Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:1 This is the empowerment that Moses, the man of God, empowered the Israelites with before his death.

Deuteronomy 33:2 He said: Yahveh came from Sinai and appeared to them from Seir; he shone on them from Mount Paran and came with ten thousand holy ones, with lightning from his right hand for them.

Deuteronomy 33:3 Indeed, he cares about the people. All your sacred ones are in your hand, and they assemble at your feet. Each receives your words.

Deuteronomy 33:4 Moses commanded us an instruction, a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

Deuteronomy 33:5 So he became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered with the tribes of Israel.

Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben stay alive and not die though his people become few.

Deuteronomy 33:7 He said this about Judah: Yahveh, hear Judah’s cry and bring him to his people. He fights for his cause with his own hands, but may you be a partner[1] against his foes.

Deuteronomy 33:8 He said about Levi: Your Darks and Lights[2] belong to your faithful one; you tested him at Massah and contended with him at the Water of Meribah.

Deuteronomy 33:9 He said about his father and mother, “I do not regard them.” He disregarded his brothers and didn’t acknowledge his sons because they watched your word and maintained your covenant.

Deuteronomy 33:10 They will teach your rules to Jacob and your instruction to Israel; they will place incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Deuteronomy 33:11 Yahveh empower his possessions, and accept the work of his hands. Break the back of his adversaries and enemies so that they cannot rise again.

Deuteronomy 33:12 He said about Benjamin: Yahveh’s cared about one rests securely on him. He shields him all day long, and he rests on his shoulders.

Deuteronomy 33:13 He said about Joseph: May his land be empowered by Yahveh with the dew of the sky’s bounty and the watery depths that lie beneath;

Deuteronomy 33:14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons;

Deuteronomy 33:15 with the best products of the primeval mountains and the bounty of the ancient hills;

Deuteronomy 33:16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it; and with the favor of him who appeared in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

Deuteronomy 33:17 His firstborn bull has splendor and horns like those of a wild ox; he gores all the peoples with them to the ends of the land. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.

Deuteronomy 33:18 He said about Zebulun: Enjoy, Zebulun, your journeys, and Issachar, your tents.

Deuteronomy 33:19 They summon the peoples to a mountain; there, they offer acceptable sacrifices. For they draw from the wealth of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.

Deuteronomy 33:20 He said about Gad: The one who enlarges Gad’s territory will be empowered. He lies down like a lion and tears off an arm or even a head.

Deuteronomy 33:21 He chose the first for himself because a ruler’s portion was assigned there for him. He came with the people’s leaders; he carried out Yahveh’s justice and his rules for Israel.

Deuteronomy 33:22 He said about Dan: Dan is a young lion, leaping out of Bashan.

Deuteronomy 33:23 He said about Naphtali: Naphtali, enjoying approval, full of Yahveh’s empowerment, take possession of it west and the south.

Deuteronomy 33:24 He said about Asher: May Asher be the most empowered of the sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in olive oil.

Deuteronomy 33:25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and your strength last as long as you live.

Deuteronomy 33:26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the sky as your partner, the clouds in his majesty.

Deuteronomy 33:27 The God of old is your dwelling place, and underneath are the permanent arms. He drives out the enemy before you and commands, “Exterminate!”

Deuteronomy 33:28 So Israel dwells securely; Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine; even his skies drip with dew.

Deuteronomy 33:29 How happy you are, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahveh? He is the shield that partners with you, the sword you boast in. Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread on their backs.

[1] עֵזֶר = partner. Deuteronomy 33:7, 26, 29.

[2] תֻּמִּיםand אוּרִים = Darks and Lights.

