Deuteronomy 32
IN the forty-three verses of this song which Moses spoke, we find a brief history of the people of Israel, and of God’s dealings with and for them. The importance of what it had to say to any Israelite, is attested by the opening call to the heavens and the earth to attend.
There are two parties here, and one (Israel) has already failed, and would yet more seriously. Thank God, all depends upon Him, and as the last chapters have shown here in Deuteronomy, we find veiled references to a secret thing with God, whereby He would bless them finally when they had all but destroyed themselves. What that secret was we discover in the New Testament, and particularly in its practical foundation in the Epistle to the Romans.
We begin with what God is, upon Whom all security rests. He is the Rock, standing unmoved when all mankind falls. All His ways are just, a God of faithfulness without deceit (New Translation).
And what of those whom He has befriended? They have corrupted themselves, or rather “dealt corruptly with Him,”—a crooked generation.
But, as for God, when He set the boundaries of the countries, He had in mind the children of Israel, for they are His earthly people. He had found them without anything of their own, had led them, preserved them “as the apple of His eye.” In perfect love He had treated them as the eagle does her young—compelling them to leave their comfortable nest to try their wings, then flying beneath the young birds as they fall seemingly to destruction, she “spreadeth abroad her taketh them, beareth them on her wings.” So, through the trials of the long wilderness journey, there were lessons to be learned of the love and purpose of God, as it is with Christians today, if they will but apply their hearts to learn them.
God had proved His power, as well as his love in the great company of the children of Israel’s never having lacked food or clothing all the years of their pilgrimage. The sky had provided food, and the rocks water when their case seemed, humanly speaking hopeless. But Jeshuron (a poetical name of Israel, applied only four times in Scripture), waxed fat and kicked, —gave up God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Such is man!
But yet further, (verse 17) those whom God had taken up, “sacrificed to devils, not to God,” during the forty years’ journey from Egypt to Canaan. (See the martyr Stephen’s address to his murderers in Acts 7, verse 42, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 10, verse 20).
In due time judgment began to fall (verses 10 and following), and God took up the Gentiles (as in verse 21). He said He would (see Romans 10:1919But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. (Romans 10:19)). The Gentiles were wicked enough for anything (verse 27), and God stays His hand against Israel. and will not allow the Gentiles to go beyond the bounds He has set in punishing the chosen people.
How many Gentiles are like Israel’ in verse 29: unwise as they were, they do not consider their latter end, when the world of the ungodly will be judged in righteousness by Christ, and those who have not received Him as Saviour will meet Him as Judge.
The song ends with the day of which Romans, chapters 9, 10,11 speak, when Israel shall turn to Him whom they have despised and rejected. but when, also unsparing judgment will he poured out upon the enemies of God. Lastly the blessing of the saved among the nations is brought in. God will bring His own purposes to pass, purposes of blessing, and of judgment. How all-important to be right with God, now!
Moses is again told (verse 52) that he should not go into the promised land on account of his sin in Numbers 20 when he struck the rock type of Christ, God having told him to speak to the rock. We do not forget that Moses was still a child of God He had not, because of his sin, lost his eternal portion.
ML 04/19/1925