Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 32

Song of Moses

• Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
• 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

In spite of what some may say, true doctrine is very important. To throw out the truth of God's word to have unity will create a false unity. The Holy Spirit is also called the spirit of truth. Truth and error do not mix. True unity is the unity of spirit and truth.

Good sound doctrine that comes from the Lord is pictured here as drops of rain

• Deuteronomy 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
• 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

When we lose sight of this we fall into error. He is the Rock, His work is perfect. This is who we need to seek to learn the right way to live. When mankind forsakes this good way, evil comes.

• Deuteronomy 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
• 6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

All throughout the bible we hear the cry of our creator for His creation to return to Him and be safe from the evil to come. His faithful prophets, preachers and teachers echo that cry pleading with their generation to repent and turn to God for salvation. It is sad to see the multitudes of people choosing to go their own way, remain in their sins, ignore the word of God and die in a lost condition.

• Deuteronomy 32:7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
• 8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
• 9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
• 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
• 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
• 12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
• 13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
• 14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

God brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt to the land God promised to Abraham many years previously. He showed them His power, parted the Red Sea so they could escape from the armies of the enemy that didn't want to let them escape and no longer be their slaves. 

Israel was the apple of God's eye. His chosen people and had His favor. He fed them in the wilderness, gave them water out of the rock, they had much cattle. He never let them down or left them alone.

• Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

This is where it gets dangerous. When we have plenty and become prosperous, we tend to lightly esteem the word of God and some turn away from God until bad begins to happen again.

I pray that we all would learn to love God in good times as well as in bad times. Whether we live in prosperity or go through hard times, holding onto the hand of God even when others around us are forsaking Him brings an everlasting reward. Faithfulness will be rewarded, unfaithfulness will not. 

• Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
• 17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

When Israel started desiring what the other nations had and were enticed by their strange gods, they begin to sin being deceived by false worship and doctrines of devils. They even began to offer their own children upon the altars of false idols. 

• Deuteronomy 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

When we start to look to society, the world, other nations that do not know God, and desire to live supposedly in freedom, we are really inviting bondage and slavery to things that will steal, kill and destroy us. This is happening right now in the United States. They have lost their fear of God and are doing all kinds of abominations and they are so deceived that they think they are doing right. They are deceived into thinking those that warn them of their sin are the evil ones.  If they do not repent, they will face judgment because God will not let sin continue unchecked. What happened to Israel in the past will happen to Americans also if we don't turn back to God and begin to live by His word. We need Jesus Christ who God sent to save us but many have rejected the only way out of this mess and prefer to die in their sins and be lost for eternity. 

God loves us and makes commandments that are good. He gives good things but when He is rejected, He withdraws His presence. We are then left to the will of Satan to kill, steal and destroy us.

• Deuteronomy 32:19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

When we begin to influence our children to do evil, God gets angry. Our public schools are teaching children many abominable things that generations before us would grieve over; yet their teachers are so deceived thinking they are teaching diversity and tolerance. Many are failing to realize that they are leading them into disease, early deaths, drugs, alcohol, and an eternity without God. What the world calls love and tolerance is deceiving. It is bondage, slavery, disease, filth and confusion.

• Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
• 21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
• 22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
• 23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
• 24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
• 25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
• 26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
• 27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
• 28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.

So sad to read this of the nation of Israel after the death of Moses and Joshua but I see a parallel in the United States today. We are doing the exact same things. We once knew the Lord and feared His name. Our laws were based on the word of God. We were not perfect and had to work a lot of things out but now we have gone the other way. Our ways are so evil. We are legalizing abominations and have gotten out of God's divine protecting order. We are doing what is right in our own eyes and we are seeing our nation go down fast. Violence has increased drastically. It is just as the days of Noah. The first earth was destroyed for violence. 

• Deuteronomy 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

There is a verse in Daniel that verse 29 reminds me of.

• Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Oh that people would listen to the voice of those that warn. Perhaps our voices are not preaching warning but a false prosperity doctrine instead. May our almighty God return His  church to preaching and teaching the truth although the world will hate it. Perhaps we could save a few though and bring them into eternal life and peace in Jesus Christ. We know a remnant will always believe. There is always a few that will not bow their knees to evil, that will stay true to God. 

• Deuteronomy 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

When Israel was right with God, one literally could put a thousand to flight. No enemy could defeat them. We just don't know how much good God does for those the love Him and keep His word. 

• Deuteronomy 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
• 32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

We have the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to show us what happens before God sends judgment. They had much violence and sexual immorality. They had much idleness and fullness of bread. It had gotten so bad that they wanted to rape the visitors that had come to get Lot and his family out. They didn't know the visitors were angels sent by God.  Before God sent judgment He had to get out the righteous people.  Only three people made it out alive and even the two daughters had the influence of Sodom in their lives and were not righteous but made it out because of Lot who happened to be the nephew of Abraham. Because of Abraham's prayers Lot got out just in time.  Lot's sons in laws mocked and took the warning lightly so they were destroyed with the city of Sodom.  Just as the days of Noah who preached for years until the time of the flood, the majority ignores the warnings and makes fun of those that preach warning calling them prophets of doom and gloom. Only eight people were saved during the flood of Noah. 

Sometimes we have to choose to go along with God even if it is a small minority. God said it would be that way. 

• Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
• 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

We cry, we plead, but so much falls on deaf ears. The world calls good evil and calls evil good.

• Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

The message of today is still the same. Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Why do we choose death instead of life? Because we don't want to forsake our sin.

• Deuteronomy 32:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
• 34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
• 35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
• 36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
• 37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
• 38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
• 39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
• 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
• 41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
• 42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.

God has the final say in all things. The righteous rule in the end. We don't get away with anything. To live without God is a vain way to live. To live in sin claiming that we have God is to deceive ourselves. He gave us Jesus, He gave us eternal life, He gave us the Holy Spirit, He gave us the written word and so many turn aside after that which is temporary and evil. 

• Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

I would say this to my nation. Why would you die America?  Why are you choosing disease, pestilence, evil, wickedness, abominations that will destroy the whole nation and turn away from Jesus Christ who died that you might have life eternal freedom from sin, purity, love and everlasting joy. Why have your judges mocked the sacredness of marriage, why do you kill your children and call it a women's right to choose? Why have you sinned and call those that warn you, evil and decree unrighteous decrees upon them?

• Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.

To those who do not stray and keep the word of God yet suffer the wrath of men who persecute and even kill them: The wrath of God will come upon those that harm just one of those that believe in God and in His Christ. 

• Deuteronomy 32:44 And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
• 45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
• 46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.

All Israel had to do was obey the commandments of God and teach their children the words of the law and no power on earth could have harmed them. The same applies to those that believe in Jesus Christ and have not denied His name and have kept His word. 

Here is the promise to a faithful church:

• Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Any who are faithful to God are never promised not to suffer the wrath of man but they will escape the wrath of God and live forever in eternity with God. We are never to fear those that can only kill our bodies but fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. The Philadelphia church in Revelation chapter 3 was promised to escape the hour of temptation that was to try them that dwell on the earth. Just as the ark saved 8 people, just as the angels saved Lot and his daughters, God will save those that trust in Him and do not forsake His word. Sound doctrine has not passed away. We have the volume of a book called the bible to teach us God's ways which are good.

• Deuteronomy 32:47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
  48 And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
• 49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
• 50 And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
• 51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
• 52 Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

Because of disobedience, Moses got to see the promised land but not enter it although He abides in heaven with God. He didn't lose his soul. We see this when he appears on the mount of transfiguration talking to Jesus.

• Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
• 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
• 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

There is no soul sleep. The soul goes somewhere after death. We have to choose now where our souls will go. Jesus is the only way to have eternal life, be free from sin and live forever with God. The alternative is something we don't want. DC

Deuteronomy Chapter 33