Moses went to speak to all the people of Israel with a tale of woe. Firstly, he reminded them how old he was – 120 years old and that he couldn’t go on forever. He said that he couldn’t go out and in any longer (v1,2). We might be tempted to think he was getting too old to go on, but that wasn’t the case. In chapter 34:7 when he actually died, we are told that “His eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigour diminished”. Thus, he was still a fit man and not too old to continue. In fact, at the end of his life, he climbed Mount Pisgah. What he was saying was that God had told him that he wouldn’t go into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-12) because he failed to do as God commanded him. He struck the rock in anger to get water instead of speaking to it. God had told him that he wasn’t to go into the land and now that he wouldn’t cross the river Jordan.
Notice that Moses accepted God’s chastening. I’m sure he had dreamed of this since he was a boy and certainly since God had told him to take His people out of Egypt. It wasn’t to be, and he knew why and was prepared to leave the outcome in The LORD’s hands. He knew that being the leader came with greater privileges and therefore, greater responsibilities. He knew that Joshua was a man of God and could be relied upon to fulfil this great task.
Moses did appear in the Promised land with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, so, he he did get there via heaven and appeared for a short time many hundreds of years later with The Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ on that momentous day when the disciples saw their Lord in His Majesty (Matthew 17).
You might think that his punishment was harsh after all he had been through with this rebellious people. He had remained faithful and loyal to The LORD, but one sin is enough to make us unfit for heaven, but Jesus died to cleanse us from all sin. His sin barred him from going any further and from the land, but he obviously repented and made his way to his eternal home.
Even though Moses wasn’t going into the land, he assured them that The LORD was going before them (v3-6). Moses was a humble man, and he was content for The LORD to use Joshua in his place. He didn’t hang on to his position nor did he show his disapproval of God’s chastisement and take umbrage with his successor. He was fully committed to The LORD and fully supportive to his successor. He gave them the greatest assurance that God was going to lead them. He told them that God would give them the victory and that He would do to their enemies just as He did before. He encouraged them to be strong and of good courage, not to fear them, for The LORD would not leave them nor forsake them.
Moses brought all Israel together and called Joshua before them and repeated the words, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. The LORD will go before you and be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. You do not need to fear or be dismayed’ (v7,8). God does His work through people who are committed to Him.
We need encouragers today, so often some might say, “I could have done it better”, but may we support those who are doing The Lord’s work. We can do without the criticisers and put our shoulders to support them. The same applies in any work, whether spiritual or everyday work. We are often guilty of finding fault, even remembering past failures, when we need to be encouragers. God calls us to different tasks. The New Testament likens it to a body with its members, all with a different function, but all working together with a common aim.
Joshua was the man of God’s choosing, and Moses knew that his work was done, but he still rejoiced that it was The LORD’s work and Joshua needed full support and assurance. Moses could have ‘thrown his toys out of the pram’ and refused to be part of it, but he didn’t. He said that God would not only be with them, but He would go before them. God’s leading was crucial.
Moses knew the vital importance of God’s words, so he wrote them down and they became law, and he delivered it to the priests and all the elders of Israel. He commanded them that every seven years they were to be read aloud to all the people, men, women, children and strangers, when they gathered together at the Feast of Tabernacles (v9-13). Some of these instances are recorded for us in Joshua 8, 2 Chronicles 34, where king Josiah who was a good king and sought to follow the LORD. It says that ‘they found the Book of the Law’, which almost indicates that it wasn’t a common occurrence, and in Nehemiah 8, Moses had told them the reason for this was so that they would remember, and in some case be informed (children born during those seven years, strangers arriving in that time) thus, there was no excuse for them not knowing the law of God.
It is not clear whether they did it every seven years, but those isolated incidents are recorded. The one in Nehemiah 8 is interesting, in that it was during their return from exile in Babylon where they had been taken because of their disobedience to God. Once again, God did not write them off, He said He would bring a remnant back from exile, and He did. Nehemiah, the man of God, knew how important it was to read and follow God’s word. Ezra, the priest, brought the Book of the Law and read it in the open square. They found in it that they should dwell in booths during the feast in the seventh month. This was the Feast of Tabernacles and v17 says that ‘since the days of Joshua they had not done this’, which could refer to keeping the Feast, or indeed, the reading of it, but certainly Josiah ordered the reading of it.
It is important that we all read and listen to God’s word on a regular basis. It should be our daily food, and we should not be hearers only, but doers. It was little wonder that Israel fell foul of God’s law if they neglected it, and the same applies to us today.
The LORD instructed Moses that his days were numbered, and he should appoint Joshua as the next leader (v14,15).
He told him to take Joshua into the tabernacle so that He, that is God, would inaugurate him. It wasn’t man’s appointment, but God’s appointment. Moses and Joshua went, and God appeared in a pillar of cloud which stood above the door of the tabernacle.
You may recall that this is how God showed them His presence throughout their journey of forty years from Egypt – a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the pillar moved, they were to move to their next destination on their journey. This would be a comfort and assurance to them, that God was with them, but sadly they often took it for granted and wanted their own way. So much so, that none of those adults who left Egypt, apart from Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised land.
The LORD told Moses that when he died the people would prostitute themselves with foreign gods in the land and forsake God and His covenant. If that wasn’t enough, God would vent His anger on them and forsake them. They would be overcome by their enemies, evils and troubles and would even say that it was because they had been forsaken by God. It was as if it wasn’t their fault, but that God had not kept His word to be with them. He instructed Moses to write a song for them to learn so that when they falter, they could sing this song to remind them of God’s faithfulness. The song would be a poignant witness against them reminding them that God had said beforehand that they would turn against Him. It was a strange, and yet a forceful reminder to them that God had foretold what they would do. The LORD said, “….it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behaviour today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.” It was a sermon in song, and we often remember things better when we sing them or have a picture. The words of the song are in chapter 32. (v16-22)
Often when we were young, or even older, we would sing hymns or choruses which were words of Scripture, and they are still with us to this day. It seems that we are able to memorise Scripture better that way. God knows what we are like better than we know ourselves.
The LORD proceeded to appoint Joshua (v23) and said to him, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” These words were very important to Joshua, he hears them seven times (31:6,7,23; Joshua 1,7,9,18). The LORD considered that he needed this encouragement. Joshua also stated it in Joshua 10:25 in his encouragement to others. The LORD left him in no doubt that he would bring the people into the land.
When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, he commanded the Levites to take it and put it beside the ark of the covenant, which they carried. It was to be a witness against them regarding their rebellion against The LORD and much more after Moses had died. (v24-27). Most commentators believe that Joshua wrote the rest of this book. The Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark, but the rest of the books of the law, Genesis to Deuteronomy were placed beside it. Moses had obviously kept a record of all that God had done and instructed the priest to keep it, to read it and expound it to the people.
What a lesson for us! We must keep God’s word, read it and obey it and pass it on to succeeding generations. Paul stressed this to young Timothy – (2 Timothy 4:13) “…. give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine….” “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God m ay be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16,17)
Finally, The LORD instructed Moses to gather the elders and leaders together to hear the song (v28-30).
