Deuteronômio 32
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 32
Wiersbe - Moses reminded them not to forget their beginning (v. 18) or ignore their “latter end” (v. 29). (With the Word Bible Commentary) This passage also reminds me of the pathos of Jesus when He looked over the Holy City of Jerusalem... When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.(Lu 19:41,42+) Driver - had Israel been wise, it would have understood this, viz. the necessity of such chastisements as those just described (Dt 32:20–25), and discerned their latter end (Dt 32:20), i.e. the final issue of the course they were pursuing, in case either they themselves neglected to repent, or God out of regard to His honour (Dt 32"26f.) did not interpose to save them. Plan For The Future Oh, that they were wise, . . . that they would consider their latter end. —Deuteronomy 32:29 Today's Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:6-29 In the spring of 1981, a young man was flown into desolate northern Alaska to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He took along 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions. As the months passed, the words in his diary changed from wonder and fascination into a nightmare. In August he wrote, “I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my departure. I’ll soon find out.” In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. An investigation revealed that though he had carefully planned his trip, he had made no provision to be flown out. We read in Deuteronomy that the Israelites made a similar mistake. For a while they had all they needed, but they forgot that it was God who provided for them (Dt. 32:15-18). It soon became obvious that they had given no thought to the outcome of worshiping false gods and living for their own enjoyment. Their behavior brought God’s judgment (vv.19-25). They had failed to “consider their latter end” (v.29). O Lord, You'd have us ponder this, One truth You'd have us see: It's in this life we chart our course For all eternity. —DJD It's never too soon to plan for eternity. Deuteronomy 32:29 Plan Your Departure! Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Deuteronomy 32:29 All of us need to make specific plans for our departure from this life. If we don’t, we can be left in a predicament similar to that of a young man who became stranded in an Alaskan wilderness. His adventure began in the spring of 1981 when he was flown into the desolate north country to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He had photo equipment, 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1400 pounds of provisions. As the months passed, the entries in his diary, which at first detailed his wonder and fascination with the wildlife around him, turned into a pathetic record of a nightmare. In August he wrote, “I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my departure. I’ll soon find out.” He waited and waited, but no one came to his rescue. In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. An investigation revealed that he had carefully mapped out his venture, but had made no provision to be flown out of the area. In Deuteronomy 32 we read that the Israelites made a similar mistake. For a while they had all they needed, but it soon became obvious that they had given no thought to the outcome of worshipping false gods and living for their own enjoyment. They failed to consider “their latter end.” O Lord, You’d have us ponder this, One truth You’d have us see— It’s in this life we chart our course For all eternity. -D.J.D. You can’t repent too soon, for you know not how soon it may be too late Deuteronomy 32:30 "How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had given them up? one chase: Lev 26:8 Jos 23:10 Jdg 7:22,23 1Sa 14:15-17 2Ch 24:24 Isa 30:17 put Jdg 2:14 3:8 Ps 44:12 Isa 50:1 52:3 Mt 18:25 cp. Josh 23:10 given them up Job 11:10 16:11 Ps 31:8 Related Passages: Leviticus 26:17 ‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. Leviticus 26:36-37 ‘As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. 37 ‘They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies. Deuteronomy 28:25 "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them, but you shall flee seven ways before them, and you shall be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Driver summarizes Dt 32:30-33- Israel’s disasters are due only to Jehovah’s alienation, occasioned by Israel’s sin: the heathen gods have not the power to produce them (v. 31); the heathen nations are too corrupt to do so (v. 32f.) How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold (delivered) them, And the LORD had given (handed) them up? This is rhetorical. The answer clearly is this supernatural description is only possible by the exertion of God's power. This is in a sense a prophetic warning that Israel's armies would experience military disaster which was divinely ordained. This is part of the divine curses in Deuteronomy 28 (see Dt 28:25) and is the sad antithesis of what could have been true of Israel in Dt 28:7 had they only obeyed the LORD with all their heart and all their soul and all their might! As Driver says the defeats of Israel "cannot be reasonably attributed to Jehovah’s inability to defend His people, they must be taken as proof that He has, for some sufficient cause, designedly cast them off. The verb sold is a figure of speech meaning to hand over or surrender over someone (in this case Israel) to another and is used in the OT especially in the book of Judges