The Song of Moses pt2 Deuteronomy 32:22-43
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week we began the third Song of Moses. This song, written as a lawsuit, was to be taught to the children of Israel and was to be passed down from generation to generation. For God had prophesied that the people would indeed turn away from Him and pervert themselves by going after false gods and disobeying His Law. This song/lawsuit was to stand as a witness against that future generation. In the first half we read how Moses stands in the position of a lawyer for the plaintiff. His plaintiff is God Himself. Moses declares God to be just and upright and that God had cherished, cared for, and loved His people. Whereas, the accused, the children of Israel, had broken the covenant and stirred God to anger. Thus God would turn them over to their gods. So today we continue with stanzas 6-8.
Text Read
Text Read
22 For a fire is kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. 23 “‘And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows on them; 24 they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust. 25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
26 I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,” 27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant, it was not the Lord who did all this.”’ 28 “For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. 29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! 30 How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. 32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; 33 their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps. 34 “‘Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? 35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
36 For the Lord will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. 37 Then He will say, ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, 38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection! 39 “‘See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand. 40 For I lift up My hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, 41 if I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and will 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 long-haired heads of the enemy.’ 43 “Rejoice with Him, O heavens; bow down to Him, all gods, for He avenges the blood of His children and takes vengeance on His adversaries. He repays those who hate Him and cleanses His people's land.”
Text Explained
Text Explained
Stanza 6: 22 For a fire is kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol/grave, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. 23 “‘And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows on them; 24 they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust. 25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs. Here in stanza 6 we see the sovereignty of God at work as He declares that He will use armies, wild animals, and natural disasters as His means of judgment upon the nation of Israel. His judgement will be seen through war, famine, and pestilence, and all will be affected. This language points us back just a few chapters to Deuteronomy 28 where we read of the Curses that Israel would experience if they failed to keep the Covenant. Remember, God had made a covenant with His people. IF they kept that Covenant, they would be blessed beyond all they could expect, however, IF they disobeyed, then they would experience the curses of the Covenant. I want us to remember, Covenant Obedience did not require sinless perfection. God had given them the Sacrificial System for when they failed to keep the Law. So this disobedience was not an “I messed up one time and now God will come down on me like a hammer.” No, it was a systemic, continual, unrepentant lifestyle that they knowingly refused to turn away from. This stanza is an echo of the Covenant that God knew they would break regardless of head knowledge and personal experience. So when that future generation of Israelites turn away, and when war, famine, and pestilence are tearing through their land, they would hear this stanza and remember that God is the One who is ultimately behind it. It would not be bad luck, it would not be coincidence, but rather they would KNOW He is the One who has orchestrated this because they had been unfaithful to their covenant. Yet amid this proclamation of judgment, we move to words of hope.
Stanza 7: 26 I/God would have said, “I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,” 27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant, it was not the Lord who did all this.”’ Here in stanza 7 we see how God begins to shift from judgment upon His unrepentant people, to judgement upon those who would claim their power had defeated God. Now we need to remember that in this culture, when nations went to war, it was not just the people who were fighting, it was the deities of those people who were fighting. For instance, if a nation worshiped Baal and another nation worshiped Ashera, if the nation who worshiped Baal attacked and defeated the nation that worshiped Ashera, the people would view it as the god Baal had defeated the god Ashera. So when the Lord declares that He would have wiped them from human memory, He pulls back because that would cause Jehovah’s enemies to view their god as having defeated Him. God will not allow that to happen. Side note: the purpose of all Creation is what scholars call “doxological”, meaning the purpose of all creation is to glorify their Creator, namely God Almighty. In short, ultimately, your life is not about you, it is about Him. Even those who refuse to bend the knee in submission and repentance will glorify God when He demonstrates His justice upon them. Regardless, here we see God declaring that He will show mercy, not because the people deserve mercy, but rather because the people bear His name and thus His glory is at stake. This is not a new thought. Exodus 32:11–14 we read “But Moses implored the Lord His God and said, “O Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did He bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent from this disaster against Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own Self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” And the Lord relented/repented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people.” So we see that even when His people fully deserve to be wiped out, God shows mercy upon His people, not because they are worthy, but for HIS Name’s sake. So as the song continues, the Lord moves from punishing His people to expressing the foolishness of those other nations who would unknowingly be tools in His hands. 28 “For they(other nation) are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. Remember Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” and Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” So God makes it clear that the people who would defeat the Israelites were actually fools! He says of them, 29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! For God would give proofs by allowing them to have easy victories. 30 How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their (Israel’s) Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? These other nation should have noticed that the Lord was not fighting for His people. They should have noticed that their god, their rock is not like Jehovah. In fact verse 31 tells us that they should have noticed that they were fighting alone. 31 For their (the other nation’s) rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. 32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; 33 their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps. In fact, the other nation should have realized how much their own sin was angering the Lord Almighty. God recalls the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah as a comparison for the judgment that would fall upon this other nation that would bring war against God’s people. For even while God would use them as an instrument of judgment, their sins were also being stored up for a day of judgment upon their own nation. 34 “‘Is not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? Here we see that even though they are being used by God, what they would do to God’s people was not being overlooked. Side note: Just because God takes evil and uses it for good, does not mean the evil goes unpunished. Just because God used the evil done to Joseph for the good of Joseph’s family did not absolve Joseph’s brothers of the wrong they had committed. God uses evil to bring about His purposes while not overlooking or even condoning that evil. For all evil will be judged and punished. So here, the Lord Almighty declared that 35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’ This brings us to stanza 8.
