Deuteronomy 33:6 – Don’t fail to witness for Christ

The first tribe that Moses blessed was the tribe of Reuben. It was probably because Reuben was the eldest of Jacob’s twelve sons. The blessing pronounced over them was for their preservation so that the tribes’ existence would not be affected. Moses prayed that the number of men would not be reduced. Logically speaking, if the men were few, the tribe would be wiped out with time. This was an indirect prayer, asking for the men in Reuben to continue to expand and not diminish.

Genesis 35:22 said that he went up to his father’s bed and defiled it. He sinned by having a sexual relationship with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Also in Numbers 16:1-2, we were told that a few of his descendants joined in Korah’s rebellion against Moses. Knowing these, Moses indirectly asked that their past would not impact them to the point where their number would be affected.

In Numbers 32 we were also told that the leaders of Reuben and Gad requested to settle in the land east of Jordan. Verses 16-19 recorded their request. They said to Moses, “We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance. For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.” This request would risk their men dying in the battle, thus reducing their numbers.  

This verse and the history of the tribe of Reuben motivate us first to pray for the preservation of our family. This would include praying for our spiritual family, both locally and the church worldwide, not to experience a reduction in the number of true believers. It had been reported that the Church is losing its influence and impact in the world today. It behooves us as concerned believers to pray for the preservation of the church so that we can continue to impact the world with our influence. So we remember the call of Jesus to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. We must live holy lives so that men may see our good works and give glory to the Father.   

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 33:1-5 – The privilege of being God’s own

Like the Patriarchs before him, Moses also imparted blessings on the children of Israel before his departure. Deuteronomy 33 describe the blessings he pronounced on each of the tribes of Israel. The blessing was an impartation of a word of encouragement, a prophecy concerning their future, and details of each of the tribe’s inheritance. Here Moses' last words were given not as the law nor a song of warning, but an encouraging word for each tribe. As the leader of the young nation, he blessed the children of Israel.

Moses was referred to in Deuteronomy 33:1 as the man of God. No one can deny that Moses was a godly man, a God-centred man. It was he who under the instruction of God led the children of Israel out of  Egypt and rigorously led them forty years through the wilderness. He gallantly bore many challenging moments when the children of Israel grumbled and turned on him. He was found often praying, interceding, and urging the people not to break faith with God. Now as the people faced the daunting task of possessing the promised land, a word from this great servant of God was truly timely. He took the time to bless and gave each of the 12 tribes an encouraging word to help them turn their thoughts to their gracious God.

In these first five verses of Deuteronomy 33, Moses spoke of how God magnificently and gloriously revealed His greatness and power at Mount Sinai, and by grace made Israel His people. He made a covenant with them and through Moses, He gave them the law. And as their Covenant LORD, He not only loved and cared for them but also led them as they followed Him. He did not just become their covenant LORD, but He also became their sovereign King.

What a privilege it was for the children of Israel to have God Himself making them His covenant people. It was He who had initiated the whole moment. Today in Christ, God has also initiated and made us His New Covenant people. In Him God has given us the privilege to be His sons and daughters. And Romans 8:15 says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” This same verse also tells us that we can have intimacy with God. The word Abba is an endearing term. When we address God as Abba, we are calling on God as our personal and intimate “papa” or “daddy.” What a joy it is to know God as our Lord and loving Father! Let us not be afraid to draw near to God confidently to receive grace to help in time of need. What a privilege!

 

Deuteronomy 32:48-52 – So near yet so far

On the same day that Moses gave his final admonition to the children of Israel, he was instructed to go up to Mount Nebo to have a good look at the promised land. The view of the land in one sense was a concession for his faithful service. God allowed him to have a view of the land promised to His people, but he would not be entering in. Instead, he would die up in the mountain just as Aaron had died in Mount Hor. Deuteronomy 32:51 then revisited the reason why he was disqualified from entering the land. His contemptuous action at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh before the eyes of the people did not honor the Lord. Of all the people, He should have known better. 

Moses came so far to the edge of the promised land but could not taste it. For forty years he had led the children through the challenging wilderness. He not only had to weather the harsh terrain of the journey but also the unpredictable climate and response of the people. The culmination of the 40 years of his life's work was to get the people into the promised land, only to be reminded that he could not go in. Try to empathize with Moses. He had literally poured his life only to die so inconspicuously. There was no stone to mark his grave. There was no grand ceremony to commemorate one of history’s most significant servants of God.   

He was so near yet so far, all because of one moment of indiscretion. Here is a lesson from the account of Moses’ departure. We learn that serving God is a serious matter. Don’t allow an unguarded moment in life to prevent us from obtaining God’s best for us. One careless moment, one careless word, or one careless action can be costly. Each of these can mean the forfeiture of all that we are living for. Don’t let that our carelessness create for us a life of regrets. Stay vigilant in life. Obey Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:15-16, “…be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your opportunity….” Don’t live a life of regrets!

