For whatever reason this study guide drops off the last few
chapters of Deuteronomy, so this is out of the study guide sequence. After reading
it I see why it’s ignored since Moses is standing at the edge of the Promised
Land only to die. Also, in verse 31:16 God tells him some unsettling news:
16 You’re
about to leave this world to lie down with your ancestors in
death. After you’re gone, these people are going to be
unfaithful to Me. They’re going to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land
they’re going into. They’re going to abandon Me and break the covenant I made
with them.
Imagine having a life Moses led, from living lavishly in an
Egyptian palace to being in exile to leading Israel to the Promised Land with
so many miraculous events and God says the people he led will turn away from
God. From this Moses wrote a song which starts in verse 32:2 with a great
image:
Let my teaching fall on you like
raindrops;
let what I say collect like the
dew,
Like rain sprinkling the grass,
like showers on the green
plants.
God’s word falls on us and we just need to accept it’s
nourishment to grow. Just listen and follow God and life would be simple, well
it easier to handle knowing God was in the mix. Imagine knowing what will
happen if you follow false idols and it meant destruction. Would you still
follow them?
In today’s system we no longer worship idols of Baal and
Osiris but rather materialistic things. Science was unable to break the worship
of God so now Satan has turned to our desires for more and better. He works on
ensuring we are unsatisfied with this or that and we become focused on things.
We start to worship them and the stars that represent the life we desire. Even
when we “make it” that desire grows. It doesn’t matter if we had a new brick
hut with a tin roof or a 24 room mansion, the desire for more will creep in and
corrupt our hearts. God knows this and we need to be aware of it happening to
us.
Verse 34:4 are the last words to Moses before he dies:
4 This is
the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I told them, “I’ll give
it to your descendants.” I’ve let you see it, even though you won’t be going
into it.
There it is, this is what you have worked for but because of
your actions you will not be allowed. This could be considered crewel by God
and shows a lack of grace, but it also shows the importance of honoring God.
Remember although we may be forgiven there are still consequences to our
actions. It’s simple Newtonian Laws of Motion where for every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction. We do an injustice, justice eventually will
prevail.
Verse 34:9 has a recount of Moses with Joshua:
Now Joshua (Nun’s son) was filled
with a spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on this successor. The
children of Israel obeyed Joshua, and they did what the Eternal had commanded
Moses.
One thing we need to be aware of with Laying of Hands,
Moses did it at God’s direction and therefore it was of God. Like Pharaoh’s magicians
who were able to duplicate this first few plagues, Satan can fake God’s power
and if someone evil were to “lay hands” this could have huge ramifications. So
be careful on who and when you allow hands to be laid on you or others.
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