when for 300 years Israel forgot God, forsook God and and sought the idols - Jdg. 2:14, Jdg 3:8, Jdg 4:2, Jdg 4:9, Jdg 10:7, 1 Sa. 12:9 Deuteronomy 32:31 "Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this. Ex 14:25 Nu 23:8,23 1Sa 2:2 4:8 Ezr 1:3 6:9-12 7:20,21 Jer 40:3 Da 2:47 3:29 6:26,27 ROCK OF AGES ROCK OF ALL "ROCKS" Indeed their (Israel's enemies) rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves judge this A contrast between the gods of the nations (“rock”) and Israel’s true God (“Rock”). Israel could smite its foes with very little difficulty because of the weakness of their gods, who are not like the Rock Jehovah. Even Israel's enemies conceded this was true! Their rock seems to be a reference to stones pagans set up and worshiped as idols. Driver - as the nations themselves are obliged to own, their “rock” (i.e. their god, or gods) cannot vie in might with Israel’s “Rock” (comp. e.g. Ex. 14:25; Nu. 23–24; Jos. 2:9f.; 1 Sa. 4:8, 5:7, 10f, 1 Ki. 20:23–30), and cannot therefore have brought about Israel’s disasters Steven
Deuteronômio 32
Wiersbe has an interesting note - Much of this song is a warning to the people that they were prone to forget what God did for them and to turn from God to idols. We do not know how often they sang this song, but we do know that they did not take it to heart. Do God’s people today pay attention to what they are singing? (With the Word Bible Commentary) Deuteronomy 32:44-52 A Bitter Attitude Great emphasis is being placed on living longer and better. Advances in medical science are making it possible for more and more people. Yet in spite of this, none of us can avoid growing old. One day aging will overtake all of us, and our bodies will shut down. What is preventable, however, is an attitude of bitterness and regret as we grow older. Look at the life of Moses. When he was 120 years old, he stood with the Israelites before they crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land. He could not go with them because he had disobeyed the Lord when in anger he struck the rock in the wilderness (Numbers 20:12,24). How easily Moses could have slipped into a self-pitying and resentful frame of mind! Had he not borne the burden of a stubborn and stiff-necked people for 40 years? Had he not interceded for them time after time? Yet at the end of his life he praised the Lord and urged a new generation of Israelites to obey Him (Deuteronomy 32:1-4,45-47). As we grow older, we can dwell on the failures and hardships of our past, or we can remember God’s faithfulness, accept His discipline, and keep looking to the future in faith. It’s the only way to avoid a bitter attitude. Though wrinkles and weakness come with age And life with its stress takes its toll, Yet beauty and vigor can still be seen When Jesus gives peace to our soul. —D. De Haan We cannot avoid growing old; but we can avoid growing cold Deuteronomy 32:45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, BRINGING THE SONG TO AN END When Moses had finished (same Hebrew word in Dt 7:22; Dt 20:9; Dt 26:12; Dt 28:21; D. 31:24; Dt 32:23) speaking all these words to all Israel - This is preparation for Moses' final exhortation. The Septuagint translates finished with sunteleo which means to bring something to an end, in this case it was Moses' song and also the end of his life as the following verses testify. Finished (complete)(03615) kalah to be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent. To bring a process to completion. To consummate. It can have a positive connotation (Ge 2:1-2), but more often is used in a negative sense. The completion of a project naturally leads to the cessation of the activity. J. R. MILLER. Moses made an end of speaking. So we all shall do some day. Moses knew it was the end for him; we may not know when our end is at hand. Any word of ours, spoken amid glee and merriment, may be our last. If we always thought of this would it not make us more careful? Would we ever say an unkind word to a friend, if we felt that we may never have an opportunity to unsay it or atone for it? Would we ever utter an angry, untrue, or unclean word, if we only remembered that it may be the last utterance our lips shall give forth? We want to have beautiful endings to our life, to leave sweet memories behind us in the hearts of those who love us. We want our names to be fragrant in the homes on whose thresholds our footfalls are wont to be heard. We want the memory of our last words in our friends’ ears to live as a tender joy with them as the days pass away. We can be sure of all this only by making every word we speak beautiful enough to be our last word. For with any sentence we may come to the end of our speaking. Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. De 6:6,7 Dt 11:18 1Ch 22:19 Pr 3:1-4 Eze 40:4 Lu 9:44 Heb 2:1 Related Passages: Deuteronomy 4:26+ I call heaven and earth to witness (ʿûḏ) against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. Deuteronomy 8:19+ “It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify (ʿûḏ) against you today that you will surely perish. Deuteronomy 30:19+ “I call heaven and earth to witness (ʿûḏ) against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, Deuteronomy 5:1+ Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. Deuteronomy 28:58-59+ “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. MOSES FINAL WARNING he said to them, "Take to your heart The idea of the Hebrew verb (sum) is to put something somewhere and was used in Daniel 1:8+ where Daniel "made up (sum) his mind (placed it on his heart) that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food." In Dt 32:46 the Septuagint renders "take" with the verb prosecho which is a command in the present imperative to do this continually. Prosecho means to turn and hold one's mind (heart) on something, paying close attention to it. Prosecho was used as a nautical term to describe a ship holding it's course in a specific direction, which gives us a picture of what Moses is trying to teach the children of Israel just prior to crossing the Jordan to possess their possession. YLT: Set your heart to all the words which I am testifying against you DBY: Set your hearts unto all the words that I testify among you NKJV: Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you Heart (03824)(lebab) (leb - note that this discussion also includes the closely related noun lebab -03824) sometimes refers to a literal heart (Ex 28:29, 1Sa 25:37, 2Ki 9:24), but most often is used figurative to refer to what I term the "control center" of our being. Think of an Air Traffic Controller and how dysfunctional, even destructive it is when the controllers fail to function as they should. John
Deuteronômio 32
Wiersbe - Israel had sung the “Song of Moses” at the Red Sea (Ex. 15), celebrating their victory and God’s power; but this new song laments Israel’s apostasy and God’s chastening of His own people. In 31:19–30, God made it clear that the song was to be a witness to remind them of their sins. (Expository Outlines of the Old Testament) Steven
Deuteronômio 32
Wiersbe - God gave Moses this song to teach the people so that they would learn to love and obey Him (Dt. 31:19–30). Our songs today should follow this pattern by revealing the greatness and goodness of the Lord and thus encouraging us to live for Him (v. 3). The key image for God is “the Rock.” It speaks of His stability in a changing world and His dependability in a demanding world (v. 4). The Rock is our Savior (v. 15), Father (v. 18), and Deliverer (vv. 30–31). He is all that we need. Israel is compared to young eagles that must leave the nest and learn how to fly (vv. 11–12). But Israel is also God’s treasure, and He will protect His people (vv. 34–35). Moses reminded them not to forget their beginning (v. 18) or ignore their “latter end” (v. 29). Moses compared God’s Word to the rain and the dew (v. 2), which come down from heaven and bring life and refreshment to the earth. Much sharing of the Word may seem to be a waste, but the Word accomplishes God’s purposes whether we see it or not (Isa. 55:10–11). Much of this song is a warning to the people that they were prone to forget what God did for them and to turn from God to idols. We do not know how often they sang this song, but we do know that they did not take it to heart. Do God’s people today pay attention to what they are singing? (With the Word Bible Commentary) James Smith - THE SONG OF THE ROCK; OR, WHAT CHRIST IS TO HIS PEOPLE Deuteronomy 32 There are two rocks mentioned here. One represents the gods of the heathen, or the false foundations on which sin-blinded men build their vain hopes (v. 37). The other speaks of Christ as our strong, unchanging Saviour. So “that their rock is not as our Rock” (v. 31). “Their rock sold them” (v. 30). “Our Rock saves us” (v. 15). Christ, our Rock, is here represented as the— I. Giver of Life. “The Rock begat thee” (v. 18). With other religions it is only a being converted to a system. With the Christian it is a being born of God (1 John 5:1). Nothing less will suffice (John 3:3). HE must quicken (Eph. 2:1) II. Saviour of Men. “The Rock of his salvation” (v. 15). Christ’s Name, works, death, resurrection, all proclaim Him a Saviour, and that to the exclusion of every one and everything else (Acts 4:12). Those who build without this Rock will be confounded (Luke 6:48, 49). Their rock is only the treacherous sands of their own imaginations. III. Source of Supply. “He made him suck honey and oil from the Rock” (v. 13). The honey and the oil may speak of sweetness and refreshing, of strength and anointing, or of the grace of Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost. See the connection between Christ’s death and the gift of the Spirit in Galatians 3:13, 14; 4:4–6. IV. Perfect Worker. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect” (v. 4). What He begins He finishes (Phil. 1:6). The believer’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption begun in Christ are perfected in Him (Col. 2:10; Eccles. 3:4). The work He had perfected for us, He wishes to perfect in us (Phil. 2:13). V. Incomparable Master. “Their rock is not as our Rock” (v. 31). The rocks of the ungodly fail them in the day of trial (v. 30; 1 Kings 18:26). Ye serve the Lord Christ, the chiefest among ten thousand. He will never forsake you (Heb. 13:5, 6). Our Rock is immutable, all the storms of earth and time cannot move it, nor will all the ages of a coming eternity change it. A young woman lay a-dying whose father was an infidel, but whose mother was a Christian. “Now that I am dying,” said the girl to her father, “shall I believe you or mother?” He answered, “Believe your mother.” Truly their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. QUESTION - What is the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1–43)? ANSWER - There are at least three songs that Moses wrote. One was sung after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15), one is recorded in Psalm 90, and the other was written in the last days of Moses’ life, in Deuteronomy 32. As his time on earth drew to a close, Moses tied up several loose ends in his ministry, following God’s instructions in setting everything in order. God told Moses to write a song, commonly called “The Song of Moses,” and teach it to the people (Deuteronomy 31:19, 30). The Lord then commissioned Joshua, Moses’ replacement (Dt 31:23). Finally, Moses wrote down the entire Law as he had received it from God (Dt 31:24) and gave it to the Levites to keep with the ark of the covenant (Dt 31:25). God required the Israelites to learn the Song of Moses in anticipation of their future apostasy in the Promised Land. God knew that, despite His blessings, Israel would turn their backs on Him and follow other gods, bringing divine judgment. When that happened, the song they had learned generations previous would “be a witness . . . against them. . . . When many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them” (Deuteronomy 31:19, 21). The Song of Moses had both a prophetic purpose (it predicted the nation’s falling away) and a didactic purpose (it taught the faithfulness of God and the consequences of sin). The song that Moses recited to the people takes up the better part of chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32:44 says that Joshua aided Moses in the recitation of this inspired song. The same day that Israel learned the Song of Moses, God directed Moses to climb Mt. Nebo, where Moses would be laid to rest (Dt 32:48–50). The song begins with a universal call to listen, followed by praise of the just, faithful, and upright God (Deuteronomy 32:1–4). In contrast to God’s faithfulness is Israel’s unfaithfulness (Dt 32:5–6). The song proceeds to recite the history of Israel from their time of bondage in Egypt, through their wilderness wanderings, to their established place in the Promised Land (Dt 32:7–14). The Song of Moses then becomes prophetic: Israel’s future ingratitude and idolatry are predicted, as are the judgments of God for their sin (Dt 32:15–31). Then God promises to avenge Israel against their (and His) enemies, showing compassion on His people (Dt 32:32–42). The song ends on a joyful note, as God’s punishment is past, righteousness is restored, and the land of Israel cleansed (Dt 32:43). A major theme of the Song of Moses is God’s faithfulness. He is called “the Rock” four times in the song (Deuteronomy 32:15, 18, 30–31). Even as God’s people are chasing whims and trusting feeble gods, God remains their steadfast, unchanging Source of Salvation. The last words of the Song of Moses are a promise that God will “make atonement for his land and people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). This is a significant promise, because the atonement for God’s people is none other than the sacrifice of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:20). GotQuestions.org Deuteronomy 32:2 "Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. drop : 2Sa 23:4 Job 29:22,23 Ps 72:6 Isa 55:10,11 Ho 6:4 14:5 1Co 3:6-8 Heb 6:7 as the showers : Mic 5:7 Zec 10:1 Deuteronomy 32 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TEACHING LIKE RAIN ON A DRY SOUL Moses poetic description reminds me of Paul's words in Ephesians 5:26+ speaking of the Bride of Christ "so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." This the effect Moses desired for the OT Wife of Jehovah, the nation of Israel. He wanted them to memorize his "Song" so that they might frequently repeat it and enjoy the blessing of God's Word which is always "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." (2 Ti 3:16+). Let my teaching drop as the rain - My teaching means literally, "my taking'' as if to say the my teaching were first "taken'' from God on Mt Sinai ( Ex 19:2-3+) Sadly Moses' teaching did drop like rain (words) from Heaven (from God), but Israel was like a nation of ducks and the raindrops were like "water on a duck's back!" That is to say, Moses' teaching was for the most part (as one review Israel's subsequent history) without having any significant, lasting, or apparent impact on the nation as a whole. THOUGHT - As Israel's great teacher, Moses set an example not only for the Old Testament prophets, but for every person called to be a minister of the Word today. He took from God and gave vital, refreshing words to the people. (Disciple's Study Bible) Warren Wiersbe - Moses compared God’s Word to the rain and the dew (v. 2), which come down from heaven and bring life and refreshment to the earth. Much sharing of the Word may seem to be a waste, but the Word accomplishes God’s purposes whether we see it or not (Isa. 55:10–11).(With the Word Commentary) My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb - All these figures of speech (rain...dew..droplets...showers) speak of something we all love to hear and receive. There is nothing like the sound of gentle rain outside. And the recipients (fresh grass, herb) are benefited by the moisture. So too the souls of the people would be benefited by the "washing of the water with the word" from Moses. THOUGHT - Ephesians 5:26+ says of the church Jesus' bride "so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." Note the effects "setting apart" from the world and to service to God and cleansing her from sin. Moses' Song is now to believers the entire Word of God! God's Word will never return void... Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. NET NOTE on dew - Or "mist," "light drizzle." In some contexts the term appears to refer to light rain, rather than dew.
