MOSES' SONG. Deuteronomy 32 The last words from someone close to us are often remembered as special, as if they carry a blessing and a benediction. Moses did not fade away in weakness on the final day of his life and leadership. Instead, he delivered a final benediction and passed on important instructions and lessons from God. Remarkably, this was not presented as a speech but sung like a historical ballad.
Maybe this was a more powerful way to communicate these truths so they would remember them better and repeat them to themselves. They were reminded of the past, warned about their actions, and given hope even when they failed. When we trust in God and commit to following Him, God acts as our shepherd—protecting, guiding, and leading us. By His gracious hand, He helps us through life's challenges.
Moses obeyed God’s command to summarize what He had done for Israel in a song [De 31:19]. He wrote about God’s past deeds for them and predicted their future rebellion. He explained how God would punish them but still show mercy in the end. This was meant to motivate them to obey God and remind them that judgment for their sins was certain.
Moses' song begins with reminders of God’s doctrine and the blessings of His teachings. When received and applied, God’s word brings life and renewal to the souls of His people like nothing else can. The Holy Spirit witnesses to the human spirit as we read, heed, and act on God’s precepts, statutes, commandments, and laws found in the scriptures. The Bible focuses on God, whose name is the authority by which we live, move, and have our being.
The greatness of God in all His power and wisdom, along with the greatness of His love, grace, and mercy, serves as the means by which believers live in Him. God's works are perfect, and His ways with us aim to guide us toward all truth. We are not left to speculate about life and death; God has provided clear teachings to direct us onto the paths of truth, righteousness, and holiness. When we follow what God teaches, we gain confidence, but when we stray from the path of truth revealed in His word, we feel conviction.
God is always faithful in what He does, even though we, like the Israelites, fail. God doesn’t give up on people even though He must judge their sins. Believers in Him trust in Him who has saved, forgiven, given eternal salvation to us, and loves us. It is important for us to understand that truth begins with us recognizing the holiness of God, who is righteous in all His ways.
Moses also sang about the nature and character of God while sharing these historical reminders of how God interacted with His people in the past. God embodies truth, both inwardly and outwardly, in all His nature and actions. "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Moses recognized who the Lord Jesus Christ was and what He was like. He encouraged God's people to joyfully submit to divine authority. In all of God's dealings with us, He is fair and righteous because that reflects His nature. God desires holiness in His people because He is holy. Fellowship is established and maintained when both parties share the same characteristics and nature. We have been made "partakers of the divine nature."
It is God’s desire that His people worship and serve Him in holiness so that we might live before Him as He intended when He created us in His image. Our true love for Him is shown when we “walk in the light as He is in the light.” That is fellowship with God. The Bible reveals God’s work in the past through an informative record of divine activity directed toward human beings. He teaches us truths that would remain unknown without divine revelation in the scriptures. We understand who we are and where we came from right from the beginning of Genesis. The Bible also offers significant evidence for the validity and truth of our faith, including history, prophecy, and miracles such as the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, the Bible shows examples that help us today in our Christian lives by recording Israel’s failures and their consequences. The New Testament writers draw lessons from those Old Testament events and figures. Then, fourth, we are encouraged to commit to our Christian lives and witness by learning from the ancient men and women of faith. We understand what we should embody by comparing Israel’s failures with God’s expectations. A nation or person that forsakes God is godless. When God, the source of blessing, peace, joy, wisdom, and comfort, is abandoned, those who turn away from Him lack these qualities. Today, many people deny the need for repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ to be accepted by God. There is no other way.
The contrast between Israel and God was a key part of Moses' song because he knew those people well and saw that they were different from God. God wants His children to show and live out the traits of their Father. But, too often, like the Israelites, we have corrupted ourselves, and instead of being honest and faithful, we have become stubborn and immoral, insisting on our own way. This happens when we become caught up in our lives in the world and forget all the blessings we've received and the Source of those blessings. It's important to pause and think about how we first got to this place of blessing. We are who we are and have what we have only because of God's grace to us.
