Ep. 58. Deuteronomy 31-32 | Joshua and a Song
EPISODE 58
JOSHUA AND A SONG: DEUTERONOMY 31-32
We are now nearing the final words of Moses to the people of Israel. Moses is 120 years old. He had been just forty when he went out and killed an Egyptian man. He had hidden for forty years before he returned to rescue God's people, and now he had labored over them for another forty years. Moses' strength was not abated, and his eyesight was not impaired. But he had sinned against God, and so he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. But there is more to it than that; Moses had come to represent the Law. His successor, Joshua (Yeshua), would represent the work of God in that his name is the same as our Savior's name and that the name itself means "God Saves." It is fitting to our story that the Law would not lead the people into rest and salvation but that Yeshua would lead them in. Again, we are faced with the shadow of the more beautiful thing. Christ has led us into salvation and rest.
God already knows that these people would turn from him to follow foreign gods and pagan idols. It was not going to take long for them to break the covenant they had with God. Even Moses knew of their rebellion, for he said, "I know how rebellious and stubborn you are." He continued to warn them, "Behold, even today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!" The New Testament parallel is striking. After all, Moses had foretold of another prophet arising after him, whose words they MUST heed. This is none other than Jesus, as attested to us in the book of Acts. As Jesus was being led away to be crucified, he said to those around him, "If they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Jesus has in view his crucifixion. If the people could be confronted with the glory and fullness of God and still lead him away to be murdered on a cross, what in the world would they sink to in his absence?
Moses knew the answer to that question: the people would bury themselves in idolatry when they entered the Promised Land. God knew the answer to that; they would forsake the living God for idols of wood and stone. Jesus knew the answer to that; if they would have God walk among them with signs and wonders and still nail him to a cross, surely they would abandon him altogether in his absence. And we know that those who deny the Son also deny the Father. Those murderers of our Savior would fall into all manner of sin and rebellion, and the nation of Israel would follow their example.
God taught Moses a song to show the Hebrews what would come of them in the future generations. We find that song in Deuteronomy 32. The rebellious Jews would no longer be called God's children because their rebellion was so pervasive. It calls to mind Jesus speaking to the Pharisees in John chapter 8, "You are not children of Abraham, you are not children of God." They would grow fat as a people and kick against God. They would stir up God to jealousy with strange gods, so he would provoke Israel to jealousy with a people who formerly were not the people of God. When Israel rebelled against Jesus, the gospel was taken to a people who "would bear the fruit" of it. Thus, the Gentiles believed. In time, God will stir up the Israelites to jealousy over the Gentiles who, though they had not been the people of God, had come to God's people by faith.
That is the hopeful part of this story, that the Jews are not beyond God's reach and that he will still be faithful to the gifts and callings he bestowed on them. Here in the twenty-first century, we wait for the Jews' jealousy to arouse their faith in Jesus.
ADDITIONAL READING: Romans 11:25-29; Exodus 2; Numbers 20; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:7-10; 2 Corinthians 3: 7-18; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 7:37; Acts 3:22; Luke 23:31; Leviticus 17:1-7; Romans 10:19; Romans 11:11-14; Psalm 73:16-17; Psalm 90:12; Deuteronomy 34:1-8
