Deuteronomy 31-14-30
AFTER THIS God told Moses that his end was at hand and soon he must die. He was to call Joshua and together they were to present themselves at the door of the tabernacle where He would give Joshua a charge. Accordingly Moses and Joshua appeared before the Lord.
The Lord then gave Moses a glimpse into the future, telling him that after his death the people would forsake Him; they would break His covenant and go after other gods. Because of this He would forsake them and hide His face from them. Such terrible troubles would befall them that they would say, “Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?”
But before Moses died God gave him a song. He was to write it out and teach it to Israel. Those who really learned that song would find in it the remedy for the very evil it predicted would come to pass.
How wonderful this is! God, as it were, in His love for Israel hoped that, if it were possible, the predictions of solemn judgments might not come true, and that He might repent of what He would be forced to bring upon them. Such is the gracious holy God with whom we have to do.
This song is based on “the secret things that belong unto the Lord our God” (chap 29:29), for in it at the end we find the promise that God would in. His grace bring Israel into blessing, when they repented and turned to Him again. Thus Moses, though knowing the dark and evil days that were ahead for his people could look onward to the blessings that would surely come to them in the latter days.
In view of this the charge to Joshua was: “Be strong, and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.”
Man’s course has always been away from God, whether it be Israel or the church. In both cases it has been a record of disobedience, failure and ruin. He who would serve the Lord is to be prepared for this. He is not to be discouraged, but, having no confidence in the flesh, he is to labor on in the confidence that God will work in grace, and that He will never fail. If we build only on the Lord there will be no disappointments or deluded hopes. All is sure in Him.
We live in days when things are breaking up and going down all around us. All that is of the First man fails; on the other hand all that is of Christ in our lives will abide forever. May the Lord’s words to Joshua encourage our hearts in these difficult times: “Be strong and of good courage.... I will be with thee.”
ML-03/28/1976