Deuteronômio 32
Wiersbe - Moses closed the song, Joshua standing with him, by appealing to the people to take the message to heart and teach the song to their children, so that future generations would obey the Law and avoid idolatry. (See Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7; 11:19; Ex. 10:2; 12:26.) The Word of God is the life of God's people, just as God is our life (Deut. 30:20); for the Word communicates to us the truth about God and His gracious blessings. To receive and obey the Word is to share in the life of God. "They are not just idle words for you—they are your life" (Deut 32:47NIV). "For the word of God is living and powerful" (Heb. 4:12). (Be Equipped) Wayne Grudem quotes Dt 32:47 in his discussion of the necessity of the Bible writing "The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but it is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws." He goes on then in point "B" to note "The Bible is necessary for maintaining spiritual life. (118) (Mt. 4:4; Deut. 32:47; 1 Peter 2:2)" (The Word of God - The Authority of Scripture - Part 2) And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess - "By this Word" conveys the sense of "by means of" this Word. Obedience to the Word is associated with "long" life, fullness of life with bountiful blessings! The reason I place "long" in quotes is that some godly obedient saints have had a short earthly life, but they redeemed the time God had allotted them. Driver on prolong your days- the natural Deuteronomic sequel of “your life”: cf. Dt 30:20 and on Dt 4:26 Prolong your days... Deuteronomy 5:16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you. Deuteronomy 6:2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God (NOTE THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF HEALTHY, HOLY FEAR OF THE LORD - DO YOU HAVE THIS AS YOUR "GUARD AND SHIELD?"), to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Deuteronomy 11:8-9 (OBEDIENCE) “You shall therefore keep every commandment which I am commanding you today, so that you may be strong and go in and possess the land into which you are about to cross to possess it; so that you may prolong your days on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. COMMENT: MARK IT DOWN - ISRAEL WAS TO POSSESS THEIR PROMISED OF MILK AND HONEY BY OBEDIENCE. BELIEVERS ARE TO POSSESS THEIR PROMISED LIFE, LIFE ABUNDANT - Jn 10:10 - BY OBEDIENCE! HOW ARE YOU DOING BELOVED? Deuteronomy 25:15 (HONESTY, INTEGRITY) “You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. So the Word of God heard and heeded (obeyed) will enable them to possess the land and live in the land which God had promised. For NT believers, the promises include every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3), so the blessing to us is not a promised land but a promised life, indeed, an abundant life (Jn 10:10)! Thoralf Gilbrant - These were “not just idle words” to bind people in a pattern of legalism; they were God-spoken words designed to impart life. Longevity and prosperity in the divinely Promised Land awaited them if they adopted the life-style prescribed in the words God had spoken to them. (Complete Biblical Library Commentary) Possess (03423)(yarash) means to take possession, to inherit, to drive out and is usually used in connection with the idea of conquering a land. This is the same verb Jehovah used when He gave this promise to Abram = "And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." (Genesis 15:7, also used in Ge 22:17 of the promise to Abram's seed, cp Ge 28:4) The Lxx uses kleronomeo from kleros (First a pebble, piece of wood used in casting lots as in Acts 1:26 then the allotted portion or inheritance, and so a lot, heritage) and it means to receive a lot or share of an inheritance, inherit a portion of property or receive a possession as gift from someone who has died. As noted below a major theme of the book of Deuteronomy is possession of the land. This theme continued throughout Israel’s history and prophetic message. Possession of the land was directly connected to a person’s relationship with the Lord; breaking the covenantal relationship led to dispossession. But even in exile, Israelites awaited the day when they would repossess the land (Jer. 30:3 referring to a future fulfillment when the Messiah returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom). Yaras is a key word (key verb) in the book of Deuteronomy, the second giving of the law to Israel as they prepared to go and take possession of the promised land. Of the over 200 uses note that the majority (about 63 verses) are found in the book of Deuteronomy... Deut. 1:8; Deut. 1:21; Deut. 1:39; Deut. 2:12; Deut. 2:21; Deut. 2:22; Deut. 2:24; Deut. 2:31; Deut. 3:12; Deut. 3:18; Deut. 3:20; Deut. 4:1; Deut. 4:5; Deut. 4:14; Deut. 4:22; Deut. 4:26; Deut. 4:38; Deut. 4:47; Deut. 5:31; Deut. 5:33; Deut. 6:1; Deut. 6:18; Deut. 7:1; Deut. 7:17; Deut. 8:1; Deut. 9:1; Deut. 9:3; Deut. 9:4; Deut. 9:5; Deut. 9:6; Deut. 9:23; Deut. 10:11; Deut. 11:8; Deut. 11:10; Deut. 11:11; Deut. 11:23; Deut. 11:29; Deut. 11:31; Deut. 12:1; Deut. 12:2; Deut. 12:29; Deut. 15:4; Deut. 16:20; Deut. 17:14; Deut. 18:12; Deut. 18:14; Deut. 19:1; Deut. 19:2; Deut. 19:14; Deut. 21:1; Deut. 23:20; Deut. 25:19; Deut. 26:1; Deut. 28:21; Deut. 28:42; Deut. 28:63; Deut. 30:5; Deut. 30:16; Deut. 30:18; Deut. 31:3; Deut. 31:13; Deut. 32:47; Deut. 33:23; James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose Deuteronomy 32:47 I. What the Word Of God is Not. "It is not a vain thing." 