Introduction
‘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. And the LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:1-6
Moses’ third and final sermon is concluded with words that would demoralise some and invigorate others. The end of Moses’ life had come, he couldn’t lead the people into Canaan for two reasons.
1. Moses was at this time 120 years old, Exodus 7:7 / Deuteronomy 34:7.
He was one who had experienced a phenomenal number of events, from the Egyptian palace to the east banks of the Jordan River. Nevertheless, he confessed here that he was too old to enter Canaan to be with Israel throughout the coming years of war with the Canaanites.
2. The Lord said he wouldn’t enter the land.
This banishment of God from crossing the Jordan came as a result of his earlier sin at Meribah, Deuteronomy 4:21-22 / Numbers 20:12.
He speaks these words to all of Israel while in the plains of Moab when he was 120 years old, Deuteronomy 29:10-11. Although Moses wouldn’t be with the people he assures them that God would be with them. They were to be led by Joshua as Moses had said earlier, Deuteronomy 1:34-39.
At the time of his appointment to succeed Moses, Joshua was 78 years of age, he died 32 years later at age 110 Joshua 24:29. God had already approved this transfer of authority in Numbers 27:17, but here the formal transfer occurs.
Joshua was the new leader, the one who had been with Israel from the days of the exodus from Egypt, Deuteronomy 1:38 / Numbers 27:18-23.
Sihon and Og were the kings and nations which were the greatest that Israel would face. Israel’s victory over them was God’s guarantee that they would defeat any other nation within the borders of Canaan, Deuteronomy 2:32-3:10.
Joshua, along with Caleb, was the only two of the twelve spies that went into Canaan that brought back a favourable report. While the wicked ten spies brought the evil report of pessimism, Joshua and Caleb reacted in faith and proclaimed that with the help of God they can defeat Canaan, Numbers 13:30–14:10.
Moses said that it was Joshua who ‘followed the LORD wholeheartedly’, Deuteronomy 1:36. Moses tells Israel that Joshua would be their new leader and that God would be with them. Moses reminds them of God’s command that they had earlier broken and thereby wandered in the wilderness for forty years.
The Lord commanded them to take possession of the land, Deuteronomy 1:21 / Deuteronomy 1:26 / Deuteronomy 1:29-32, but they failed. The Lord told them not to be afraid of the people of Canaan, Deuteronomy 1:29-32, but they were. The Lord commanded Israel to kill everything which has life in Canaan, Deuteronomy 20:16-18, but they didn’t.
Joshua To Succeed Moses
‘Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8
Moses summons Joshua before all the people to officially commission him as their next military leader so that all may faithfully follow his lead. The Lord would be with Joshua and thereby the people were to recognize God’s divine presence in this next leader of Israel.
This public commissioning of Joshua to ‘be strong and courageous’, wasn’t only personal for the benefit of Joshua, but it was public for all the people, 1 Corinthians 16:13.
The commissioning was an indirect encouragement for the people to remember the promise of God that they take the land, and to be assured that He would always be with them.
God would fight for them and He would physically empower every soldier of Israel. He won’t forsake them so, they can fearlessly face the Canaanites.
Public Reading Of The Law
‘So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for cancelling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 31:9-13
Moses delivers a copy of the Law of God to the priest, Deuteronomy 17:18, and he instructs the priests to have the entire law read in the hearing of the people once every seven years during the feast of tabernacles, Exodus 33:11.
This was one of three annual feasts where all Israel were to gather in Jerusalem to celebrate or mark the conclusion of the harvest season. The Feast of Tabernacles was conducted on the 15th day of the 7th month of Tishri.
The first day of the feast, that is, the 15th of Tishri was to be a holy rest day and the people were to do no work. Seven straight days were to be spent making a fire sacrifice to the Lord God and then on the eighth day, they were to close the feast with another holy rest day, Leviticus 23:33-43.
In the seventh year when there was the release of all those who had given themselves to the bondage of another because of debt, Deuteronomy 15:1-15, at the feast of Tabernacles, Deuteronomy 16:13-15, they were to publicly read the law of the covenant to the people.
It was the responsibility of the Levites and elders to perform this reading in the ears of the people, Nehemiah 8:1-8. The whole of the law was to be read that men, women, and children would ‘hear, learn, fear, and obey the Lord your God’, John 6:44-45 / Romans 10:17.
For six years only the males were obligated to attend the feast of Tabernacles, but for the seventh year at the feast of Tabernacles, all Israel, men, women, children and foreigners, were to attend the reading of the law.
Israel’s Rebellion Predicted
‘The LORD said to Moses, “Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. And the LORD said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’ And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods. “Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites. 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.” Deuteronomy 31:14-23
The encouragement given to Moses and Joshua took place at the tabernacle where God communed with the leaders of Israel, Exodus 25:22 / Exodus 29:42 / Exodus 30:36.
