Deuteronomy - Chapters 31-34

In this transcription, the host, Julie Callio, provides a summary of the book of Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch. She explains how the Israelites left the promised land and went to Egypt due to a famine, and how Moses led them out of Egypt and received the law from God at Mount Sinai. Julie mentions the two censuses taken in the book of Numbers and how the first generation of Israelites failed to enter the promised land due to their disbelief. She highlights the role of Joshua as the successor to Moses and the importance of obeying God's laws. Julie also discusses the song of Moses and its significance in warning the Israelites about turning away from God. The transcription ends with Moses' blessing on the tribes of Israel, his climb up Mount Nebo, and his death. Overall, it provides an overview of the main events and themes in the book of Deuteronomy. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at zab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are finishing up the book of the law, Deuteronomy. We are also finishing up the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In these last four chapters comes an end to an era. The Lord had promised way back in Genesis with Abraham, and then with Isaac, and then with Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, and then his twelve sons, that they would be numerous and that the Lord would give them land. They left the land and went to Egypt due to a severe famine, and that is where the story of Moses began. In Exodus they left the land with the Lord's mighty arm and they came to Mount Sinai and received the law of God. Throughout Leviticus the people stayed at Mount Sinai, also called Mount Horeb, and received instructions on how to worship the Lord, especially through the tabernacle. Numbers began at Mount Sinai with a census. Jacob entered Egypt with seventy in his family, and at the first census the total number of Israelite men was 603,550, that is found in chapter 1 verse 46. It was then time to head to the promised land. The first generation spied out the land, and only two of the twelve spies said they could take it. The people listened to the ten, and their punishment of disbelief was to wander in the wilderness as the Lord led them, until that generation of twenty years old and above died off. Toward the end of Numbers a second census was taken, and the total number of men of Israel was 601,730, that is found in chapter 26 verse 51. That second generation took some of the land on the east side of the Jordan River, where two and a half tribes took up residence, and the other tribes are on the east side of the Jordan, across from Jericho, prepared to enter. Deuteronomy begins and ends at that same spot, east of the Jordan, across from Jericho, and Moses gives this generation his closing words before he died. The name of Deuteronomy means second giving of the law, so Moses covered that. He gave them a charge to choose the ways of the Lord, which brings life. And now with these four chapters we see again that Joshua succeeds Moses. The Jews unfaithfulness is predicted. The Lord gave Moses a song for the people to help them remember. Moses blessed the Israelites, and then he died. Chapter 31 verse 9 says, So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests. Chapter 31 verse 24, After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites. Now since Moses died at the end of Deuteronomy, there are two main views as to what happened. Some believe the Lord told him what would happen, so he wrote about his death in the book, and others believe that someone else wrote the ending, possibly Joshua. I am good either way with those views. Chapter 31 begins, Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel, I am now a hundred and twenty years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, You shall not cross the Jordan. The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. It is interesting that Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 7 reads, Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak, nor his strength gone. I point that out to say that Moses was unable to lead them into the promised land, not because his health was failing, but because the Lord was not allowing him to, due to his sin. It was a new stage in the history of the Jews, and the Lord had raised up a new leader to guide the way, Joshua. Moses told the people to be strong and courageous, and to not be afraid or terrified, because the Lord their God goes with them. Then Moses told Joshua in the presence of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, the Lord will be with you, do not be afraid or discouraged. To top that, in verse 23, the Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun, Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you. The book of Joshua starts off with this promise from the Lord. There is power that comes when the Lord calls you, and then equips you for the task. Moses told Joshua that he would lead them into the land, and then he would divide the land for the tribe's inheritance. Moses then gave the command to the people that every seven years when it was time to cancel debts, they were to read the law of the covenant during the feast of tabernacles. He predicted that the Israelites would turn away from the Lord. Verse 19 says, Now write down for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Israelites, and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. This song was to be a warning to the people, but also a reminder to them of what God has done and what he will do. Verse 30 tells us, And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel. Chapter 32 is the song of the Lord given to Moses for the people. It began calling the heavens and earth as witness to this song, then praise unto the Lord. Verse 4 says, He is the rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. It immediately switched