Deuteronomy 31 - Moses' Last Counsel

Introduction

We only have four chapters left in our study of Deuteronomy.

Tonight we’re looking at Moses’ last counsel.

Next Sunday night, we will hopefully look at Moses’ last song.

Then we will look at Moses’ last blessing.

And, finally, Moses’ last day.

This is Moses at the end, but it is a new beginning for Israel as it enters the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.

[PRAYER] Before we look at the text in Deuteronomy 31, let’s ask the Lord to help us.

[TS] This chapter divides up into two PARTS…

Exposition

Part #1: A New Leader for The Promise Land (Deut. 31:1-13)

Deuteronomy 31:1–13 NASB95

1 So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’ 3 “It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken. 4 “The Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. 5 “The Lord will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. 8 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” 9 So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

[EXP] Moses has had an incredible run as the leader of God’s people. God first appeared to him in a burning bush, revealing His personal Name to him, sending him to Egypt to lead the people of God out of activity. Moses was there in Pharaoh's court. He saw the plagues. He saw the parting of the Red Sea. He saw the miracles in the wilderness. He saw the repeated rebellion of God’s people. Moses had led them through it all, and now he was old—too old. He could no longer lead them.

The Lord said to him, “You shall not cross this Jordan.” The impression we get from the beginning of Deuteronomy 31 is that Moses won’t cross the Jordan into the Promised Land because he is too old, but the real reason is given in Deuteronomy 32:51…

Deuteronomy 32:51 NASB95

51 because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel.

God had told Moses to speak to a rock to provide water for the people in the wilderness, but Moses struck the rock instead.

Because he did not treat the Lord as holy, he wouldn’t get to enter the Promised Land although he would get to see it.

Israel would not, however, be left leaderless. The Lord their God would go before them and Joshua would lead them.

Just as Israel had defeated Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, on the east side of the Jordan, so Israel would defeat all the pagan nations on the west of the Jordan in the Promised Land.

God’s people could be strong and courageous because God was going with them.

He does not fail.

He does not forsake His people (unless, of course, they forsake Him).

Joshua could be strong and courageous because God was going ahead of him.

Joshua would divide up the Promised Land once God’s people took possession of it.

Every seven years in the Promised Land, they were to take out these words of God that Moses had written down and read them so all Israel could hear.

The men, the women, the children, the foreigners—so everyone could hear and learn to fear the Lord and obey His Word.

[ILLUS] Yesterday two football teams played. One won and the other lost. The quarterback of the losing team stood at the mouth of the tunnel as his teammates left the field. He shook hands with everyone of them, thanking them for their effort in that game and during the season.

Some who saw this said, “That’s leadership. That’s what a leader does.”

[APP] We appreciate leadership when we see it, but the best leaders are those with their sights set on God.

The best leaders are those who know that God goes before them, so they lead others to trust in Him and follow Him.

The best leaders are those who’s courage and bravery stem—not from themselves—but from the understanding that God is with them.

The best leaders are those who teach others to fear the Lord and obey His words.

Moses wasn’t perfect, but he was that kind of leader.

Joshua wasn’t perfect, but he was that kind of leader.

You’re not perfect and neither am I, but will we be that kind of leader?

[TS]…

Part #2: A New Song for The Rebellious People (Deut. 31:14-30)

Deuteronomy 31:14–30 NASB95

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 “Then My 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?’ 18 “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. 19 “Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel. 23 Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” 24 It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 26 “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27 “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death? 28 “Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. 29 “For I know that after my death you will act corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.” 30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:

[EXP] Moses was not long for this world, so the time came to officially commission Joshua as Israel’s new leader. The Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and began to disclose Israel’s upcoming rebellion and God’s promised judgment.

Although Israel had just renewed its covenant with God, it would forsake God by breaking that covenant when it entered the Promised Land. As we read through the passage, we see many reasons why Israel rebelled:

One, Israel was moving into a pagan land (v. 16).

Deuteronomy 31:16 NASB95

16 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

Israel had been warned about this before, but apparently those warnings had fallen on deaf ears and hard hearts. Not long after entering the Promised Land, Israel would be chasing after pagan idols.

Two, Israel was going to be prosperous (v. 20).

Deuteronomy 31:20 NLT

20 For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.

In their prosperity, the Israelites would forget the God who fed them in the wilderness. In their prosperity, they would forget Him and turn to other gods.

Three, Israel presently intended to rebel (v. 21).

Deuteronomy 31:21 NASB95

21 “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.”

Even as Israel listened to Moses and welcomed Joshua as their new leader, the people of God were already intending to rebel against Him.

And fourth, Israel had rebelled in the past while Moses was alive and would no doubt continue to do so when Moses was dead (v. 27).

Deuteronomy 31:27 NASB95

27 “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death?

When Israel forsook God, God would forsake them, hiding His face and allowing all sorts of evils and troubles to come upon them. They will say, “These disasters have come down on us because God is no longer among us!” (Deut. 32:17, NLT).

The question every Israelite should ask in that day is, “Why? Why is God no longer among us?”

The simple answer is Israel’s rebellion, but God wanted that answer put into a memorable form, so He had Moses write a song that Israel would learn and never forget.

That song is in Deuteronomy 32, which we will look at next Sunday night if God wills, but here’s a breakdown of its contents:

God has always been good to His people.

His people have always rebelled against Him.

So God will use pagan nations to judge His people.

But then those pagan nations will be judged themselves.

And the whole Israel of God—Jews and Gentile—rejoices because God will atone for His land and His people.

God’s people will rebel against Him. God will punish them. But the song of God and His people doesn’t end with punishment but atonement.

[APP] Perhaps we have wonder from God because of the pagan environment we live in. Maybe we’ve grown fat on prosperity and have forgotten our need for God. Maybe we’ve intended to rebel against God as we’ve heard the Word of God although we’re hopefully not doing that now. And surely we’ve all rebelled against God in the past and may find ourselves straying from Him again in the future.

The Lord disciplines those He loves, but the song of our relationship with God doesn’t end with punishment if we are in Christ—it ends with atonement.

Like Israel we are law-breakers rather than law-keepers.

Like Israel we deserve to be cutoff from God because of our sin.

But in Jesus, God atones for our sins if we repent and trust Him.

Jews and Gentiles alike are reconciled to God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected.

[TS]…

Conclusion

[PRAYER]