Deuteronomy 32:44-47 – Blessing is sure when we obey God

Prior to his final admonition, Deuteronomy 32:44-47 said that Moses and Joshua recited the words of the song to the children of Israel. Moses then admonished them to take the words of the law given to them seriously. He told them to take to heart what the law had prescribed and be careful to observe them. The law he asserted was not futile but profitable words. How long they would remain in the promised land would be contingent on their obedience to the law.

The essence of these verses emphasizes the importance of God’s Word and the need to be careful to observe them. To do so, we need to take these verses as God’s call to make time to know His Word. We need to be careful to examine His Word and accurately interpret it. Not only that, but we must also seek to act on the principles that the Holy Spirit will help to illuminate to us.

It is one thing to know what God is saying to us but quite another to obey it. Obedience is both a habit and an attitude that needs to be cultivated. We see this in the example of Jesus. From Hebrew 5:8, we are told that He learned obedience through the hardship He was made to go through. Hence, one must seek to develop obedience through the daily experiences of one’s life. Furthermore, obedience also demands a willingness on our part. We deduce this from Isaiah 1:19. While it was a promise to the people of God then, it serves as a reminder to us today. It says, “If you are willing and obey, you shall eat the best of the land.” To be willing suggests the yielding of one’s will to God and the leading of  His Spirit. When we surrender to God by acting on His Word, we shall prosper in our journey with Him. Our part is to obey, the outcome is God’s responsibility. It is said that the best way to learn obedience is to obey. Let’s be God’s obedient people. 

Deuteronomy 32:39-43 – Only our best for God

In Deuteronomy 32:9, God states the one unchanging and important truth concerning Himself. Whether it be in the life of the children of Israel or for us believers today, this one truth is all that matters. It is that God alone is God and besides Him, there is no other. All others who claim to be God are false. In the earlier verses of Deuteronomy 32, God is seen as acting in such a way as to bring the children of Israel to realize and acknowledge this fundamental truth. He alone holds the key to life and death. And while He is the one who will wound, He will also be the one who will heal. The point of these verses is that while it may look as if God is through with them, there is still hope if they will repent. With God, the Sovereign, they will still have hope but not so in anyone else.

Deuteronomy 32:41-42 show us that in God’s dealing, He will always act justly. And in executing His vengeance, He will exact the appropriate payment from those who hate Him. There will be no escaping in His severe dealing. And there will be no one who can deliver from His dealing. So in verse 43, the nations, meaning the Gentiles, are called to rejoice with God’s dealing with Israel, His people. While God may have used Israel’s enemies as His instrument to chastise them, He will also finally turn to deal with those instruments that He used. God will atone for His people and restore them to the land. Wonderfully, Paul in quoting this verse in Romans 15:10 shows us that when Israel has been restored to God, all the nations will be blessed.   

We cannot get away from the obligation of worshipping and serving God alone. For He is the only true God worthy of our total allegiance. The virtue of who He is alone will be enough to cause us to want to worship and serve Him. Since God is worthy of our worship, nothing short of our total commitment will ever be an adequate response to who He is. So let us worship and serve Him with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength. Only in giving Him our very best will we be offering to Him a befitting response. Let’s do it!

Deuteronomy 32:34-38 – The appeal to rightly appraise life

What is so merciful about our glorious God has been captured in David’s words in Psalm 103:9. He said, “He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.” But long before David penned those words, Moses in Deuteronomy 32:34-38 already made that known in this song he was instructed to write. These verses show us that God knew everything about His people. While He would use their enemies to discipline them, there would also come a time when He would turn and deal with the enemies.   

God would once again be compassionate with the children of Israel. He would intervene only after He had allowed their circumstances to bring them to an end of themselves. When they had reached the point of powerlessness, He would then make known to them their folly of turning to other gods for help. He would show them how pointless it was for them to pivot and trust those “so-called gods.” For they absolutely had no power to do a thing to alleviate them from their circumstances.  

No matter what we may think of God, there is one undeniable truth. He is faithful and just. He is a God who will not deny Himself. He understands us perfectly and knows that we are but flesh and clay. He knows our frame perfectly and that we are frail and fragile. The  Scriptures have likened us to the flowers and grass of the field that can succumb and wilt in the harsh environment and circumstances of life in this fallen world. It is needful and expedient that we trust only Him. As His people, God’s discipline on us will always be according to His mercy rather than what our sins deserve. Yet, we must never take God’s goodness and interpret it to be His weakness. Do not take Him for granted. Let us seek to be our best for His glory. Remember we are all accountable to Him and our vindication and recompense will come from Him ultimately. Live life sincerely and be mindful of Jesus’ call for us “…to be holy even as the heavenly Father is holy.”  There’s no better way to live!

 

Deuteronomy 32:28-33 - Cultivating a discerning walk

The children of Israel clearly had the advantage of having God on their side. But they had chosen to spurn His kind overtures. So in Deuteronomy 32:28-33, God assessed them as a people who lack wisdom and discernment. With all that was at their disposal, they could have a terrific life. Sadly, for all the blessings at their disposal, they would rather choose senselessly to take a path that led to misery. Hence, they had shown themselves as a people lacking counsel and understanding. If they had been wise, they would have chosen to stay faithful to God and rightly appraised their future.

