09 March

Bible in 365 Days

Deuteronomy 30-31                              

Deuteronomy 30

Continuing his discourse, Moses uttered words thrilling at first with tenderness and urgent appeal.

In the first ten verses of the chapter we have the long look ahead of love. He seems to have seen the people in the conditions which he had predicted must result from disobedience, scattered far off from their own land.

He saw them, however, returning in spirit to God as the result of severe discipline. In view of this, he saw how ready God would ever be to receive and pardon them when they thus returned.

It was a great prophetic evangel, the message of which stands true for all time, but the value of which men have even yet hardly appreciated.

Proceeding, Moses reminded the people of the supreme glory of the nation. For them the law of God was not something to be sought out. It was near them, yea, in their hearts.

As the discourse drew to its close, Moses reminded the people of his faithfulness to them in delivering the message of God. His faithfulness he called heaven and earth to witness, and, recognizing that everything depended on their exercise of that power, urged them to choose life.

Deuteronomy 31

At the conclusion of his fourth discourse, Moses talked to the people concerning his own departure and encouraged them in view of the fact that they were coming into the land by assuring them of the continued presence and power of God. To Joshua also he spoke words of the same kind.

It is very beautiful to see Moses in his last days on earth attempting in every way in his power to impress on the people the fact that only one thing mattered­that they should remember God and obey Him. Here it is distinctly stated that Moses wrote the words of the Law. This was probably among the last things he did.

In the final movement of this particular chapter we have an account of matters preceding the public uttering of the great song of Moses. First he and Joshua appeared before the Lord in order that Joshua might be officially appointed to succeed Moses as administrator of affairs.

Jehovah then spoke to His servant, telling him that the time had come for him to sleep with his fathers, that the people whom he had led would fulfil his predictions concerning their failure, and that God would visit them with the punishments previously announced.

It was a gloomy outlook for the great leader, but it was the occasion of one of those manifestations of the divine love which are ever full of beauty. He was commanded to write a song, the purpose of which was distinctly, stated. The song embodied in the national life would remain, from generation to generation, a haunting memory testifying to truth concerning God. Songs often remain after commandments are forgotten, and it was that this might be so that Moses was instructed to write. The song was written and taught to the people. The Law was written and committed to the priests.