It would be no easy task to remember all of this. It is long. It begins with a plea to The LORD to hear their request but also to all heaven and earth to hear. It also contains words of adoration and praise to the name of The LORD – “I proclaim the name of The LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”
It moves quickly into confession of their sin (v5,6) and then recalls God’s faithfulness and urges them to remember what He has done for them (v7-14), “The LORD’s portion is His people and Jacob the place of His inheritance.” How the LORD had led them and provided for them. It was to bring conviction of their sin when considering the goodness of God.
Jeshurun (v15) is a title for Israel. The song reiterates that Israel has forsaken God and turned to other gods, even to sacrificing to demons and pagan gods (v15-18). Was God pleased? Far from it, He turned against them and when God withdraws His presence, it inevitably leads to wicked behaviour and brings disaster and destruction which we bring on ourselves. God, however, allows problems in life to draw us back to Himself. He cares and is always ready to draw us back when we repent of our sin (v19-27).
To go against God leaves us in dire circumstances – the vine of Sodom and fields of Gomorrah, grapes of gall and bitterness. Their wine, which should bring them pleasantness, has the poison of serpents and cobras. What an existence without God. There is nothing attractive about it in the end, and their gods cannot help them. God hates and will punish sin, as those nations were an example, therefore, there is no better way out than to trust in the God who lives forever and who will deliver them and provide atonement for His land and His people.
God pleads with them to think about what they are doing and where and what it will all lead to (v28-43). He asks them to ‘consider their latter end’. He reminds them that ‘their rock is not like our Rock’. The song does them no favours, but they were to learn it. It recites the whole story, warts and all, but it is intended to bring them back to God.
The Gospel is indeed good news, but it has to remind us of our sin and where we were without God, bring about confession of sin and repentance before we can experience the forgiveness of God for our sin and guilt and then bring us into the joy of salvation. Sin often leaves scars and brings consequences, but the grace of God wipes out the sin and removes the guilt which Satan loves to remind us of and taunt us with.
So Moses came with Joshua and spoke all of this song in the hearing of the people (v 44-47) and then said, “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe; all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”
The world and Satan himself will try to tell us that it is a waste of time to bother with and trust in God, it is pie in the sky, but God says it is not futile.
After teaching them the song, The LORD spoke to Moses and told him to go up the mountain, Mount Nebo (Pisgah), in Moab, across from Jericho and look over the land of Canaan. The land which he had spent forty arduous years to reach which had been Promised and that God was giving to them (v48-52). God told Moses that he was about to die on that mountain because of his disobedience at Meribah Kadesh, which was a failure to hallow the name of The LORD in front of the people. God in His grace allowed him to see the land but was not permitted to go into it.