What were they thinking? How foolish they were? Didn’t they know that without God they could never experience success?  They could have easily defeated their enemies had they chosen to stay faithful to God. They would have no need to experience a single score of defeat if they had not departed from God because of their unfaithfulness to Him. Without God, they were powerless to deal with their opponents. They should have realized that from their past successful encounters, but they obviously had not.  

Deuteronomy 32:31 refers to the gods of the heathens. They also have gods whom they trusted, but they were not as rock-solid as the God of Israel. The enemies who had tasted defeat by the God of Israel knew. Yet God’s chosen people were so oblivious. It seemed incongruent that Israel could be defeated if their God, the Rock, was mightier than the gods of the enemies. Deuteronomy 32:32-33 provide the reason. It was because Israel, the true vine, had departed from the Lord and corrupted themselves. In their corruption, they had become vines from Sodom and Gomorrah. Having departed from the Lord, they had become like the abominable venoms of snakes. In choosing to emulate the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, they became vile and corrupt and were destined for destruction.   

Discernment is a discipline we all need to cultivate in our walk with God.  We are called not only to discern right from wrong but also to discern what is right from what is almost right. How to walk with discernment? Here are five principles to help us walk discerningly:

By deepening our relationship with God. When we know God better, we have a keener ability to make God-pleasing decisions.

By praying for wisdom to discern. In James 1:5 we are invited to ask God for it, “…if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

By keeping God’s Word. According to Hebrews  4:12, “…the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

By trusting the Holy Spirit to lead. First Thessalonians 5:19 says, ^“Do not quench the Spirit.” Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truths.

By seeking godly counsel. Proverbs 15:22 tells us that “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed”.
 

Deuteronomy 32:23-27 – Forged by divine disciplines

God’s love for Israel, His covenant people, was special. He drew them to Himself and expected them to be faithful to Him. But they were unfaithful and reciprocated His love for them with ingratitude. They spurned His gracious overtures by pivoting to serve other gods. Their careless disregard towards Him had provoked God to jealousy. Deeply angered and hurt by their nonchalance, Deuteronomy 32:20 said that God would hide from them. In place of His guidance, they would no longer feel His presence. It is a terrible experience not to have the presence of God in one’s life.

As if God’s absence from them was not sufficient, now Deuteronomy 32:23-27 tells us that He would also bring unmitigated disasters upon them. Calamities of all sorts, one upon another, would befall them. Everyone would be struck in one form or another by famine, epidemic, or enemies’ attack. The young men, virgins, and even grey hair elderly folks would be affected. However, the reason God did not annihilate Israel was in consideration of His own name. He would not want His chastisement of His chosen people to be seen as the enemies’ victory.

God’s disciplines are never intended to destroy but to build us. The reason God disciplines us is to make us be people who will be more like Him. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that “those whom God loves He disciplines.” So Hebrews 12:11 tells us that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” God wants only the best out of each one of us. To achieve that, He will discipline us. So, let us yield to His fashioning so that a better us can emerge. Don’t spurn Him! 

Deuteronomy 32:19-22 – God abhors unfaithfulness

Deuteronomy 32:19-22 encapsulate for us what Paul has explained in Romans chapters 9 to 11. For a period, God will take His hand off the covenant people to favor the Gentiles who will believe in Him. But He will return and once again show compassion and favor to His covenant people. So in those three chapters in Romans, Paul assures us that when God returns to favor Israel, those Gentiles who believe in Him will be even more blessed. Paul's argument is this: if the rejection of Israel allows the Gentiles to be blessed, how much more blessings will the latter receive when the relationship of Israel with God is righted.

Bear in mind that the song Moses had written foretold the future events that would happen to the children of Israel. At the time of writing this song, many of those things had not yet come to pass. This song was meant to be a warning. It reveals the wickedness of the heart. They confirm what Jeremiah 17:9 so aptly put. It is so true that: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Despite the warning, and years of singing what God had warned in this song, every part of the song came to pass in the history of His chosen people.

God loved them so much and expected them to honor their relationship by being faithful to Him. However, He also foresaw their unfaithfulness through time. Ungratefully, the descendants of Israel spurned the grace of God and turned away from Him. They would provoke God to jealousy by their unfaithfulness. They would play harlotry with the foreign gods. In response to what they would do, God warned that he would also allow them to have a taste of their own medicine. He would hide from them and show favor to a people with whom He did not have a covenant relationship. He would use them to provoke His people to jealousy. We know from their history that God had used foreign nations to chastise and discipline Israel, His covenant people. God warned that they would face the mighty fury of God through the hand of those nations until they would ultimately return to Him.  

These four verses teach us never to spurn the love of God but instead to remain true to Him. Being faithful is the only appropriate response to God, who had given so much of Himself to us. The experience of the children of Israel warns us not to take God for granted. Don’t trifle with Him. Take the warning of Jeremiah 17:10 seriously! God said:

“I, the LORD search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.”      

Deuteronomy 32:15-18 – Don’t be derailed by prosperity

In Deuteronomy 32:15, Israel is referred to as Jeshurun.  This is an endearing term meaning “the dear upright one” or “the blessed one.” God had endeared the children of Israel to Himself and made them His covenant people. He blessed them bountifully, and so they prospered and lacked nothing. They were described as “fat, thick, and sleek.” The sad consequence was that they became ungrateful. They forsook Him, spurned His love, and showed contempt for His salvation by their careless, utter disregard for Him. Irresponsibly and ungratefully, they disavowed and rejected God.

In referring to the nation of Israel as Jeshurun, God was in fact being more sarcastic than endearing. One can almost detect a tint of regret. For in the abundance of Israel’s  prosperity, they turned “to bite the hand that feeds them.” They forsook and scorned the LORD, the one who saved them and brought them stability. To add insults to injury, they provoked the LORD to anger by venerating foreign gods and idols. As if that was not enough, they even sacrificed to demons instead of being faithful to God. They had the audacity to pander to gods which they hardly knew, preferring them to the true God who had set them free and prospered them. They neglected God, strayed from Him, and behaved like children who had totally forgotten their origin.

The contrast presented in Deuteronomy 32:15-18 is the faithfulness of God and the ingratitude of His people. Instead of being grateful for the blessings bestowed on them, the children of Israel had shown contempt to God. They became ungrateful people who had abused the goodness of God. We sense in these verses, God’s call for us to be people who will remain faithful to Him. There is a danger when people forget the source of their blessings. When they shift their focus from the one who has blessed them to the blessings that He has so generously given them, they run the risk of having misplaced priority.

We must all be on a watch out for the  Laodicean syndrome in our walk with God. This is how the Lord Jesus described this syndrome in Revelation 3:17-19. He says, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked….” The action of gratitude we must emulate is that of the woman described in Matthew 26:7. Many believe that she was Mary Magdalene. She came to Jesus “with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head….” Here’s how Cece Winan expresses it in her song, "The Alabaster Box":

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster
 
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
 
I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days 
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven 
And that's why
I love Him so much
 
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
 
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair (my hair)
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt 
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Deuteronomy 32:12-14 – God is our guide, provider and source

In Deuteronomy 31:11, God’s care for His people had been illustrated by how an eagle nurtured its young. Moses took it further in verse 12 by showing that it was God who had led them out of their bondage and sustained and provided for them. They were led out of Egypt, not by any foreign gods. They were led out of their predicament by the Sovereign LORD, their covenant LORD Himself. Furthermore, it was He who had accompanied and guided them throughout their journey. God alone did it.

In Deuteronomy 32:13-14, Moses wanted them to know that the victory they experienced, the land they conquered, the ample provision of food they partook, and the rich experiences they had in the promised land were all given to them by God. His faithfulness was in full display in how He dealt and provided for them. He was the source of their life.

Like the people of Israel, how can our lives be poor when we have our Lord? We will never lose with Him. As Don Moen’s song titled “Like a shepherd” so eloquently proclaimed.  

Like a father feeds his children, like a shepherd leads his flock,
The Lord will always guide us and show us where to walk.
And in times when we have plenty, in times when we have not,
He is our provider, and His mercy never stops.
 
Like a Shepherd, He leads us, like a Father He feeds us,
From the morning to the evening till the sunrise again.    
Like a Shepherd, He leads us, like a Father He feeds us,
He is the Great I Am.
 
As we come into His presence, confessing Him as Lord,
His Holy Spirit guides us and feeds us by His Word.
We’re seated at His table, partaking of His love.
Children of His Kingdom, purchased by His blood!

Deuteronomy 32:11 - Soaring with God

God took personal responsibility for the people of Israel. He chose them out of all the people on the earth to be His redeemed people. After He delivered them from Egypt, He took the pain to develop them so that they would bear characteristics that would mark them out as His unique people. Looking back at their journey, one would realize that God could have taken them through a shorter route into the promised land. But He did not. He took them via a longer route and allowed them to go through some discomfort in the journey to toughen them. Many a time, they would stumble into difficult situations and when they could not bear it any longer, God would come to their rescue. Had they been more sensitive to God’s dealings, they would have realized how gracious God had been with them. Had they appropriated the lessons God intended for them through every tough situation in their journey, they would be strengthened to face life’s challenges in the journey ahead.  

In four short and terse lines, Deuteronomy 32:11 encapsulates how God trained His people through the uncomfortable moments of their journey. Here Moses uses the illustration of how an eagle trains its eaglets to fly. To force eaglets to fly, an eagle would stir up the nest to make it uncomfortable for its eaglets. The eaglets would then be forced out of the nest hurling down the cliff. As they were hurling down, they would be forced to stretch their wings and try to fly. Before the eaglets would crash to the ground, the eagle would come underneath each of them with its outstretched wings to catch the falling eaglets. This process would be repeated until the eaglets learned how to use their own wings and fly. Like that eagle, God allowed the hard moments of life to train and toughen His children to face their future. When their hard moments became unbearable, God would come to their rescue and carry them on His wings.

