death and evil…” (v.15), “…blessing and cursing…”. (v.19) Moses pleads for the people to choose life and blessing, for that is the only way they will prosper in the promised land. (v.19-20) The LORD their God “…is thy life, and the length of thy days…”, (v.20) and without Him there is no other way for this generation to inherit the promise made to their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Psalm 27:1, John 11:25, 14:6, Colossians 3:4) |
Click here to get back to the chapter links on the Bible study homepage.
Archives
March 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed