Teach This Song to the Israelites
31: 19-29
Teach this song to the Israelites DIG: Why does God tell both Joshua and Moshe to write down this song? Why is Isra’el’s future disobedience described? Is it prophecy? What words does Moses use to describe the darkness of the Israelites’ hearts? What does it mean to be stiff-necked?
REFLECT: Why is godly leadership so important in preventing a Messianic congregation or church from drifting away from commitment to the Lord? Why is idolatry a symptom of living by sight instead of faith? How do songs enhance your interaction with God? Besides worshiping with your congregation, what do you do to grow in your understanding of the Word and sound doctrine? How have you tried to encourage others to grow in this way?
If there was to be a future at all for Isra’el, it must lie with ADONAI. God had no illusions about her tendency to do evil. But God’s grace and Isra’el’s sin stood side-by-side.
The day before Moses died.
Dear Great Heavenly Father, You are awesome! If there is to be a future for each of us, it lies with our living a life of love for You. Praise You that Yeshua is making a home in heaven for those who love You. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:2-3).
Sometimes life is hard, painful and full of tough situations and relationships; but soon that will all be over. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). How wonderful heaven will be! He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). I will so enjoy worshiping and praising You throughout all eternity! You are wonderful! In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen
ADONAI instructed Moses and Joshua to write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them (31:19 NIV). It would be a song that the people could easily learn and remember from generation to generation, never to be forgotten. It would serve as a warning of the dangers that would plague Isra’el and hopefully prevent them from going astray. But if they did wander off the path of righteousness, its words would condemn them.
The song that appears in Chapter 32 was to be written as a witness against Isra’el. It would place in proper perspective the promise of the blessings made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the curses of the broken covenant. For when I bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and grow fat – then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and they will spurn Me and break My covenant. Now when many evils and troubles have come on them, this song will confront them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants. For I know the intention (Hebrew: yetser, meaning tendency, impulse or disposition) they are devising this day, even before I bring them into the land that I swore.” Already a yetser was forming in the hearts of the people. This intention would lead to Isra’el’s breaking the covenant and committing spiritual adultery. When the promised covenantal curses fall on Isra’el, the words of this song would ring in their ears. In fact, the song of Chapter 32 is strongly reminiscent in its structure and content of a well-known secular political form of a complaint against a rebel vassal by his overlord with its threat of punishment (to see link click Ah – Treaty of the Great King).665 If there was to be a future at all for Isra’el, it must lie with ADONAI, not in the ability of Isra’el. That much had already been demonstrated by the previous generation, and there was no reason to expect future generations to be any different. God had no illusions.666 But God’s grace and Isra’el’s sin stood side-by-side. That day Moses wrote this song and taught it to Bnei-Yisrael (31:20-22).
Now when Moses had finished writing the words of this Torah on a scroll, right to the end . . . Moses commanded the Levites (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah An – Priests, Levites and Temple Servants Who Returned with Zerubbabel), carriers of the Ark of the Covenant (see the commentary on Exodus Fr – The Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace) of ADONAI saying: Take this scroll of the Torah, and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant (probably in a jar where it would be safe as well as accessible to the priests) of ADONAI your God. It will remain there as a witness against you (31:24-26).667
Moshe’s angry words to the people here reflected both his righteous indignation and his disappointment in them after hearing God’s prediction of their future rebellion. Moses knew from experience that they were rebellious and stiff-necked. He knew that after he was dead, they would continue to be rebellious and would eventually become utterly corrupt. Indeed, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against ADONAI – how much more then after my death (31:27)? By drawing on expressions that he used earlier in the scroll, Moshe piled up terms to emphasize the darkness of the Israelites’ hearts: rebel (1:26 and 43, 9:7 and 23-24), stiff-necked (9:6 and 13, 10:16), corrupt (4:16 and 25, 9:12, 32:5), turn away (11:28, 28:14), do evil (4:25, 9:18, 17:2), provoke to anger (4:25, 9:18, 32:16 and 21). Not a pretty picture.
Consequently, Moses called for Isra’el’s leaders to gather before him one last time so he could give them a final strong appeal. He wanted to make sure they understood that their choices and conduct would have far-reaching implications. Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will certainly act corruptly and turn aside from the way I have commanded you. So evil will fall upon you in the latter days, because you will do what is evil in the sight of ADONAI, provoking Him to anger by the work of your hands (31:28-29). Spiritual adultery would result in nothing less than disaster! Moshe did not intend that his words would pressure the Israelites into obedience; rather, they served to confront them with the tendency of the nation to sin. In light of what the LORD had revealed to His people through Moses, they were without excuse.668
Haftarah vaYelekh: Hoshea (Hosea) 14:1-9; Mikhah (Micah) 7:18-20;
Yo’el (Joel) 2:15-27
(see Af – Parashah)
Return O Isra’el, to ADONAI your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. Take word with you and return to ADONAI. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity, and accept what is good, so we may repay with offerings of our lips” (Hosea 14:2-3). These words, read on the Shabbat before Yom Kippur, call Isra’el to repent her choices that provoke God’s wrath. ADONAI waits, saying: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger will turn away from her (Hosea 14:5). His anger turns! Granting mercy instead of judgement, the LORD pledges to renew the blessings upon the Land. Even the lost Ephraim renounce idolatry on the day Isra’el’s turns and repents (see the commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). Ephraim will say: What good are idols to me? I have responded and observed ADONAI. I will be like a lush cypress tree. From me will be found Your fruit (Hosea 14:9).
B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah vaYelekh: Romans 10:16-17
The righteousness based on faith does not say that knowing and doing Torah is impossible. For this mitzvah that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you to understand, nor is it beyond your reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say: Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it? Nor is it across the sea, that you should say: Who will cross over for us to the other side of the sea and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it? No, the word is very near to you – you can speak it because it is in your mouth and you know it because it is in your heart to do it (Deuteronomy 30:11-14). Paul says that Torah points to the message of Good News: For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Yet, somehow Isra’el has not responded. Paul poses several underlying questions to probe the matter. Perhaps Isra’el hasn’t trusted; maybe they didn’t hear; possibly no one has proclaimed the Good News, and maybe no one was sent (Romans 10:14-16). However, Paul concludes that the problem is that not all have accepted the Good News. For Isaiah says, “ADONAI, who has believed our report” (Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:1). Ha’azinu will help clarify this enigma (see Fw – The Song of Moses).669
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