In this verse, we learn that God’s intention in every experience we encounter in life is to train us to be able to face our future. God has a glorious end for each one of us. He needs to prepare us to be able to handle every moment that we will have to encounter. The Christian life is an intentional, continuous journey, a process for us to become more and more like Christ. Those are divine moments where God wants to deal with our old nature, with the aim to replace them with a Christlike nature. Our responses to what happens to us will help shape our character and keep us dependent on Him. God will allow us to go through many of such moments till we are shaped progressively to become the people He wants us to be. God is developing us with every encounter we face. There can be no better way than to yield to Him totally in every circumstance of life. Learn to soar with God!     

 

 

Deuteronomy 32:10 – We belong to God

The song of Moses reveals the unique relationship God had with the children of Israel. Clearly, God was dealing with them as a nation. So Deuteronomy 32:10 used the pronounce “him” to refer to the children of Israel as a whole unit. Explicitly, this verse says that God found “him” in the desert land. This was by way of saying that their relationship with Him was at His initiation. As a people, Israel as a nation was lost and wandering in the desert land, until God chose and gave them a status. They were here collectively called His “son.” This verse also depicts God as surrounding them with His care and protection. And as a people belonging to God, they became the pupil of His eye. In other words, they found favor with God and became His treasured possession. All this happened by an act of God’s pure grace.

Their history showed us that from a small group of 70 people who came to Egypt, they became a community and were organized into bondage by the Egyptians. When God delivered them from their bondage, approximately two million left Egypt. It was at Mount Sinai that God made a covenant with them, and they became His people. As God’s unique people, they were expected to be different from the rest of the nations. The commandments and instructions of God were given to help shape their uniqueness. The objective of their journey in the wilderness was to build in them the mark that would distinguish them as God’s unique people. Deuteronomy 32:10 is a summary of how God chose, delivered, and cared for them through their perilous journey.

What lessons does this verse has for us? Our relationship with God is also an act of His grace. In Christ Jesus, God found and delivered us from the desert land of sin. He has made us His own and now He surrounds us with His love, care, and protection. In our present journey toward our ultimate destination, He is constantly developing us so that we can reflect His image. As His sons and daughters, we are the apple of His eye. As His children let us reflect Him correctly! Let us be like our Heavenly Father!

 

Deuteronomy 32:7-9 – Our divine obligation

God asserted that His faithfulness was not without evidence. They could be traced and authenticated through the history of His dealings with them down through the generations. So in Deuteronomy 32:7, He challenged the people of Israel to go and inquire about it. If they were willing to find out, they could start with their family line. God challenged each of them to go and inquire from his own father and be informed. Or they could also check with their elders, and they would be told about God’s faithfulness toward them.  

Deuteronomy 32:8 made it clear that it was God who had set the boundary of each nation and gave to each their inheritance. This was also Paul’s claim in Acts 17:25. He told the Athenians that it was God, who had “…made from one man every nation  of mankind to live on the all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” But in Deuteronomy 32:9, God made known that in His allotment of the inheritance to each nation, He had a special consideration for the people of Israel. By special arrangement, He had singled out the children of Israel to be His chosen people. By His covenant with Jacob, their forefather, Israel as a nation became His treasured possession.   

The special honor God had bestowed on their children was for them to be a means of blessings to the rest of the earth. With their special relationship with God, they now have an obligation to discharge. They were not called so that they could be engrossed with the divine favor but to be agents of it. They were expected to fulfill what God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing… and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

What lesson can we glean from these three verses? In Christ, we have become God’s redemptive agents in the world. We are blessed to be a blessing to those within the sphere of our influence. Don’t be overly engrossed with the divine favor to the point that we forget our divine obligation. We are to be the light shining forth the light of Christ in a darkened world. Let’s fulfill our call!   

  

Deuteronomy 32:5-6 – Living gratefully

There is a big contrast between Deuteronomy 32:4 and Deuteronomy 32:5. The former speaks of God and refers to Him as the Rock suggesting that He is strong, immovable, and stable and that His work is perfect. On top of that He is said to be just in all His ways, a God of faithfulness and without injustice. In Him are only righteousness and uprightness. In contrast to Him, the children of Israel His covenant people, we are told, were wayward people. They botched their relationship with God by acting corruptly toward Him.

God clearly hinted in verses 5-6 that the children of Israel were ungrateful. Even though they were defective, yet God chose to make them His covenant people. Despite their defective nature, He accepted them. Instead of behaving rightly toward Him, they have shown utter disregard for the privilege that had been accorded them. They spurned His love and acted perversely and crookedly like the rest of the nations.

Instead of being grateful, they had acted foolishly and repaid His kindness toward them with contempt. They had forgotten that they were His covenant people. He became a Father to them. Corporately, as a nation, they became His firstborn son. He was the one who had made them and established them as His people.

From these two verses, we can see the importance of cultivating an attitude of gratitude. When we are grateful, we will recognize God as the source of all the blessings we have in life. Gratitude will also strengthen our relationship with Him for it helps us to see and realize that without Him, we will never amount to much. Don’t just express gratitude in words only. The expression of our gratitude to God is best demonstrated in a life of obedience to Him and His Word. It is the only appropriate action in return!