The purpose of this direct encounter with the Lord by Joshua was to reconfirm his commissioning. Words were earlier spoken to commission him, but here the words were confirmed with action by the direct communication of God with Joshua.
The Lord, in the hearing of Moses and Joshua, reveals the wickedness of Israel’s future. The Lord says that His people will forsake Him, He says this in order for Joshua to lead a stiff-necked people.
Joshua needed to understand the inevitable apostasy that awaited the nation in the years to come. Although Israel would forsake the Lord, Joshua was determined to serve the Lord and the Lord only, Joshua 24:15 / Joshua 24:31.
Moses had earlier revealed Israel’s failures of refusing to obey God’s command to possess Canaan and he also reminded them of their wickedness at Sinai, Deuteronomy 9:16. After detailing Israel’s acts of rebellion in Deuteronomy 9, Moses concludes by saying, ‘you have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you.’, Deuteronomy 9:24.
Although Israel had proclaimed that they would do all of God’s commands, the Lord knew that they were a rebellious people, Exodus 19:8 / Deuteronomy 5:29. although the Lord said he wouldn’t forsake Israel they would indeed forsake Him in the future, Deuteronomy 31:6.
The Lord God, is a God of fierce anger against those who break His covenant law, Deuteronomy 29:24 / Deuteronomy 29:28. Notice that the day Israel forsakes God’s commandments is the day that God ‘forsakes them and hides his face from them’.
As long as Israel put their faith and obedience in God He would never fail nor forsake them, Deuteronomy 31:6. The moment, however, Israel forsook God and break His commandments, is the moment God forsakes them.
The reason God forsakes and hides His face from them so that people say, ‘our God is not among us’ is because of ‘I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods’, James 1:13 / 1 John 1:5.
Remember Moses called upon the people to make a choice, Deuteronomy 30:15 / Deuteronomy 30:19, and he commanded them many times to love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul, Deuteronomy 30:15-16. He warned them of the miserable existence for their disobedience, Deuteronomy 27:26 / Deuteronomy 28:15 / Deutyeronomy:28:47.
Israel has seen some wondrous things, Deuteronomy 11:7 / Deuteronomy 29:2-3, and they had seen the detestable practices of the nations, Deuteronomy 29:17.
Once in Canaan, they will be free to make a choice as to serve the Lord with all their heart or get involved with the detestable practices of the people around them. It’s their choice and many will choose to get involved in detestable living.
The song Moses writes is recorded in Deuteronomy 32:1-43. The main purpose of the song was to communicate the words of God in song to the people, they could memorise the song, and so, continually have on their lips the word and will of God, Ephesians 5:19 / Colossians 3:16.
The other purpose of the song was to expose the dark minds of many of the people of Israel so that they would be without excuse as they experience the miserable torment of God’s fierce curse against the disobedient.
Joshua is once again told to be strong and courageous and that God will be with him in the conquest, Joshua 1:6-7 / Joshua 1:9 / Joshua 1:18, which later, he encourages Israel to do the same, Joshua 10:25.
‘After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them. For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.” Deuteronomy 31:24-29
After writing the words of the law, Moses commands the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant, to place the writing beside the ark.
Because the structure of the ark contained the commandments of the covenant, the ten commandments were written on stone, it was known as the ark of the covenant.
Moses explains to the priests that the book of law would serve as a witness against them. Notice the words of the written law, the Torah, were placed beside, not in the ark, Hebrews 9:4. In this way, it would continually be a witness to the sin that Israel would commit, 2 Kings 22:8.
As Moses speaks directly to the priests he tells them that they had been rebellious throughout the days he has been acquainted with them and he is confident that they will continue to be rebellious after his death. I wonder what was going through the minds of the priests when he told them this? Jeremiah 15:1.
The priests, elders, and officials were representatives of all the people, these men heard these disparaging words and were to relay them to all of Israel, Deuteronomy 31:1. Moses tells the elders and officers of the people the same thing he told the priests.
Moses had little confidence in the people’s faith, he knows they will be rebellious and stiff-necked when he dies, Matthew 7:13-14.
While the people were called upon to remember all the wondrous signs God had performed before them and warned regarding the detestable things they saw, we find Moses also paying attention to some things. Moses lived his life seeing Israel’s rebellious spirit and thereby makes his conclusion.
The Song Of Moses
‘And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.’ Deuteronomy 31:30
This last verse should be the introduction to the song of Moses in the next chapter. The song was to be memorised by the nation and sung while they were in their homes, Ephesians 5:19 / Colossians 3:16.