and spoke of the unfaithfulness of the Israelites. It called them to remember and ask their fathers to tell the story of how God came to the rescue over and over and over again. Yet the Israelites will reject the Lord, and in verse 19 we learn, The Lord saw this and rejected them, because he was angered by his sons and daughters. Verse 21 tells us, They made me jealous by what is no God, and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people. I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. In the New Testament book of Romans, Paul the Apostle used this verse in chapter 10 verse 19 and explained that the people who were not a people were the Gentiles, and salvation would come to them. This song of Moses speaks of the Jews being scattered, but then the Lord will see and will one day make atonement for his land and people. This was through Jesus coming at just the right time and just the right place for the Jews first, but also the Gentiles. After the song, Moses told the people, Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idol words for you, they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. Chapter 32 verses 46-47 Following that the Lord told Moses that he would go up to Mount Nebo, view the promised land, and then die there because of his disobedience. Chapter 33 begins This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. The phrase man of God usually means prophet in scripture. His blessing starts with a reminder of the Lord at Sinai and how God loves his people. In both Moses' song and in this poetic blessing there is a name Jeshurun which means upright one and it is a poetic name for Israel. Then there are blessings for each of the tribes of Israel except for Simeon, it is not explained why they were excluded. The blessings end with a reminder that there is no one like the God of Jeshurun, the upright one. He rides on the heavens and the clouds. Verse 27a declares The eternal God is our refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. It ends with verse 29 Blessed are you, O Israel, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord. He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places. After the blessing then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah across from Jericho. The Lord showed him all the promised land and then Moses died. The Lord buried him, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. The Israelites grieved for 30 days until the time of weeping and mourning was over. Joshua who had been Moses' right hand man for 40 years was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hand on him and the Israelites listened to him. Verses 10-12 say Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land, for no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Since we have read Psalm 90 the Psalm of Moses as we have read the Pentateuch, verse 10 keeps coming to mind. The length of our days is 70 years, or 80 if we have the strength, yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass and we fly away. Moses' life consisted of three sets of 40. The first 40 he was in Egypt as the adopted son of the daughter of Pharaoh, yet with the realization that his people were in bondage while he lived in luxury. In the New Testament book of Acts chapter 7 Stephen's sermon clarifies the dates in verses 23-53. Verse 23 says when Moses was 40 years old he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. Then verse 25 says Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. Then when Moses killed the Egyptian and then tried to reconcile two Jewish men, one of them said, Who made you rule and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Verse 29 tells us that Moses then fled to Midian, and then verse 30 states, After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. I was thinking of his three sections of time and pondering his trouble and sorrow during each time. I wonder how much he thought about his people in bondage in Egypt while he was in the desert of Midian being a shepherd. I wondered if he struggled with the calling on his life. I am sure those days had their own trouble and sorrow. God must have used those 40 years to make Moses into the leader he needed to become. It seems in Acts that Moses felt called in some way in the first 40 years to deliver his people, but it wasn't until the Lord called him to lead that he was able to lead, and it was not in his might, but in the power of the Lord. As we have read, his last 40 years were no picnic either. He listened to the complaining of the stiff-necked people most of the time, the death of his sister and brother, and then he was not allowed to experience the fulfillment of his calling, but the Lord did allow him to see the fruit of it. Ladies, what section of life are you in? Thinking about my life, I was single for the first 25 years, and I very clearly remembered turning 50 and liking that stage because my kids were out of college and I felt that I might be able to live again. In less than a year my dad started having issues, and the toil and trouble started again. Now I am in the last 25 years of life, if the Lord allows me to live to 75. I have seen that each section of life also has the Lord's unfailing love. There are songs of joy and glad days, like in Psalm 90 verse 14. I have seen the Lord's favor, and I am still praying that the Lord will establish the work of my hands as found in verse 17. How about your life? Have you begun to number your days in order to gain a heart of wisdom? One thing I can testify to is that the Lord is faithful in the good times and the bad. There are lessons to be learned in both, and the Lord is preparing you for that next step whatever it may be. Just turn from your sin and trust in the Lord. If you have heard his voice today, please don't be stiff necked like the Israelites. Instead let us hear and obey the voice of the Lord like Moses. Until next time, and thanks so very much for listening.