1. Because its QUICKENING power is needed (Psa. 119:5). 2. Because it has ILLUMINATING power (Psa. 119:105). 3. Because of its IRRESISTIBLE power (Jer. 23:29). II. To Whom it is No Vain Thing. "It is no vain thing for you." For you who have heard and believed. III. Why it is No Vain Thing. "Because it is your life." 1. It is the SOURCE of your life (1 Peter 1:23-25). 2. It is the SUSTENANCE of your life (1 Peter 2:2). 3. It is the STRENGTH of your life (Eph. 6:17). John Butler - Analytical Bible Expositor...The Recommendation About the Song (Deut. 32:46-47) Moses not only repeated the song to the people, but he also gave some recommendations regarding the song. • The consecration for the song. "Set your hearts unto all the words" (Deuteronomy 32:46). The heart must be upon the words of the song if the song is to do them any good. David said, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). If you do not love the Word of God, you will not meditate upon it, and you will soon forget it. There is not much love for the Scriptures today which explains many of the problems in our land and of our people. • The command about the song. "Command your children to observe... all the words" (Deuteronomy 32:46). Teaching the children the Scriptures is vital. Our day is guilty of teaching the children everything but the Scripture, and this produces a great many problems in the land. • The character of the song. "It is not a vain thing" (Deuteronomy 32:47). The world plays down the value of the Scripture and would have us believe that there is little if any worth in the Word of God. But Moses exhorts otherwise here to the Israelites. • The compensation in the song. "Through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land" (Deuteronomy 32:47). If Israel heeds the words of this song, which is the Word of God, they will prolong their stay in the land. The captivity exposed their failure to abide by the Divine Word. (Analytical Bible Expositor – Leviticus to Deuteronomy) Spurgeon takes the word as pointing to one's personal religion...Religion-a reality The Christian dispensation is one which requires much faith to receive it. We walk not by sight, but by faith alone; and it is little marvel that when ungodly men see the righteous afflicted, and discover that their comfort lies in matters which only faith can apprehend, they should cry out, “It is a vain thing,” and should turn aside from the ordinances of God. Besides, to confess the truth, there have been so many counterfeits of true religion, that it is not remarkable that unconverted men should consider even the genuine article to be but a vain thing. I. The true religion of Christ, which consists in a vital faith in His person, His blood, and His righteousness, and which produces obedience to His commands and a love to God, is not a fiction. 1. The objects of true religion are, to those who believe in Jesus, no fiction. 2. The experience which true religion brings is no fiction. 3. There is a reality in the privileges of religion. 4. The religion of Christ is evidently not a vain thing if you look at its effects. 5. To the man who really possesses it, it is his life. His religion is not like a man’s regimentals, which he can take off and go in undress; it is inside of him; it is woven right through and through him. II. It is no trifle. 1. It deals with your souls. 2. It connects you with God. 3. Those who have ever known anything of it tell you it is no “child’s play.” 4. Sinners, when they are in their senses, find it no trifle. 5. True ministers of God feel it to be no trifle. III. It is no folly. If you would accomplish the proudest feat of human intellect, it is to attain to the knowledge of Christ crucified. Here the man whose mind makes him elephantine may find depth in which he may swim. Here the most recondite learning shall find itself exhausted. Here the most brilliant imagination shall find its highest flights exceeded, Here the man who understands history may crown his knowledge by the history of God in the world; here men who would know the secret, the greatest secret which heaven and earth and hell can tell, may find it out, for the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. All the learning of man is doubtless folly to the angels, but the foolishness of God in the Gospel is wisdom to cherubim and seraphim, and by the Church shall be made known to them in ages to come the manifold wisdom of God, IV. It is no speculation. People sometimes ask us what we think about the heathen, whether they will be saved or not, Well, sirs, there is room for difference of opinion there; but I should like to know what you think about yourselves--will you be saved or not?--for after, all,. that is a question of a deal more importance to you. Now, the religion of Christ is not a thing that puts a man into a salvable state, but it saves him. It is not a religion which offers him something which perhaps may save him; no, it saves him out and out, on the spot. It is not a thing which says to a man, “Now, I have set you a-going, yon must keep on yourself.” No, it goes the whole way through, and saves him from beginning to end. He that says “Alpha” never stops till He can say “Omega” over every soul. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Religion a Reality "For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life." Deuteronomy 32:47 . June 22nd, 1862 by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892) It appears from this closing remark of Moses, that there were men in his time who thought religion to be vain, although, under the system which then existed, there were many plain proofs of its usefulness: for they who served God in those days prospered, and national advantages always followed nation obedience to God. Under the theocratic government of the Israelites in the wilderness, and in their early history when established in Canaan, their offences against God's law brought upon them famine, plague, or the scourge of marauding hosts; while repentance and a return to allegiance always brought them a deliverer, and a restoration of peace and plenty. They had visibly before their eyes proofs that God did reward virtue; and yet, notwithstanding this, there were some so besotted against God, that they said, "It is a vain thing to serve the Lord." Do you wonder, therefore, that there should be many such under the gospel? It would, indeed, be marvellous if there were not many more, for the gospel is a far more spiritual system than the Jewish dispensation, and its blessings are not of a carnal order. No blessing apparent to carnal eyes rests upon the godly, but sometimes the case appears to be reversed: we see the wicked prosper, and the righteous are trodden under foot. The Christian dispensation is one which requires much faith to receive it. We walk not by sight, but by faith alone; and it is little marvel that when ungodly men see the righteous afflicted, and discover that their comfort lies in matters which only faith can apprehend, they should cry out, "It is a vain thing," and should turn aside from the ordinances of God. Besides, to confess the truth, there have been so many counterfeits of true religion, that it is not remarkable that unconverted men should consider even the genuine article to be but a vain thing. Men have made pretences of wondrous sanctity, whilst inwardly full of rottenness; and sinners have learned to argue with terrible logic: "They are none of them good; they are all deceivers; the best of them are hypocrites, and religion itself is a vain thing." However false may be the conclusion here and we believe it to be utterly so yet we do not wonder that men, desiring to believe religion to be a falsehood, have found some support for their unbelief in the hypocrisy of professors. Now we will grant you this morning that much of the religion which is abroad in the world is a vain thing. The religion of ceremonies is vain. If a man shall trust in the gorgeous pomp of uncommanded mysteries, if he shall consider that there resides some mystic efficacy in a priest, and that by uttering certain words a blessing is infallibly received, we tell him that his religion is a vain thing. You might as well go to the Witch of Endor for grace as to a priest; and if you rely upon words, the " Abracadabra " of a magician will as certainly raise you to heaven, or rather sink you to hell, as the performances of the best ordained minister under heaven. Ceremonies in themselves are vain, futile, empty. There are but two of God's ordaining, they are most simple, and neither of them pretend to have any efficacy in themselves. They only set forth an inward and spiritual grace, not necessarily tied to them, but only given to those who by faith perceive their teachings. All ceremonial religion, no matter how sincere, if it consist in relying upon forms and observances, is a vain thing. So with creed-religion by which I mean not to speak against creeds, for I love "the form of sound words," but that religion which lies in believing with the intellect a set of dogmas, without partaking of the life of God; all this is a vain thing. Again, that religion which only lies in making a profession of what one does not posses , in wearing the Christian name, and observing the ritual of the Church, but which does not so affect the character as to make a man holy, nor so touch the heart as to make a man God's true servant such a religion is vain throughout. O my dear hearers, how much worthless religion may you see everywhere! So long as men get the name, they seem content without the substance. Everywhere, it matters not to what Church you turn your eye, you see a vast host of hypocrites, numerous as flies about a dead carcase. On all sides there are deceivers, and deceived; who write "Heaven" upon their brows, but have hell in their hearts; who hang out the sign of an angel over their doors, but have the devil for a host within. Take heed to yourselves; be not deceived, for he who tries the heart and searches the reins of the children of men is not mocked, and he will surely discern between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not. But with all these allowances, we still this morning assert most positively that the religion of Christ Jesus, that which has been revealed to us of the Holy Ghost by the apostles and prophets, and specially by the Messiah himself, when truly received into the heart, is no vain thing. We shall handle the text four ways, taking the word "vain" in different shades of meaning. It is no fiction it is no trifle; it is no folly; it is no speculation . In each case we will prove our assertion by the second sentence "Because it is your life." I. First, then, the true religion of Christ, which consists in a vital faith in his person, his blood, and his righteousness, and which produces obedience to his commands, and a love to God, IS NOT A FICTION. I am not going to argue this morning. I was never sent to argue, but to teach and speak dogmatically. I assert in the name of all those who have tried it, that true religion is not a fiction to us . It is to us the grandest of all