Stanza 8: 36 For the Lord will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. The final stanza brings us to God’s mercy upon a His rebellious people. This stanza should be reminiscent of Deuteronomy 30:1-10. In that passage God tells His people that regardless of how far away they have wandered or how far away they have been taken, there is no place too far that God could not reach out and bring them back. 37 Then He will say (to Israel), ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, 38 (the god) who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection! So God will place a challenge/test before His people. Those gods that you worshiped and trusted in, let them take care of you. The answer in this verse is clear, those false gods the Israelites went after instead of Jehovah have failed to care for the Israelites. Then God will declare to His people, 39 “‘See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand. 40 For I lift up My hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, 41 if I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand takes hold on judgment, (then) I will take vengeance on My adversaries and (I) will 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 long-haired heads of the enemy.’ 43 “Rejoice with Him, O heavens; bow down to Him, all gods, for He avenges the blood of His children and takes vengeance on His adversaries. He repays those who hate Him and (He) cleanses His people's land.” So the song has come full circle. In Stanza 1, Moses has declared the character of God, and here in stanza 8, God declares His sovereign power and authority to over everyone and everything.
Text Applied
Text Applied
God does not give His People a pass. In Stanza 6 we read how God would punish His people for the wicked lives they were living. Dear one we must remember that when we are saved, we are not given a free pass to live this life however we please. If you are living a lifestyle of sin, if you come to church and put on a christian face and then leave here and live no different than the unsaved, do not expect your God to sit idly by, twiddle His thumbs and say, “well I hope he changes.” No. If you are living in unrepentant sin, then there are a few possibilities. First, you might not even be a Christian. You might have said words, you might have had an emotional experience, but if you can live in unrepentant sin then you may not actually be a Christian. Hebrews 3:6 “.. And we are His house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” Hebrews 3:14 “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Here the author of Hebrews is telling us that one proof of genuine salvation is that a Christian continues in the faith. 1 John 2:19 gives us the same thought, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” Ultimately the Lord knows the heart. The second possibility is this: God may be giving you time to repent. He may be gracious in giving you the opportunity to confess your sin. The third possibility is that you are ignoring the chastening of the Lord. Hebrews 12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” You may be ignoring His chastening. You may be ignoring the gentle corrections the Lord is giving you. Beware, if you are a child of God and you are ignoring the gentle corrections, God will become more forceful in His corrections. He loves you too much to allow you to stay in unrepentant sin. Remember 1 Peter 4:17–19 “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” God does not give His people a free pass. If you are His child, you should know better.
God is the Purpose: In Stanza 7 we see that the reason God would not fully destroy His people, even though they had earned that, was because of His name. As I said, the purpose of creation is Doxological. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” God is the One who all glory is to be attributed. Not because He is a narcissist, but because He is worthy. Quite literally, existence itself would not exist if God did not exist. Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” You are not the center of the universe. God is. That is the reason the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, How? holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” We read in Ecclesiastes 12:13 “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In the words of the Westminster Catechism: What is the chief and highest end of man? Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully enjoy Him forever.
God will vindicate those who are faithful. As students of the Bible, you may ask what about those Israelites who never bowed to false gods. What about the 7000 that never bowed the knee to Baal during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel (1Kings 19)? Those were righteous people who suffered under the reign of wicked rulers and who suffered under the judgment of God upon the nation as a whole. What about those who were faithful? Let us return to the words of the Apostle Peter. 1 Peter 4:12–16 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” In this life, there will be suffering, yet we can know that God will vindicate His people. Yet be careful dear Christian, that if you are suffering, make sure you are suffering because you are a Christian, and not because you are doing wrong.
Finally, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the similarities between this song and the Gospel. It begins with God, we see those who are God’s knowingly break His Law. We see judgment declared upon a people who have earned it. Yet we see God saving those who are called by His name, and He does this for His name. We see that God will vindicate His people and He will sovereignly Judge all and cleanse His people’s land. And all of this is based upon His own power/authority/wisdom/and justice.