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 – Our faithful God

We learned earlier that God instructed Moses to write a song as a witness against the children of Israel. The song is found in Deuteronomy 32:1-43. But in Deuteronomy 31:29, we are told that the words of this song were heard in the assembly of the people. The song was intended to be sung alongside the reading of the law. As they repeatedly sang the song, those words would be etched into their memory for generations to come. The song speaks of God’s goodness, His sovereignty, His matchless grace, and His judgment. It also speaks of the blessings that God would gladly pour over His people but also sadly described how they would respond to him with ingratitude. We see in this song the clear portrayal of the relationship God had with Israel, His people.

Many metaphors and imageries are used to speak of God’s goodness. The song begins with the call for the earth to listen as God speaks from heaven. Just as the droplets of rain and dew that fall quietly on grasses and green plants bring freshness, the word of God will also bring freshness to the soul. Just as the droplets of dew will fall quietly in the stillness of the early morning so also can the gracious word be heard in the stillness of the heart and soul. Though gently imparted, the message it proclaims is of paramount importance. It conveys the greatness of God and how deserving He is of our adulation. Verse 4 calls God the Rock. He is strong and stable hence His works are perfect. His ways are just. There is no partiality in Him. He is faithful and fair, as well as righteous and upright. What a God! We must have Him as the foundation of our lives. Without Him, it is difficult to be firm, solid, immovable, faithful, fair, righteous, and upright. Let’s make Him the foundation of our daily living!  

Deuteronomy 31:24-29 – Keep God’s Word close at heart

Having installed Joshua as his successor, Moses continued to write the law into a book.  When it was completed, he handed it to the Levites, the bearers of the Ark of the covenant and instructed them to place the law inside the Ark. The law would bear witness to their rebelliousness.

In Deuteronomy 31:27, though Moses was speaking to the Levites, he was making known outrightly the tendency of the people. He did not mince his words. He told them in no uncertain terms that they would rebel against God. What he said to them was not an accusation for he had personally experienced their rebelliousness and stubbornness first-hand. He surmised that if they would display such reckless and careless disregard for God when he was alive, there would be no way that they would not do the same after his demise. To prove what was said of them was true, the law would stand as a witness against them.

In Deuteronomy 31:28-29, Moses assembled the elders of the tribes as well as the officers or administrators. He reiterated what he had told the Levites earlier. He told them that after his death they would act corruptly and turn from the commandments. And that they would act corruptly in the latter days. Then they would do what was evil in the sight of God and provoke the Lord to anger.

The tendency of Israel was not uniquely theirs. All of us fallen people who have inherited Adam’s nature have the same tendency too. If not for God’s regenerating grace given freely for us at Calvary, we would forever be lost. This passage is a grim reminder of how much we need Jesus. Truly apart from Him, we can do nothing. We need to take care of our hearts and attitudes. We need to take time to tenderize our hearts before God. A passage like this reminds us to keep the Word of God in our hearts so that we will remember not to sin against Him. Guard your heart diligently for from it flows the issue of life!

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 31:19-23 – The impact of songs in the Christian journey

In Deuteronomy 31:23, we see God commissioning Joshua and urging him to be strong and courageous to fulfill the task of leading the people into the promised land. At the beginning of the book of Joshua, there are some details on his commissioning. Prior to his commissioning in Deuteronomy 31:19-21, God instructed Moses to write a song. 

The song was to be God’s continual warning to the people of Israel concerning their impending waywardness. His warning acted as a witness to the certainty of what would happen to them. In verses 20-21 God gave the reasons why He wanted Moses to write a song. Notice Moses was not only to personally write it but also to teach it. This song was an anticipation of what would happen in the future. The all-knowing, all-seeing God knew from the onset that despite all His blessings, the children of Israel would still turn from Him at some point. He knew the propensity of human hearts. He was sure that having been blessed and enjoyed His bountiful provisions, they would still spurn Him, break the covenant, and pursue other gods. He could see that there would be a time when His people would have utter disregard for Him and the divine judgment that their waywardness would invite. The song would then be a witness against them.        

The appropriate question to ask is why a song? What are its values? A song has great teaching values. It will be easier to remember and recall, and will more certainly stick to the minds. When words are put into rhythm and music, they have a way of touching the emotion. Reflection on the words in a song has an immense influence on one’s thinking and guides one toward appropriate action. This could be the reason why the church down the ages for the longest time has been singing hymns. Singing is one way where lessons of the Bible are being taught. Whether we know it or not, we tend to remember lessons better when they are put into songs.  

Singing was Paul’s admonition to the early Christians. He knew it would enhance their walk with God. So in Colossians 3:15, he says,  “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and  hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” And again in Ephesians 5:18-20, he says, “…do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.…” Obviously, Paul knew the values of the singing of the Word of God. It would do us well to sing unto the Lord and be enhanced with our walk with Him. Singing praises is the way to victory!  