Deuteronomy 33 quotes:

The final blessing of Moses (33:1–29) follows the tribal blessings of Jacob just before he died (Gen. 49:1–28), thus replicating the canonical end frame of the first book of the Pentateuch. Here, these blessings are framed by the notice of Moses’ impending death and the Lord’s showing him the Promised Land (32:48–52; 34:1–12). This suggests that Moses’ role in these final blessings is to express God’s approval of the one who was excluded from the land because of Israel’s sin. Also, God’s primary intent is to ‘bless’ Israel rather than bring ‘curse’ upon her (cf. Num. 22– 24). Now Moses can even bless the tribes of Israel in ways that often depart from Jacob’s original words to them, especially in deviating from the original prominence given to Judah, and drawing attention to a fresh importance given to the tribes of Levi and Joseph. The Levites are given the role of teaching the Torah to all Israel (33:8–11), and the tribe of Joseph is pictured as enjoying the most abundant part of the land (33:13–17). This is a way of emphasizing the participation of all of the tribes in the blessing and systematic filling of the land from south to north, including the Levitical priests, who are otherwise excluded from its inheritance. The tribes of Levi and Joseph also symbolize the theological importance for Deuteronomy of Torah obedience, and its connection to the possession and enjoyment of the rich abundance of the land. This is a picture of theological history unfolding, with shifting centres of gravity for all the tribes. But framing this blessing is the Lord, who shines forth from Sinai as king over Jeshurun in giving Israel the law (33:1–5), and finally as warrior king who rides on the clouds of heaven and drives out the enemy from the land, so that Israel might possess it in fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise (33:26–29).”

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“The Blessing of Moses concludes with, a meditation on the blessed estate of Israel: How blessed you are…! Who is like you?—the answer could only be, “None.” But Israel’s preeminence lay not in its own merit, but because there is none like the God of Jeshurun (v. 26). The power and incomparability of Israel’s God imparted to Israel power and incomparability. Israel would be a victorious army, not through military genius, but because God, a Man in Battle (Exod. 15:3), would be fighting on behalf of Israel (3:22). Israel would be protected in battle by the shield, which was God (see also Exod. 15:2).55 Israel would be granted victory by the sword of God’s presence. Enemies, cringing in terror, would be trampled underfoot by the victorious people of God.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (pp. 403-404). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:1 Pay attention, sky, and I will speak; listen, land, to the words from my mouth.

Deuteronomy 32:2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants.

Deuteronomy 32:3 You see, I will proclaim Yahveh’s name. Declare the greatness of our God!

Deuteronomy 32:4 The Rock – his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.

Deuteronomy 32:5 His people have acted corruptly toward him; this is their defect – they are not his children but a devious and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 32:6 Is this how you repay Yahveh, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father and Creator? Didn’t he make you and sustain you?

Deuteronomy 32:7 Remember the ancient days; consider the years of past generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will teach you.

Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance and divided the human race, he set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 32:9 But Yahveh’s portion is his people, Jacob, his inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:10 He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling open country; he surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of his eye.

Deuteronomy 32:11 He watches over his nest like an eagle and hovers over his young; he spreads his wings, catches him, and carries him on his feathers.

Deuteronomy 32:12 Yahveh alone led him, with no help from a foreign god.

Deuteronomy 32:13 He made him ride on the heights of the land and eat the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty rock,

Deuteronomy 32:14 curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat; you drank wine from the finest grapes.

Deuteronomy 32:15 Then Jeshurun became fat and rebelled– you became fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.

Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked his jealousy with illegitimate gods; they enraged him with repulsive practices.

Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known, new gods that had just arrived, which your fathers did not fear.

Deuteronomy 32:18 You ignored the Rock who gave you birth; you forgot the God who gave birth to you.

Deuteronomy 32:19 When Yahveh saw this, he despised them, angered by his sons and daughters.

Deuteronomy 32:20 He said: “I will hide my face from them; I will see what will become of them, for they are a changed generation – unfaithful children.

Deuteronomy 32:21 They have provoked my jealousy with what is not a god; they have enraged me with their worthless idols. So I will provoke their jealousy with what is not a people; I will enrage them with a foolish nation.

Deuteronomy 32:22 For fire has been kindled because of my anger and burns to the depths of Sheol; it devours the land and its produce and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

Deuteronomy 32:23 “I will pile disasters on them; I will use up my arrows against them.