The young people behind us often take for granted what they have without considering how it all came about. The Israelites of the new generation were to ask those who were older to tell them how they obtained their land and the circumstances surrounding their national history. Young people need to understand that money does not measure the value of what they possess. The work of God has been carried out by people who stepped out in faith to respond to the mandate the Lord gave His disciples at the beginning of this age, and it has been continued through generations of God's people up to this time.
God's portion, which comes from the labor of His people, is not just a share of your weekly income. God's portion is His people. He can easily create gold and silver. He transforms coal into diamonds. Yet, He does not make the hearts of men and women grateful. He does not instill thankfulness in them for Himself. There are things that can only come from people. We are God's inheritance, not the land we own or the portfolio we hold. We are what God claims for Himself, even when we are lost and on the edge of death.
God has led, guided, guarded, taught, and safely cared for His people through His divine mercy and grace. He protected them just as a person instinctively shields their eye when something threatens its safety. God trained, protected, and motivated His people in Moses' time, according to the words of his song. He connected Himself to His people, and the same happens today. As God's chosen people, He does for us what He did for the Israelites. He has committed Himself to us in a holy relationship and has the right to expect our sincere commitment to Him.
God brought His people into a land of prosperity and abundance, but when they received what they wanted, they rebelled and turned away from God. There is more to Christianity than just being saved by God's grace. Our love for God should motivate us to seek His interests above our own, whether it concerns His people or His work. The Israelites turned to other gods and religious practices because they fulfilled their fleshly desires.
In Moses’ song, many of these truths are written and sung to help us remember what is important. God knows who is righteous and who is wicked. The future of Israel is linked to God’s grace, just as ours is. No matter how people view it, God is in control. He is in charge. When we try to control and take charge ourselves, disaster often follows. The Israelites attempted that and failed. As a result, one generation died in the wilderness. Later, the nation was either scattered or taken captive. Israel does have a future, and we also have a glorious future ahead of us. Wise people learn the lessons taught, “and so much the more as we see the day approaching.”
There will always be a temptation to the flesh, whether religious or sensual. However, we must remember that there are consequences to facing when we indulge the flesh, no matter what kind it is. Idolatry appeals to those who mix religious rituals with sinful cravings. Worldliness attracts pleasure-driven people who live for today, ignoring any possible future effects. Opposition, fear, and defeat follow when we deliberately turn away from God.
It is sad but true that God's people often engage in the same behaviors as those who are not believers, believing they are missing out by fully following the Lord. Despite all our failures, sins, and shortcomings, the Lord still desires us as His portion and is willing to accept those who have repented and turned back to Him in confession and faith. Understanding what God says and desires should motivate us to listen to His words and follow Him.
On Moses' final day as the leader of the nation, he impressed the Lord's people with the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. The Lord told His faithful servant what he was to do and then when to go to Mount Nebo. The final song, on the final day, and his final blessing of the people would have left the people of God with a strong impression of who God is and what He expects of them. Final words have a powerful impact when God uses His servants right to the end of their lives.
A song with a message from God is important, especially one that everyone can sing together. This way, the words can't be misunderstood because everyone sings the same words at the same time and shares the same thoughts. Moses’ song was originally a song of God’s blessing, sharing the message that God wanted them to understand. He is the “Rock” whose works are perfect; look around you—His creation clearly shows who He is. However, they lightly regarded the “Rock” of their salvation, forgetting the “Rock” who had first saved them from slavery. As a result, the “Rock” would sell them to another nation. The rock that bought them was not the “Rock” with a heart.
God’s truth given to us should never be taken lightly. We have been entrusted with light from our “Rock,” who is the Lord. The songs we sing should never be superficial; in unity, our voices in song teach the Word. Some songs in the Gospel we sing to give warning, while other hymns we sing to honor God. Together in song, we worship on the Lord’s Day morning, and together we raise words of remembrance in praise to our God. Oh, let us not forget the blessing of a song in communion when God’s people, as one, lift their voices unto Him, worshiping and praising the “Rock” of our salvation with spiritual songs and the words of our hymns.