Deuteronomy 31
Succession of Moses by Joshua
31:1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
Notice that Moses was mentioned in the third person, meaning a change of authors. A change of authors does not disqualify inspiration. It just means that the Holy Spirit used another prophet to record this part of the Scriptures.
31:2 He said to them, “Today I am a hundred and twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’
Moses was a leader, so he was given more light and more severe judgment. He disobeyed God when he struck the rock twice in the wilderness. The rock was a type of Christ. Striking the rock twice ruined the typology. Therefore, God would not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land in his physical body. However, Moses did enter the Promised Land in his spiritual body at the Transfiguration of Jesus.
31:3 As for the Lord your God, he is about to cross over before you; he will destroy these nations before you and dispossess them. As for Joshua, he is about to cross before you just as the Lord has said.
God is the one who will give victory to Israel. Moses commissioned Joshua publicly as the new leader.
31:4 The Lord will do to them just what he did to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and to their land, which he destroyed.
This new generation saw what God did to Sihon and Og. God would do the same thing to the Canaanites.
31:5 The Lord will deliver them over to you and you will do to them according to the whole commandment I have given you.
Evil cannot co-exist with good. God will not allow evil in His world. The purging out of Canaan was an advance picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ will do to the Antichrist and his followers on the last day of the Great Tribulation.
31:6 Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!”
Israel is not strong enough to defeat an entire nation of Canaanites, but God can do it easily. Therefore, Israel needs to be strong and courageous, because God is with them. One with God is a majority.
31:7 Then Moses called out to Joshua in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors, and you will enable them to inherit it.
Moses encouraged Joshua publicly in front of this new generation to be strong and courageous as well. Mankind is a bunch of cowards. Only people with strong Bible doctrine can be courageous. The reason is that the mastery of Bible doctrine gives one enough spiritual maturity to trust God in all situations.
31:8 The Lord is indeed going before you – he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”
Moses told Joshua publicly that the victory belonged to God. God will go before Joshua and place fear in the attitudes of the Canaanites. The citizens of Jericho would be the first to experience divine psychological warfare. They heard what God did to Egypt through the ten plagues and the drowning at the Red Sea. The Canaanites already feared Israel, even before their arrival to Jericho.
The Deposit of the Covenant Text
31:9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders.
Moses wrote down the Law and gave it to the Levitical priests and to the elders. They were responsible for keeping it, preserving it, and copying it.
31:10 He commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the cancellation of debts, at the Feast of Temporary Shelters,
Every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles, all debts were cancelled. This kept Israel’s economy strong, because a few wealthy elites were not able to hoard the money supply of Israel. If other modern nations would follow this Biblical economic policy, then there would be no multi-trillion dollar deficits. Eventually, a few elites, led by the Antichrist, will own all nations who fall in debt.
31:11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place he chooses, you must read this law before them within their hearing.
Every seven years, the Law was to be read to Israel at a place that God would choose. Books and scrolls were very rare, so the public reading made sure that everyone heard the entire law at least once every seven years.
31:12 Gather the people – men, women, and children, as well as the resident foreigners in your villages – so they may hear and thus learn about and fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the words of this law.
All men, women, and children were to hear the reading of the Law. Everyone in Israel would have to leave their villages and trust God to take care of their farms and homes until their return.
31:13 Then their children, who have not known this law, will also hear about and learn to fear the Lord your God for as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
During worship, children were not separated from their parents. They worshiped and learned together. Satan wants to separate the parents from their children in churches, so that parents cannot check out what their children are learning. Children will cause more discipline problems when they are separated from their parents and they are sitting with their peers. It is easier for one parent to discipline her two children than it is for one Sunday School teacher to discipline ten students who they do not parent. Satan knows the importance of children's education, so he attempts to divide and conquer. He prefers that the children do fun things in Sunday School, such as crafts, sports, and social skills. He does not want children learning Bible doctrine with their parents. He does not want parents talking to their children about the Bible doctrine that was learned in church.