Deuteronomy 32:24 They will be weak from hunger, ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will unleash on them wild beasts with fangs, as well as venomous snakes that slither in the dust.

Deuteronomy 32:25 Outside, the sword will take their children, and inside, there will be terror; the young man and the young woman will be killed, the infant and the gray-haired man.

Deuteronomy 32:26 “I would have said: I will cut them to pieces and blot out the memory of them from humanity,

Deuteronomy 32:27 if I had not been intimidated by provocation from the enemy, or thought that these foes might misunderstand and say: ‘Our hand has prevailed; it wasn’t Yahveh who did all this.'”

Deuteronomy 32:28 Israel is a nation which has lost its sense with no understanding at all.

Deuteronomy 32:29 If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.

Deuteronomy 32:30 How could one pursue a thousand, or two cause ten thousand to run away, unless their Rock had sold them unless Yahveh had given them up?

Deuteronomy 32:31 But their “rock” is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.

Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom and the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter.

Deuteronomy 32:33 Their wine is serpents’ venom, the deadly poison of cobras.

Deuteronomy 32:34 “Is it not stored up with me, sealed up in my vaults?

Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”

Deuteronomy 32:36 Yahveh will indeed vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees that their strength is gone and no one is left – slave or free.

Deuteronomy 32:37 He will say: “Where are their gods, the ‘rock’ they found refuge in?

Deuteronomy 32:38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise and help you; let it be a shelter for you.

Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death, and I give life; I wound, and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.

Deuteronomy 32:40 I raise my hand to the sky and declare: As surely as I live permanently,

Deuteronomy 32:41 when I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.

Deuteronomy 32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood while my sword devours meat – the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”

Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, you nations, concerning his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries; he will absolve his land and his people.

Deuteronomy 32:44 Moses came with Joshua, son of Nun, and recited all the words of this song in the presence of the people.

Deuteronomy 32:45 After Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel,

Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Place in your heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this instruction carefully.

Deuteronomy 32:47 You see, they are not meaningless words to you, but they are your life, and by them, you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of.”

Deuteronomy 32:48 On that same day, Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said:

Deuteronomy 32:49 “Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim range in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession.

Deuteronomy 32:50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.

Deuteronomy 32:51 For both of you betrayed[1] me among the Israelites at the Water of Meribath-Kadesh in the open country of Zin by failing to treat me as sacred in their presence.

Deuteronomy 32:52 Although from a distance you will view the land that I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there.”

[1]מָעַל = betray.

Deuteronomy 32 quotes:

“A law-book stored beside the ark may be forgotten. What the people needed was something short enough to be committed to (longterm) memory that would make the same point as Moses’ sermons (Wenham 2003: 141). This is what the Song of Moses offers in its highly individual way, especially as a witness to the deep and abiding love of Yahweh for his people (McConville 2002: 461). Best viewed as a song or hymn containing a form of covenant lawsuit against God’s people, it takes up a number of important themes relating to primeval times, including creation leading to the table of nations (vv. 8–9: cf. Gen. 10:1–32). But there is no explicit reference to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, and the twin covenants of Horeb and Moab are passed over, as are the promises made with the Patriarchs. These are no doubt assumed, making way for exposure of the sin of idolatry. The song moves from the chaotic barren and howling waste of the desert (v. 10), to the contrasting rich fare of the Promised Land, where Jeshurun (‘the upright one’) abandoned the Rock (mentioned seven times in the chapter), his Creator and Saviour (v. 15), in preference to the gods of the land (vv. 16–17, 21). As a result, Yahweh will hide his face from them (v. 20), and Israel will experience the full fury of his fire and wrath by sword and various plagues, as a display of his protecting jealous love (v. 21; cf. 4:23–24). However, lest the enemy should say, Our hand has triumphed; the LORD has not done this (v. 27), the Lord will bring judgment upon the enemy (vv. 34–35) and have compassion upon his servants, when he sees that their strength is gone (v. 36). Israel’s restoration will not come without a final reminder of their apostasy (vv. 37–38), at the same time establishing Yahweh’s uniqueness and incomparability as the only true God, who alone is able to judge his enemies and avenge the blood of his servants, and make atonement for his land and people (vv. 39–43; cf. 4:35).