Deuteronomy 31:14-18 – Be careful how we walk

The time to commission Joshua had come because Moses’s imminent departure was drawing nearer. The Lord told Moses to come before Him at the tent of meeting together with Joshua for the commissioning of the latter. So Moses did as he was told and came before the Lord who appeared to them in a pillar of cloud. The impending death of Moses was again reiterated to him. At the same time, the Lord also gave a sad warning of Israel’s future. With Joshua listening in, God told Moses that with his departure there would come a time when the people of Israel would rebel against Him and play harlotry with foreign gods in the land which they would soon enter. They would break the covenant He had made with them and forsake the Lord.

In Deuteronomy 31:17-18, God then went on to describe what would happen when they rebelled against Him. He warned that “His anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.”

This sad inclination of rebelling against the Lord, however, was not just the unique tendency of the people of Israel. Evidently, this same inclination is also ours today. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tell us in no uncertain terms “…that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of^]godliness, although they have denied its power….” It behooves us therefore as people who profess to love God to be judicious and prudent with our lives.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. There is a need for us to cultivate integrity as we walk with the Lord. Be honest, responsible, trustworthy, dependable, and accountable in life. It would mean that we keep our focus on God and not allow the circumstances of life to shift us like chaff, shifted by the wind. As difficult as life may present itself, be sure not to cut corners and compromise on divine principles. Always take a stand for God’s Word. Take heed to the words of Hebrews 12:3, by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.…”. When we do that, we will not let the world cause us to look to the right or left. Then we will not be derailed!

Deuteronomy 31:9-13 – The importance of God’s Word

Having presented Joshua as his successor to the people, Moses now turned to commit the law to them. The importance of the law must not be diminished. Here in Deuteronomy 31:9-13, Moses left instruction for the law which he had written down to be perpetuated and remembered. He gave the law which he had written to the priests, the Levites, who were responsible for ferrying the ark of the covenant, and the elders of Israel. The law was to be read and preserved for generations to come.  

The importance of the law could not be overemphasized. So the priests and elders were instructed to have it read to the people. Here in these five verses, Moses told them when and to whom was the law to be read. Firstly, the law was to be read on the year of release. Every seventh year was the year of release. It was the year where debts owed would be forfeited, and servants acquired would be discharged and set free. The was the occasion when the law was to be read. Secondly, the law was to be read during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacle. This was a festival to remind the people of how God had preserved them throughout their journey. What a befitting occasion for the law to be reread. Thirdly, the law was to be read publicly. The Law formed an important part of educating the people whenever they came together to worship and commemorate all that God had done for them. Fourthly, the law was to be read to everyone, the young, the old, citizens as well as foreigners. Everyone must be made to know the law of God so that they would be careful to live them out.   

The law captured in writing would be more reliable than the oral transmission of it. In the written form, everything that God wanted the people to know and to practice had been captured and preserved. The people could always make sure that what they communicated or heard were no distortions. They would be forever available as a reference and guide for them to lead a God-honoring life.

We have come to acknowledge that the law refers to the first five books of the Bible written by Moses, known commonly as the Pentateuch. However, the Bible has also generally been referred to as the Word of God or the law of God. The first five books of the Bible were what the people of Israel had then. Today we have the complete Bible that includes the first five books of the law written by Moses. The whole counsel of God has been written and captured in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Hence the importance of reading, hearing, and obeying the Bible can never be overemphasized. It is God’s own word to us believers. We need to read it, study it, meditate on it, memorize it, digest it, and assimilate it if we want to lead a God-pleasing, God-honoring life. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that it is “…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The Word of God is given to help us shape a godly life. Don’t neglect it!  

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 - God qualifies His leaders

Moses made it clear that he was just God’s servant, the one who was truly leading them was the Lord. While he would love to be the one taking them into the promised land, he knew that this was not to be. God had already made it known to him earlier. Disappointed as he could be, he knew it was God’s final decision. So in verse 3, he told the people of Israel that God had already decided that Joshua would be the one who would lead them into the promised land.  

Having spoken to the people, Moses then called Joshua to his side as everyone looked on, and he commissioned Joshua. Openly, he urged this aide, who had been following him, to be strong and courageous before telling him what he was to do. Joshua was to go with the people into the land that “the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.” He also reminded him that it would be the Lord who would go ahead of him and be with him. He assured Joshua that the Lord would not forsake him. Therefore Joshua was not to fear or be dismayed.

It was obvious that Joshua needed the encouragement as he was leading the people into uncharted territory. It was going to be a daunting task, but there was nothing for him to fear. For the LORD would be the one leading him and going with him into the promised land. Besides, the LORD would also not fail or forsake him. Hence, he should be courageous and boldly lead the people into the promised land.  

From these two verses, three things on leadership can be learned. Firstly, we must know that the best leaders are those whom God has appointed. They are people who did not elevate themselves. They know that it’s God who has qualified them and not their charisma or education. Secondly, every God-appointed leader must know that the mission he is called to do is God’s. Therefore,  he cannot afford to be casual about the mission. He must attend to the work with diligence and faithfulness. Thirdly, we learn that when God appoints a leader, He will be with him. Every God-appointed leader must know that that’s where he must derive his strength. He must not allow anxiety and fear to limit his progress. He must remember that God is the source of His strength.  When you are appointed by God, go in the full assurance that He Himself will be with you!