The Commissioning of Joshua
31:14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting so that I can commission him.” So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
The commissioning in verses 7-8 was public. The commissioning in this verse was private.
31:15 The Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud that stood above the door of the tent.
The Shekinah Glory appeared to Moses and Joshua at the door of the Tabernacle.
31:16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die, and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which they are going. They will reject me and break my covenant that I have made with them.
God revealed to Moses that he was about to die. After Moses died, then the people would prostitute themselves with foreign gods. Jehovah looks at idolatry as spiritual prostitution.
31:17 At that time my anger will erupt against them and I will abandon them and hide my face from them until they are devoured. Many disasters and distresses will overcome them so that they will say at that time, ‘Have not these disasters overcome us because our God is not among us?’
Jehovah predicted that Israel would follow other gods, forcing God to abandon Israel.
31:18 But I will certainly hide myself at that time because of all the wickedness they will have done by turning to other gods.
God will no longer speak to them through prophets. They will receive no more divine instruction. They will no longer receive God’s blessings. Instead, they would receive God’s cursings.
31:19 Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!
God was going to teach Moses a song to remind Israel of their coming rebellion.
31:20 For after I have brought them to the land I promised to their ancestors – one flowing with milk and honey – and they eat their fill and become fat, then they will turn to other gods and worship them; they will reject me and break my covenant.
Israel’s prosperity would cause them to forget God and worship idols. Prosperity is often a curse to a nation and not a blessing. Prosperity turns one against God.
During World War II, all involved nations (except America) were physically destroyed. America's punishment was much more severe, because she possessed the Word of God in abundance. Her punishment was materialism.
31:21 Then when many disasters and distresses overcome them this song will testify against them, for their descendants will not forget it. I know the intentions they have in mind today, even before I bring them to the land I have promised.”
God knew the thoughts of His people. The song was written and given to Moses as a testimony against Israel.
31:22 So on that day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites,
Moses wrote down the song and taught it to Israel. It became Israel's national anthem. It was not a song of glory, triumph, and encouragement, like most other nationalist songs throughout history. It was a song of strong testimony and rebuke against Israel.
31:23 and the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and I will be with you.”
Even though Israel was to later fall into idolatry, God encouraged Joshua and told him that he would succeed in taking them into the land.
Anticipation of Disobedience
31:24 When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety,
This scroll was the Book of Deuteronomy.
31:25 he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, 31:26 “Take this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you,
The Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark of the covenant. The Book of Deuteronomy was placed beside the ark of the covenant. The Book of Deuteronomy was a vassal treaty between God the King and Israel the subjects. When Israel fell into idolatry, the prophets would arise and remind Israel that she had violated the treaty with her King. Therefore, her King would execute the curses against Israel. All the prophets were taking Israel to court and proving to them that they had violated this treaty with their King.
31:27 for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness. Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord; you will be even more rebellious after my death!
Moses was not a seeker-friendly teacher. He flat out told this new generation that they were rebellious and stubborn.
31:28 Gather to me all your tribal elders and officials so I can speak to them directly about these things and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.
Moses called for witnesses. He called for the elders and all the heavens and earth to testify against Israel. This would include the angels, fallen angels, and every rock, stone, plant, and animal of creation.
31:29 For I know that after I die you will totally corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in the days to come because you will act wickedly before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.”
As I said before, Moses was not a seeker-friendly teacher. At the end of his speech, he told this new generation that they were totally corrupt and wicked. He predicted disaster for them. He did not teach them prosperity. He did not give a cute little sermonette. He did not tell them that God loved them. He told them that God was extremely angry with them.
31:30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from start to finish in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.
Moses sang the song to Israel. The song was sung to the entire assembly, including children. The song is recorded in chapter 32. The song was to be taught to all of Israel. It was to become the national anthem of Israel.