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“When Moses had finished his last address to Israel, once again the Lord addressed words personally to Moses. With this passage, compare Num. 27:12–14. The Lord instructed Moses to climb Mount Nebo, a peak in the Abarim range of mountains to the east of the north end of the Dead Sea; from there he would be able to see the promised land which he was not permitted to enter (see also 3:25–27). On the prohibition of Moses’ entering the promised land, see 1:37 and commentary; commentary; in this context (v. 51), however, there is a more explicit allusion to the incident described in Num. 20:10–13. Having seen the promised land, Moses would die; on the death of Moses, see the fuller account in 34:1–8.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 390). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

LOVE

LOVE

Isaiah 31:4-6 NET.

⁴ Indeed, this is what the LORD says to me: “The LORD will be like a growling lion, like a young lion growling over its prey. Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it, it is not afraid of their shouts or intimidated by their yelling. In this same way, the LORD who commands armies will descend to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ⁵Just as birds hover over a nest, so the LORD who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over, he will rescue it. ⁶You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled!

We are now in our fourth Sunday of Advent meditations. During this season, we have explored various themes found throughout scripture. In November, we focused on the theme of hope. We examined a passage in Ecclesiastes that encouraged people to live with hope, even though everyone eventually goes to the grave. It’s only when the New Testament message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is included that it genuinely makes sense. That is the purpose behind this Advent theme. We are reminded to center our hope on Christ and Christ alone. The Bible teaches us that we are mortal and that there is no hope for us after death. Therefore, we must find our hope in Christ and Christ alone. In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus revealed life and immortality through the gospel. He is our hope for eternal life.

In the second week of Advent, we learned about peace. However, the message of peace also relates to a prophecy about a great day of the Lord that will bring destruction upon the Earth. On that day of destruction, most people will realize they trusted the wrong thing and will be doomed. But the good news, as foretold in the book of Isaiah, is that before this day of the Lord, God will send a message of peace. That message was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is our peace. Again, we see both good and bad news. A day of ultimate war and destruction is coming, and this terrible day of the Lord will happen according to God’s own will. It cannot be stopped or changed by human effort. It will surely happen because it is part of God’s plan. But the good news is that God has another plan. We learn about that plan in the Bible. We know that God will send his only Son to pay the price for our sins. He is the Prince of Peace. He makes peace possible. He brings peace not only between people but also between God and us.

Last week, we examined another passage from Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah spoke out against the nation of Moab, foretelling its destruction. He said that God would take away Moab’s joy. This doomed nation serves as an example of all the nations that have rejected Christ. On the day of judgment, there will be no joy for them. They put their trust in the wrong things and will try all kinds of ways to reconcile themselves, but they will never look to the Son of God for salvation. This is terrible news—God is even upset that this nation has not repented, and He mourns for them. However, there is no hope for them because they have not turned to the King of Kings. Yet, amid this darkness and sorrow, there is good news: joy is available forever in Christ. The Advent season prompts us to ask whether we have room in our hearts for Jesus Christ. The joy of Christmas is ours if we can answer yes. Similarly, the joy of His second coming is ours if we have made room for Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Otherwise, like the Moabites, we will only experience loss, and even our sincere prayers will never reach God. Worse still, when Jesus returns in His glory with all His angels, He will greet us not as our Lord and Savior but as our Judge. To experience true, lasting, and incredible joy, we must open our hearts to Jesus.

We now enter the fourth week of Advent, and our fourth message focused on the theme of love. As Christians, we often say that God is love, and we have evidence to support this. He demonstrated His love by creating us. He showed His love by giving us the gift of life. He has blessed us with a beautiful creation, supportive families, and wonderful friendships. However, there is also evil in this world. This evil challenges our understanding of God’s love. We are compelled to confront the reality that things are not right in the world that God created. The Bible explains why this is the case.

In the book of Genesis, we learn that God created everything good. But He gave our ancestors the choice of whether it would stay good or become corrupted by sin. They chose to sin. Their decision turned a perfect creation into an age of imperfection and corruption. You and I were born into that age.

The Israelites in Isaiah’s time were born into the same era. They faced destruction by a mighty superpower that aimed to wipe them out. Because they were in danger, the Israelites had a choice. They could either trust in their God or seek help from a neighboring nation. In this chapter, Isaiah encourages the Israelites not to rely on the Egyptians but to trust in their God for protection and safety. In today’s passage, Isaiah explains why they should trust in their God rather than rely on their neighbor.

The Lord’s love is a fearless love (4).

To understand what Isaiah is saying in verse 4, imagine a group of shepherds who realize that one of their lambs has been attacked by a fierce lion. The shepherds are courageous. They gather together and try to scare the lion away to protect the injured lamb. However, all their efforts are in vain. The lion is not going to release his prey.

In Isaiah’s imagery, the lion represents God Himself, and the lamb symbolizes the nation of Israel. Isaiah chose a lion as a symbol of God because lions are fearless. He wanted to demonstrate that God was unafraid of any of the surrounding nations. Israel didn’t need to rely on Egypt; they had a God they could trust. They could trust God because He loved them, and He loved them with fearless love. He would not abandon them. The God of armies isn’t afraid of anyone else’s army.

The Christmas message is also a message of fearless love. Lord came down to this earth during a time of great violence. His life was in danger from the very beginning. But God would not let us go. He clung to His people even when we were still in our sins. To show us how much He loves us, He sent His Son to the cross to die in our place. His fearless love was a stubborn love. It will never let go of us. Though danger surrounds us, we can trust in God’s stubborn, fearless love.

The Lord’s love is a protective love (5).

In verse 5, the image shifts from a lion to birds. Since moving to Delco, I’ve learned a lot about birds. Once, walking on the lawn beyond the cemetery, I was approached by a bird. I had no idea why it wanted to attack me, but it soon became clear that the bird must have a chick nearby and was protecting it. Similarly, there was a time when I was leaving the house when birds suddenly swooped very close to my head. They were dive-bombing me. Again, I had no idea why I was the target of this experience, but then I noticed the nests. The birds had built nests in the rafters of the fellowship hall, and I was getting dangerously close to them. The same thing happened when I tried to enter the church building—suddenly, the birds were there, aggressively defending their nests. Wherever the nests were, the birds would be there to protect them.

So I can understand Isaiah’s illustration here. He says just as birds hover over a nest, so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. God’s love is a protective love.

In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is the door through which the sheep come in and out, finding safety. He leads us into the way of life and away from the way of destruction. Ultimately, we will see victory for eternity through the resurrection. And during this life, we will understand what it means to live victoriously through the power of His Holy Spirit. It is wise to be protected by a loving Savior.

In the New Testament, Jesus pleas for people to come to him. He calls on all who are weary and burdened, promising to give them rest. He invites us to take his yoke upon ourselves and learn from him because he is gentle and humble in heart, and we will find our rest in him because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. We don’t need to rely on ourselves. We don’t have to depend on the world around us. Our Lord loves us, and we can trust in him.

All this talk about Advent truly centers on God’s plan. God has a plan for the universe, and we’re living it out. We haven’t reached the end yet; we still face hardships, difficulties, and challenging experiences. But we can look back at what God has said in the past and realize he was working out his plan then. We can also look forward to what God has promised to do in the future and trust him to follow through.

We can look to Christ as our example in doing just that. He faced hardship and suffering, including the cross, because he trusted God. He endured the cross until it was finished. The next time we see him, he won’t be as a baby in the manger, but as a victorious, triumphant king returning. That is God’s plan — to bring hope, peace, love, and joy to the world.

What Advent challenges us to do is to embrace that plan. The season invites us to accept God’s plan for our lives and to live accordingly. It challenges us to make room in our lives for the Savior of the world while He is still pleading for us to repent.

The Lord’s love is a pleading love (6).

Isaiah pleads in verse 6. He tells the Israelites to return to the one they have openly rebelled against. As God’s prophet, Isaiah speaks for God and urges his nation to turn back to Him. They had rebelled and were trying to do things their own way. Now, when faced with danger, they look for an alternative other than returning to their God. God could reject them and let them suffer the consequences of their rebellion. But that is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is always pleading for people to come back to Him. He does not want to destroy us; He desires repentance and restoration. That is why, in this passage, the prophet is pleading with the people to repent.

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31:1 Then Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel,

Deuteronomy 31:2 saying, “I am now 120 years old; I am no longer able to continue to go out and come in. Yahveh has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’

Deuteronomy 31:3 Yahveh your God is the one who will cross ahead of you. He will exterminate these nations before you, and you will drive them out. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, as Yahveh has said.

Deuteronomy 31:4 Yahveh will do to them just what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and their land when he exterminated them.

Deuteronomy 31:5 Yahveh will give them over to your face, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and tough; don’t be terrified of their faces. You see, Yahveh, your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:7 Moses then summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and tough, because you will go with this people into the land Yahveh swore to give to their fathers. You will enable them to take possession of it.

Deuteronomy 31:8 Yahveh is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:9 Moses wrote down this instruction, and he gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who carried the ark of Yahveh’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.

Deuteronomy 31:10 Moses commanded them, and this is what he said: “At the end of every seven years, at the same time in the year of debt revoking, during the Festival of Huts,

Deuteronomy 31:11 when all Israel assembles in the presence of Yahveh your God at the place he chooses, you are to read this instruction aloud before all Israel.

Deuteronomy 31:12 Collect the people – men, women, dependents, and the guests within your city gates– so that they may listen and learn to fear Yahveh your God and be careful to do all the words of this instruction.

Deuteronomy 31:13 Then their children who do not know the instruction will listen and learn to fear Yahveh your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of.”

Deuteronomy 31:14 Yahveh said to Moses, ” Notice the time of your death is now approaching. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the conference[1] tent so that I may command him.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the conference tent,

Deuteronomy 31:15 Yahveh appeared at the tent in a column[2] of cloud, and the cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.

Deuteronomy 31:16 Yahveh said to Moses, “Notice you are about to lie down with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon me and break the covenant I have established with them.

Deuteronomy 31:17 My nose will burn at them on that day; I will abandon them and hide my face from them so that they will become easy prey. Many troubles and afflictions will come to them. On that day, they will say, ‘Haven’t these troubles come to us because our God is no longer with us? ‘

Deuteronomy 31:18 I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

Deuteronomy 31:19 Therefore, write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; place it on their lips so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 31:20 When I bring them into the land I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me and breaking my covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:21 And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because their descendants will not have forgotten it. You see, I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.”

Deuteronomy 31:22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 31:23 Yahveh commanded Joshua, son of Nun, and this is what he said, “Be strong and tough, because you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

Deuteronomy 31:24 When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll every single word of this instruction,

Deuteronomy 31:25 he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of Yahveh’s covenant, and this is what he said:

Deuteronomy 31:26 “Take this book of the instruction and place it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahveh your God so that it may stay there as a witness against you.

Deuteronomy 31:27 You see, I know how rebellious and hard-necked you are. Notice, if you are rebelling against Yahveh now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead!

Deuteronomy 31:28 Collect all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call sky and land as witnesses against them.

Deuteronomy 31:29 For I know that after my death you will become completely corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. Disaster will come to you in the future because you will do what is evil in Yahveh’s sight, angering him with what your hands have made.”

Deuteronomy 31:30 Then Moses recited aloud every single word of this song to the entire collected assembly of Israel:

[1]‎ אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד= conference tent.

[2] עַמּוּד= column.

