Moses’ third and final sermon is concluded with words that would demoralise some and invigorate others. He speaks these words to all of Israel while in the plains of Moab when he was one-hundred and twenty years old, Deuteronomy 29:10-11.
The end of Moses’ life had come, and he couldn’t lead the people into Canaan for two reasons.
1. Moses was at this time one-hundred and twenty years old, Deuteronomy 31:2 / 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, Deuteronomy 31:2.
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.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The life of Moses, the great prophet of God and lawgiver of the Jews, was exactly the same in length as the time Noah employed in preaching righteousness to the antediluvian world. These one hundred and twenty years were divided into three remarkable periods, forty years he lived in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s court, acquiring all the learning and wisdom of the Egyptians, Acts 7:20 / Acts 7:23, forty years he sojourned in the land of Midian in a state of preparation for his great and important mission, Acts 7:29-30, and forty years he guided, led, and governed the Israelites under the express direction and authority of God: in all, one hundred and twenty years.’
Although Moses wouldn’t be with the people, he assured them that God would be with them and destroy the nations before them, Deuteronomy 31:3 / Numbers 27:17.
They were to be led by Joshua as Moses had said earlier, Deuteronomy 31:3 / Deuteronomy 1:34-39. At the time of his appointment to succeed Moses, Joshua was seventy-eight years of age. He died thirty-two years later at age one-hundred and ten, 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, Deuteronomy 31:4. God is going to deliver them to Israel, and they must do to them all that He has commanded them, Deuteronomy 31:5.
Israel are to be strong and courageous, and they have not to fear or be terrified because of them, 1 Corinthians 16:13, for God goes with them and He will never leave them nor forsake them, Deuteronomy 31:6. 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 one of the only two of the twelve spies who 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 could defeat Canaan, Numbers 13:30-14:10.
Moses said that it was Joshua who ‘followed the LORD wholeheartedly’, Deuteronomy 1:36. 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.
Moses summons Joshua and tells him in the presence of all Israel to be strong and courageous, for Joshua must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and they must divide it among them as their inheritance, Deuteronomy 31:7.
Moses tells Israel that Joshua would be their new leader and that God would be with him, Deuteronomy 31:8. Moses tells Joshua that God will never leave him nor forsake him, and so, Joshua isn’t to be afraid or discouraged, Deuteronomy 31:8 / Deuteronomy 1:38 / Numbers 27:23.
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.
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 recognise God’s divine presence in this next leader of Israel. God would fight for them, and He would physically empower every soldier of Israel. He won’t forsake them; they can fearlessly face the Canaanites.
Moses delivers a copy of the Law of God to the priest and to all the elders of Israel, the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, Deuteronomy 31:9 / Deuteronomy 17:18.
Moses instructs the priests to have the entire law read in the hearing of the people once every seven years during the feast of tabernacles, Deuteronomy 31:10 / Exodus 33:11.
This was one of three annual feasts where all Israel was to gather in Jerusalem to celebrate or mark the conclusion of the harvest season. The Feast of Tabernacles was conducted on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of Tishri.
The first day of the feast, that is, the fifteenth 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, Deuteronomy 31:11 / 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’, Deuteronomy 31:12 / 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, Deuteronomy 31:13.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is strange that this commandment, relative to a public reading of the law every seven years, should have been rarely attended to. It does not appear that from the time mentioned, Joshua 8:30, at which time this public reading first took place, till the reign of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 17:7, there was any public seventh-year reading, a period of 530 years. The next seventh-year reading was not till the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, 2 Chronicles 34:30, a space of two hundred and eighty-two years. Nor do we find any other publicly mentioned from this time till the return from the Babylonish captivity, Nehemiah 8:2. Nor is there any other on record from that time to the destruction of Jerusalem.’
God tells Moses that the day of his death is near, and he is to call Joshua and present themselves at the tent of meeting, where He will commission Joshua. So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting, Deuteronomy 31:14.
God appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent, Deuteronomy 31:15 / Numbers 11:25 / Numbers 12:5. 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, Acts 13:2-3. Words were earlier spoken to commission him, but here the words were confirmed with action by the direct communication of God with Joshua. God once again tells Moses that he is going to rest with his ancestors, Deuteronomy 31:16.
The Lord, in the hearing of Moses and Joshua, reveals the wickedness of Israel’s future. The Lord says that Israel will prostitute themselves to the foreign gods and His people will forsake Him, and they will break His covenant, Deuteronomy 31:16.
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, Deuteronomy 31:17, Joshua was determined to serve the Lord and the Lord only, Joshua 24:15 / Joshua 24:31.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The future apostasy of the people is announced in the presence of Joshua that the latter might be fully aware of the danger and strive in his day to avert it. This he faithfully did, Joshua 24:31, but we find him in his own last address to Israel repeating, Joshua 23:15-16, the self-same prediction and warning.’
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’, Deuteronomy 31:17.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Hiding the Lord’s face, Deuteronomy 31:17-18 / Deuteronomy 32:20, is the opposite of making His face shine on His people and turning His face toward them in blessing, Numbers 6:25-26.’
The reason God forsakes and hides His face from them so that people say, ‘our God is not among us’, Deuteronomy 31:18, is because of ‘I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods’, Deuteronomy 31:19 / Deuteronomy 32:20 / James 1:13 / 1 John 1:5.
God says many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, have not these disasters come on them because their God is not with them? Deuteronomy 31:17.
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 broke His commandments, is the moment God forsakes them.
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 / Deuteronomy 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, Deuteronomy 31:19, 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, Deuteronomy 31:19 / Deuteronomy 31:22 / 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, Deuteronomy 31:20-21. So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites, Deuteronomy 31:22 / Deuteronomy 31:19.
Joshua is once again told to be strong and courageous and that God will be with him in the conquest, Deuteronomy 31:23 / Joshua 1:6-7 / Joshua 1:9 / Joshua 1:18, which later, he encourages Israel to do the same, Joshua 10:25.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The ‘book’ here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be ‘the Book of Moses,’ called generally by the Jews ‘the Law’, Matthew 22:40 / Galatians 4:21.’
After writing the words of the law, Moses commands the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant, the Kohathites, Joshua 3:3 / Joshua 4:9-10 / Joshua 6:6 / Joshua 6:12 / Joshua 8:33 / 1 Kings 8:3, to place the writing beside the ark, Deuteronomy 31:24-26.
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, Deuteronomy 31:26. Notice the words of the written law, the Torah, were placed beside, Deuteronomy 31:26, not in the ark, Exodus 25:16 / Exodus 16:33-34 / Numbers 17:10-11 / Hebrews 9:4. In this way, it would continually be a witness to the sin that Israel would commit, 2 Kings 22:8.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark, 1 Kings 8:9, the Book of the Law was to be laid up in the holy of holies close by the ark of the covenant, probably in a chest, 2 Kings 22:8.’
As Moses speaks directly to the priests, he tells them that they had been rebellious throughout the days he had been acquainted with them, and he is confident that they will continue to be rebellious after his death, Deuteronomy 31:27. 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, Deuteronomy 31:28.
Moses had little confidence in the people’s faith; he knew they would be utterly corrupt and turn from the way He had commanded them when he died, Deuteronomy 31:29 / Matthew 7:13-14.
Moses knew that in days to come, disaster would fall on Israel because they would do evil in the sight of God and arouse His anger by what their hands had made, Deuteronomy 31:29.
Merrill, in his commentary, says the following.
‘What appears to be in view is a miniature pre-enactment of the ceremony that the whole nation was to engage in at Ebal and Gerizim once Canaan had been overcome and occupied, Deuteronomy 27:1-14.’
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 made his conclusion.
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.