Monday, February 7, 2011 (top)
Real Hope Requires a Real God
(Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52)
"He will say: 'Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge?'" -Deuteronomy 32:37This song, given by God through Moses, portrays three primary things: the glory of God (31:19), how common idolatry is, and the vain hope in anything that replaces God. God's matchless glory is laid out before us as an unshifting, stable rock. His Work is perfect and just, and His Fatherhood has been proven in how He has protected and provided for His people through their journey through the desert wastelands (32:9-14).
This song also describes the common practice of taking the good work that God does and ascribing it to another source and purpose. God's blessing often becomes a source of gluttonous excess and selfishness. God is removed as the source of blessing and replaced with false gods of our own making to validate our rejection of the true and living God.
This amazing song concludes by describing how God, in due season, exposes the empty reality of a life that has removed the true and living God from the center of life. "Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?" God asks, forcing the obvious answer--their false gods are nowhere to be found.
The difficulties and tragedies of a life that has walked away from God often becomes the only way we will face our need for the true and living God. As recounted in verses 3-14, God alone is capable of producing the life we all long for, the life we are created for. Learn the lesson or suffer the tragic consequences of a life alienated from God, the only giver of every good and perfect gift.
NKJV Bible Text
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:52
The Song of Moses30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended:
Deuteronomy 32
1 "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
3 For I proclaim the name of the LORD:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
Ascribe greatness to our God.
4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
5 "They have corrupted themselves;
They are not His children,
Because of their blemish:
A perverse and crooked generation.
They are not His children,
Because of their blemish:
A perverse and crooked generation.
6 Do you thus deal with the LORD,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father, who bought you?
Has He not made you and established you?
O foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father, who bought you?
Has He not made you and established you?
7 "Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of many generations.
Ask your father, and he will show you;
Your elders, and they will tell you:
Consider the years of many generations.
Ask your father, and he will show you;
Your elders, and they will tell you:
The Song of Moses v. 1 Give Ear – This song was meant to be a reminder to Israel of the day that they stood before Heaven and earth and agreed to follow the Lord. It was designed to stay in their hearts and be passed down from generation to generation. v. 2 My Doctrine – Means "instruction." Moses stated that the instruction he was about to give to Israel would feed and nourish the people like rain on the hills and dew on the plants (Is. 55:10, 11). | v. 4 He is The Rock – God is unchanging and immovable, an ever-present help in time of trouble. This also is prophetic of Jesus Christ, whom Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:4 was the Rock, which had given water to Israel when they were thirsty in the wilderness. |
8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the children of Israel.
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the LORD's portion is His people;
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
10 "He found him in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.
11 As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
12 So the LORD alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
And there was no foreign god with him.
13 "He made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.
15 "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
v. 10 He Kept Him As The Apple Of His Eye – Or the "pupil of His eye." The fastest protective reflex in the human body is the natural reflex to protect the eye. God expressed, in terms that we can relate to, the care that He has for His people and His commitment to protecting them from harm. v. 11 As An Eagle Stirs Up Her Nest – A mother eagle is known to teach her children to fly when they are old enough by stirring up the nest so that it is no longer a comfortable resting place. This is not a harsh act of carelessness, but rather the best way to get them motivated to step out on their own and discover what they have the potential to do. God does that for His children as well. Rather than leaving us comfortable where we are at, He will often allow trials and tribulations to come our way so that our faith may be tried and purified (1 Pet. 1:7). | Suck Honey Out Of A Rock – This most likely refers to the bees that made their nests in rocks and provided honey for the inhabitants of Canaan. Oil Out Of The Flinty Rock – This oil most likely refers to the olive oil that was plenteous in the Promised Land. Olive trees grow even today in very rocky terrain in Israel, like on the Mount of Olives. v. 15 But Jeshurun Grew Fat And Kicked – Jeshurun means "upright" and is a symbolic name for the way that God saw Israel robed in His righteousness as they were meant to be. The unfortunate reality was that because God had so richly blessed them, they grew complacent in their prosperity and their eyes wandered, causing them to backslide from God. |
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God,
To gods they did not know,
To new gods, new arrivals
That your fathers did not fear.
To gods they did not know,
To new gods, new arrivals
That your fathers did not fear.
18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
19 "And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them,
Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.
Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.
20 And He said: 'I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
v. 17 They Sacrificed To Devils And Not To God – 1Corinthians 10:20 tells us that behind the idols which the pagans worship was actually the presence and power of demons. The chapter goes on to tell us that we cannot worship pagan idols and the true and living God at the same time. One cannot have fellowship with God and with demons. v. 18 You Forgot The Rock That Made You – They were made by God, just as the statue was made from a rock. | v. 21 I Will Provoke Them – Because Israel would provoke God to jealousy and anger by worshipping other gods beside Him, God provoked them to jealousy and anger by adopting people that were not originally called by His name. Paul picked up on this verse in the New Testament when He declared that God would use Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy in order that they might return to Him (Rom. 11:11). |
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And shall burn to the lowest hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
And shall burn to the lowest hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 'I will heap disasters on them;
I will spend My arrows on them.
I will spend My arrows on them.
24 They shall be wasted with hunger,
Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction;
I will also send against them the teeth of beasts,
With the poison of serpents of the dust.
Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction;
I will also send against them the teeth of beasts,
With the poison of serpents of the dust.
25 The sword shall destroy outside;
There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
26 I would have said, "I will dash them in pieces,
I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,"
I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,"
27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy,
Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
Lest they should say, "Our hand is high;
And it is not the LORD who has done all this."'
Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
Lest they should say, "Our hand is high;
And it is not the LORD who has done all this."'
28 "For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!
That they would consider their latter end!
30 How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the LORD had surrendered them?
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the LORD had surrendered them?
31 For their rock is not like our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves being judges.
Even our enemies themselves being judges.
32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
33 Their wine is the poison of serpents,
And the cruel venom of cobras.
And the cruel venom of cobras.
34 'Is this not laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up among My treasures?
Sealed up among My treasures?
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.'
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.'
36 "For the LORD will judge His people
And have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their power is gone,
And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
And have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their power is gone,
And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
37 He will say: 'Where are their gods,
The rock in which they sought refuge?
The rock in which they sought refuge?
v. 22 The Lowest Hell – The word "hell" here is sheol, referring to the realm or the world of the dead. It is a place where disembodied spirits dwell while waiting for their judgment. It was understood to be in the center of the earth. | v. 34 Is This Not Sealed Up Among My Treasures? – The treasures of God are the things He holds in store for people in the future. Some are blessings. But also among the things that are listed in God's treasures are His vengeance and wrath upon the rebellious. |
38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise and help you,
And be your refuge.
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise and help you,
And be your refuge.
39 'Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
40 For I raise My hand to heaven,
And say, "As I live forever,
And say, "As I live forever,
41 If I whet My glittering sword,
And My hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to My enemies,
And repay those who hate Me.
And My hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to My enemies,
And repay those who hate Me.
42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword shall devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the heads of the leaders of the enemy."'
And My sword shall devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the heads of the leaders of the enemy."'
43 "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people."
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people."
44 So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess."
Moses to Die on Mount Nebo
48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel."
v. 47 For It Is Not A Vain Thing To You – We are reminder that heeding the Word of God and obeying His commandments are not vain things. Rather, they are from where our life springs. Both the very quality of our life and our eternity depend on our relationship to the words of God. Moses to Die on Mount Nebo v. 49 Mount Abirim, To Mount Nebo – Abirim was a mountain range which was in view from the place they stood at that moment (Num. 21:11). Nebo was one of the mountains in that range. The Lord told Moses to go up to the top of Mount Nebo so that he could get his only glimpse of the Promised Land, because he was not allowed to enter in. | v. 51 Because You Did Not Sanctify Me In The Eyes Of The Children Of Israel – Numbers 20 tells the story of the sin Moses had committed which kept him from leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. When the people of Israel were thirsty in the wilderness, Moses did not speak to the rock as God had commanded, but rather struck the rock and strongly rebuked the people. God then said to Moses in Numbers 20:12 that his chief sin in this was that he did not sanctify Him before the people. To sanctify means, "to set apart as holy." Therefore, Moses failed to set God apart from his own sinful emotions, rather giving the children of Israel the impression that God had lost His temper with them as Moses had just done. Thus, he disqualified himself as the one able to lead God's people all the way into the Land of Promise. |