Deuteronomy 31 quotes:

“The structure of chapter 31 provides important insight into its meaning. Within Deuteronomy’s larger structure, it begins the final section (chs. 31 – 34) as a frame to chapters 1 – 3. In this respect, it importantly reminds all Israel at the outset of the Lord’s intent to go ahead of his people and destroy the nations which they will encounter across the Jordan, as he did to Sihon and Og on the eastern side of the Jordan. Yet Israel must be strong and courageous in carrying out this task (v. 6). At the same time, Moses’ imminent death (vv. 2, 16) and Joshua’s succession and encouragement (cf. 1:38 and 3:28), using the same terms/language given to Israel, are located at important junctures within the chapter (vv. 7–8, 14 and 23). At the structural heart of the chapter (vv. 14–23), the Lord appears at the Tent of Meeting to speak of Moses’ imminent death and Joshua’s commission. Israel will prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land that they are entering, and thus break the covenant. This will lead to Yahweh hiding his face from them (vv. 17– 18). The response to this situation is a written song, which will serve as a perpetual witness against Israel in time to come (vv. 19–22). On either side of this centrepiece is the written law first given to the priests, the sons of Levi, to be read publicly every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles to an assembly of all the people, in four categories: men, women, children and aliens (vv. 9–13). Then at verses 24–29, the written Book of the Law is given to the Levites to place beside the ark of the covenant, as a passive witness against Israel, anticipating their future rebellion and corruption. This leads to a second assembly (v. 28) of all the elders and officials (possibly also four in number; cf. 29:10[ET]), echoing the gravity of the assembly at Horeb (cf. 4:10), as a counterpart to verse 12. They gather as Israel’s responsible leaders, in view of certain future failure and the danger of replicating the sin of the golden calf episode (vv. 27 and 29). In the meantime, the Lord, through Moses, will speak these words to them, which probably means the words of the song to follow in verse 30, and at the same time he calls upon the third witness of heaven and earth against their inevitable apostasy, thus fulfilling the maximum requirement of the law (17:6; 19:15).”

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“The approaching decease of Moses, which has already been anticipated (see 1:37–38 and 3:23–29), now becomes the central focus for the remaining chapters of the book.1 Moses is aware of his approaching death, and in the light of that fact he once again encourages the people in their faith and takes care of some final practical matters relating to the covenant community. First he encourages the people as a whole (vv. 1–6), and then, in the presence of the people, he encourages Joshua in particular, who would soon be assuming the role of leadership (vv. 7–8).”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 369). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

Deuteronomy 31 links:

“To be gathered to his people”
accompany and enable
congressional warning
double-edged witness
Excursus- “To Be Gathered”
in retrospect- no empty word
in retrospect- the source of strength and courage
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, June 14, 2021
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, June 12, 2019
noseburn and a hidden face
not the best news
read this instruction aloud
the other verses
The sky above – shamayim, the land beneath – erets
thou shalt sleep
with us through it all

The JOHN shelf in Jeff’s library

Deuteronomy 30

Deuteronomy 30

Deuteronomy 30:1 “When all these things happen to you– the empowerments and afflictions I have set before you– and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where Yahveh your God has driven you,

Deuteronomy 30:2 and you and your children return to Yahveh your God and obey him with all your heart and all your throat by doing everything I am commanding you today,

Deuteronomy 30:3 then he will restore your fortunes, have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where Yahveh your God has scattered you.

Deuteronomy 30:4 Even if your exiles are at the end of the sky, Yahveh will gather you and bring you back from there.

Deuteronomy 30:5 Yahveh, your God, will bring you into the land your fathers took possession of, and you will take possession of it. He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your fathers.

Deuteronomy 30:6 Yahveh, your God, will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will care about him with all your heart and all your throat so that you will live.

Deuteronomy 30:7 Yahveh, your God, will put all these oaths on your enemies who hate and persecute you.

Deuteronomy 30:8 Then you will again obey Yahveh and follow all his commands I am commanding you today.

Deuteronomy 30:9 Yahveh, your God, will make your prosperity survive in all the work of your hands, your offspring, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, Yahveh will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your fathers,

Deuteronomy 30:10 when you obey Yahveh your God by watching his commands and prescriptions that are written in this book of the instruction and return to him with all your heart and all your throat.