Deuteronomy 31:1-6 – God is with and for us

Moses led a very eventful life. Interestingly, his name was derived from how he was rescued. He was drawn out of the water. This was the meaning of his name, “one who is drawn out.” This name so aptly described his life and ministry. He began life by being drawn out from the water of death to live the first 40 years as the prince of Egypt, in the palace of Pharoah. Then at age 40, he was drawn into the desert to be trained. For the next 40 years of his life, he was a shepherd looking after his father-in-law’s flock in the desert. Then at age 80, he had another experience of being drawn out. He was drawn by a burning bush to hear the call of God and was used to lead His people out of their bondage. In the last forty years of his life, there were at least eight other occasions he was drawn out to meet with God.

One of the hallmarks of Moses’ life was his faithfulness. Passionately, he had led and guided the people of Israel for the last 40 years of his life. God called him the meekest man on earth. Yet for all his passion, he was after all still a human and was subjected to the wear and tear of life. The last four chapters of Deuteronomy capture the closing years of his life. In Deuteronomy 31:1, he acknowledged his frailty. He was now 120 years old and not as mobile as he was before. He would love to have led the people into the promised land. But the grave error he had committed at the water of Meribah cost him the opportunity. Though he was not given the privilege to lead the people into the promised land, he remained proactive. He told the people to look forward to their future.

While Moses was the one leading them, he knew that he was only the servant God chose to use. He knew that all along God was their real leader and the one who had been leading and guiding them. In Deuteronomy 31:1-6, he pointed them to that truth. He wanted them to know that it was God who had led and guided them all these times. While they had looked to him for leadership and guidance, the person behind all their successes was God. He was their true leader. Therefore, they were in good hands. No matter how challenging their future, it was secured. The Lord would be the one leading them forward. Not only would He lead them, but He would also be with them to see them through their conquest of the land. He would be the one delivering their enemies, and not their own hand. Therefore they should take heart and be bold and courageous, for He would not forsake or fail them.   

Leaders come and go, but the one who is forever on the throne is God. He will never forsake us or fail us. The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Is He the one leading and guiding us?” If He is, our victory is already ensured. He had promised that He will be with us. Christ’s invitation to us in Matthew 11:28-30 remains open. He says to us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Hear the assuring words of 1 Thessalonians 5:24 again, “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” Trust Him, follow Him, stay faithful to Him. He will never fail!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 – Choose life

Moses laid out two paths before the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15-20. One path would lead to life and prosperity, the other to death and adversity. The former would enable them to live and multiply and receive the blessing of God in the promised land where they would soon enter to possess. The latter would lead them to their end. Their days in the promised land would be cut short and they would surely perish.

However, Moses made it clear that the choice to take which of the two paths was theirs to make. Being concerned for them to make the right decision, Moses urged them to choose the former rather than the latter. He passionately pled with them to love the Lord their God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments. Moses however, also urged them not to choose the perilous alternative. They should not allow their hearts to lead them astray, turn away from God, walk in disobedience, and pursue other gods to worship and serve them. This was one decision they should never make.

In verse 19, Moses must have sensed that he had discharged his responsibility. He had made known the two alternatives and urged them strongly to take the one that would lead to life and prosperity. So he called on heaven and earth to witness that he had shown the two alternatives to the people with the best of his ability. He had urged them to make the right decision to honor God and experience the blessing that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the covenant.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians that God had chosen us to be His children before the foundation of the world. As His sons and daughters, each of us must now choose to live for Him. In choosing to live for Him we will be choosing life. Our daily victory is dependent on what decision we make each new morning. We must decide every morning to love the Lord our God. We must choose to obey His voice and cling to His promises. Our goal is determined by the decision we make each living moment. So don’t be myopic. Choose rightly and live!  

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 – It is not difficult to follow God

In the book of Deuteronomy, God had made clear the expectations He wanted from His people. The blessings were theirs when they obeyed His instructions and commandments. But the experience of curses would equally be sure when they disobeyed His instructions. The curses, however, were only there to deter them from walking in disobedience. In other words, God had made the blessings attainable through obedience. There was nothing difficult about it. All it required of them was their obedience.

The question to ask is what makes following and obeying God easy? Here in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Moses shared a few thoughts on how easy it is to follow God. Firstly, he said it was because the instructions and commandments of God were not vague or mysterious. God did not speak in a cryptic language that needed to be unraveled. Everything He said was plain, reasonable, logical, and comprehensible. Secondly, Moses made it clear that the instructions of God were easily accessible. They were not too high that one needed to go to heaven to attain it. Nor was it too far flung from them that they needed to travel and cross the sea to attain them. They were near and within the reach of everyone. Thirdly, God’s instructions were doable and practical. They were both communicable in the mouth and comprehensible in the heart. He assured them that they could do it.

God had revealed His will and what was required was for them to love and obey Him. In these verses, we sense the call of God to love Him. And loving God must be translated into obedience and a faithful walk with Him. We cannot run away from the fact that obedience is love in action!