The Lord told Moses in yesterday's passage that the people will soon turn from Him to other gods in the promised land. The Lord is telling Moses to write down the words of a song and teach the song to the Israelites to sing when they realize they've forsaken Him. The Lord said this song would be a testimony to His faithfulness and a testimony to their unfaithfulness. But as we discussed yesterday, the song will end on a positive note.
Before we are given the lyrics of the song, we finish reading the remainder of the Lord's prophecy regarding Israel's coming rebellion. "Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting Me and breaking My covenant." (Deuteronomy 31:19-20) In reading these words it may be difficult for us to understand why anyone would turn away from the Lord who fulfills all His promises and brings such good things to pass, but it's only difficult to understand if we don't consider how much easier it is to neglect the Lord in good times than in bad times. Prosperity can make us lazy. It can make us complacent, bored, prideful, and overconfident in ourselves. If we take a moment to think back over our lives I think most of us will have to admit we have prayed and read our Bibles more during the hard times than during the easy times.
Because it will take hard times to turn the people back to the Lord, He will allow troubles and trials to come upon the nation. When these troubles and trials come, they are to sing the song He has given them. The words of the song will tell them why they are in this predicament and cause them to repent. "And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath." (Deuteronomy 31:21)
We've all made some bad choices. We've all brought hardships on ourselves through our bad choices. But the Lord always leaves His door open so we can return to Him. He has provided us with His word so we can read His laws and commandments and acknowledge that we have failed to live up to them. When we acknowledge our failures, we can come to Him and admit our sins and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. He is going to give the Israelites a song to help them see where they went wrong and to help them get back on the right path. This is because He intends to extend mercy and forgiveness to them when they repent. He doesn't intend to say, "Sorry, you've messed up too shockingly. You've sinned too many times. I'm not going to hear your prayer of repentance." No, as the author of Psalm 106 points out, even though "many times He delivered them, yet they were bent on rebellion," still He "took note of their distress when He heard their cry; for their sake He remembered His covenant and out of His great love He relented".
Moses obeys the Lord and writes down the song and teaches it to the congregation. Then the Lord issues another word of encouragement to Joshua, who is probably feeling as sad and worried as Moses. "So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites. The Lord gave this commandment to Joshua son of Nun: 'Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.'" (Deuteronomy 31:22-23)
Joshua might have been thinking, "If the people aren't going to remain faithful to the Lord, why am I taking them into the land? This is a very big job that I'm being called to do. Is it all going to be for nothing? I'm struggling with the idea of performing this monumental task only to have the people turn from the Lord after we've won these battles." But the Lord reassures Him, "You won't be performing this monumental task alone. I will give you the strength and the endurance to accomplish it. Don't be discouraged because I've told you that the people will turn away from Me. They will also turn back to Me. I always knew everything they would ever do and yet I called them to be My special covenant people. I knew they would rebel against Me in the promised land but I intended long ago to give it to them anyway. I will give it to them. And even though they will turn for a time to other gods, and even though I will allow other nations to conquer them, and even though I will allow them to be scattered throughout the earth, in time I will regather them to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joshua, you are a part of My plans for Israel. You are the man I've chosen to take them into the land. Though the people may forsake Me for a time, don't let that discourage you. It doesn't change the job you've been called to do. Your job is simply to obey Me and let Me handle everything else."
Moses finishes writing down the song and the copy of the law that the Lord commanded him to put into the care of the religious leaders who will read it aloud at the end of every seven years to the congregation as a whole during the Feast of Tabernacles. Next Moses speaks some words that must have been difficult to hear. He relays to them the prophecy of the Lord concerning their coming rebellion. He upbraids them for the rebellious spirit they've had in the wilderness. Though Moses was probably upset and dismayed by the news of the coming rebellion, I don't believe he was surprised by it. He has led a great number of people for a great many years and he knows human nature. He knows how hard it is to keep people on track. He knows how easy it is for people to go astray.
He closes with these words of warning. "After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord: 'Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! Assembled before me all the elders of your tribes and all the officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them. For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse His anger by what your hands have made.'" (Deuteronomy 31:24-29)
Disaster comes due to rebellion. But restoration comes because the Lord is merciful and forgiving and hears the cry of the repentant soul. In the song in Chapter 32 we'll find the Lord turning His anger away from the people and turning it on those who have made themselves the enemies of His people. We'll find Him encouraging the Israelites to rejoice because He intends to forgive them and help them.
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