Deuteronomy 30:11 “You see, this command that I command you today is certainly not too complicated or beyond your reach.

Deuteronomy 30:12 It is not in the sky, so you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to the sky, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’

Deuteronomy 30:13 And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the message is very near you, in your mouth and your heart, so that you may follow it.

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.

Deuteronomy 30:16 You see, I am commanding you today to care about Yahveh your God, to walk in his ways, and to watch his commands, prescriptions, and rules, so that you may stay alive and multiply, and Yahveh your God may empower you in the land you are entering to take possession of.

Deuteronomy 30:17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them,

Deuteronomy 30:18 I tell you today that you will certainly be destroyed and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to take possession of across the Jordan.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call sky and land as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, empowerment and affliction. Choose life so that you and your descendants may stay alive,

Deuteronomy 30:20 care about Yahveh, your God, obeying him, and staying faithful to him. Because he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you stay in the land, Yahveh swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Deuteronomy 30 quotes:

“Theologically, chapter 30 addresses the future anticipated at 4:25–31, and so provides further commentary on that statement. The future orientation of verses 1–10 points to a certain exile and dispersion of the Lord’s people, when all these blessings and curses … come upon you (in that order), after living in the Promised Land for some time. Therefore, the chapter addresses the issue of whether the covenant can continue, and on what basis. At the same time, it assumes that Israel will fail (28:1 – 29:28[ET]; cf. 31:24–29), but after exile and judgment, God’s mercy and covenant faithfulness will again prevail in restoring faithless Israel. If this happens, they should not lose hope (Jer. 24:1–10), for if they take the blessings and curses to heart (v. 1), and return to the Lord with all their heart and soul (vv. 2, 10), then the Lord will bring them back from captivity and restore their fortunes (vv. 3–5, 9). But in order to make this return to the Lord both possible and permanent in terms of obedience to all his commands (v. 8), the Lord himself will circumcise their hearts, as well as the hearts of their children, so that they might love him with all their heart and soul, and live (v. 6; anticipating Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:24–32). Then returning to the present Moab generation in verses 11–14, the future ideal of verses 6 and 8 is now put in more realistic terms relating to the accessibility of the law and the present possibility of obeying it. These verses constitute the rhetorical heart of the chapter, leading to the matter of an appropriate choice by Israel in verses 15–20: See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction (v. 15), concluding at verse 19: Now choose life … For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The final choice is between love of Yahweh and obedience to his promise and laws, leading to life (cf. 32:46–47), or following the gods of Canaan, leading to death (vv. 16–18; cf. Josh. 24:14–15).”

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“At some future point, when disobedience brought on the curse of the covenant and the people were dispersed among foreign nations, there would come a turning point. The turning point would be followed by certain steps; the process described here was to influence in many ways the preaching of the prophets in subsequent generations. (a) You shall return to your senses (v. 1)—the people would remember that the circumstances in which they found themselves were not the result of “fate,” but an inevitable consequence of disobeying the covenant with the Lord, which resulted in the curse of the Lord. (b) Return to the Lord (v. 2)—once they knew the reason for the curse that had befallen them, the course of action would become clear. In repentance, they must return to the Lord of the Covenant, individually and as families.

(c) You shall listen to his voice (v. 2)—the repentance involved not only turning back from the evil past, but a new and wholehearted commitment of obedience to God’s voice, which was expressed for them in God’slaw and was written in a book (see v. 10). (d) Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes1 (v. 3)—the nature of exile would be such that repentance alone could not lead to freedom, for the people would be in foreign lands under foreign authorities. Having remembered, repented, and obeyed, then the people could look to God for his aid in restoring them to that previous position; only then could they expect to know once again his compassion (v, 3). God, acting in the course of human history (just as he had done in bringing his people out of Egypt), would regather his people from the places to which he had scattered them in judgment.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (pp. 363-364). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Day: December 31, 2025

Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33

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Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32

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LOVE

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31 quotes:

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Deuteronomy 30

Deuteronomy 30

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