realities, and we hope that our testimony and witness, if we be honest men, may prevail with others who may be sceptical upon this point. We say, then, that the objects of true religion are, to those who believe in Jesus, no fiction. God the Father to whom we look with the spirit of adoption, is no fiction to us. I know that to some men the Divine Being is a mere abstraction. As to communing with him, as to speaking to him, they think such wonders may have occurred to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, but to them such things are impossible. Now we do solemnly assure you, as men who would not lie in this matter, that God the Father is to us as real a person as the man from whose loins we sprang, and that we have as surely talked unto him, and he has as truly spoken to our hearts as ever we have spoken with our friend, and have been answered by him. We tell you that to us the being of God is a fact which influences our whole life, checks us when we would sin, forbids our weaker passions to rebel, and nerves our nobler powers to do or suffer. Our consciousness, our experience, our emotions, and our whole being, tell us that there is a God. We have had personal dealings with him; he has been with us in our chamber; we have seen his face in the sanctuary; we have cast our cares upon him; and therefore to us the Eternal and indwelling Father is no fiction. So is it with Christ Jesus . To mere professors Christ Jesus is never anything but a myth. They believe there was such a man, but he is only an historical personage to them. To true believers in Christ, however, he is a real person, now existing, and now dwelling in the hearts of his people. And oh! I bear my witness that if there be anything which has ever been certified to my consciousness it is the existence of Jesus, the man, the Son of God. Oh friends, have we not, when our soul has been in a rapture, thrust our finger into the prints of the nails? Have we not been so drawn away from the outward world, that in spiritual communings we could say, He was to us as our brother that sucked the breasts of our mother, and when we found him without we did embrace him, and we would not let him go? His left hand has been under our head, and his right hand has embraced us. I know this will sound like a legend even to men who profess to be Christ's followers, but I question the reality of your piety if Christ be not one for whom you live, and in whom you dwell; with whom you walk, and in whom you hope soon to sleep that you may wake up in his likeness. A real Christ and a real God no man has real religion till he knows these. So again the Holy Spirit , who is, with the Father and the Son, the one God of Israel; the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, indivisibly One and yet everlastingly Three the Holy Spirit is also real, for "He, in our hearts of sin and woe Makes living streams of grace arise, Which into boundless glory flow." Tell us there is no Spirit? Why, about this we can speak positively. A fool may say that there is no magnetic influence, and that no electric streams can flow along the wires, but they who have once been touched by that mysterious power know it; and the Holy Spirit's influence on men is quite as much within the sphere of our recognition, if we have ever felt it, as is the influence of galvanism or magnetism. Those who have once felt the spiritual life know when it is flowing in; when its strength is withdrawn, and when it returns anew. They know that at times they can do all things; their heaviest trial is a joy, and their weightiest burden a delight; and that at other times they can do nothing, being bowed down to the very dust with weakness. They know that at times they enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ, and that at other times they are disturbed in spirit. They have discovered, too, that these changes do not depend upon the weather, nor upon circumstances, nor upon any relation of one thought to another, but upon certain secret, mystic, and divine impulses which come forth from the Spirit of God, which make a man more than man, for he is filled with Deity from head to foot, and whose withdrawal makes him feel himself less than man, for he is filled with sin and drenched with iniquity, till he loatheth his own being. Tell us there is no Holy Spirit! We have seen his goings in the sanctuary, but as we shall have to mention these by-and-bye, we pass on, and only now affirm that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are to true Christians no fiction, no dream, no fancy, but as real and as true as persons whom we can see, things which we can handle, or viands which we can taste. But further, we can also say that the experience which true religion brings is no fiction. Believe me, sirs, it is no fiction to repent ; for there is a bitterness in it which makes it all too real. Oh, the agony of sin lying on an awakened conscience! If you have ever felt it, it will seem to you as the ravings of a madman when any shall tell you that religion is not real! When the great hammer of the law broke our hearts in pieces, it was a stern reality. These eyes have sometimes, before I knew the Saviour, been ready to start from my head with horror, and my soul has often been bowed down with a grief far too terrible ever to be told to my fellow-man, when I felt that I was guilty before God, that my Maker was angry with me, that he must punish me, and that I deserved and must suffer his eternal wrath. I do assure you there was no fiction there! And when the Spirit of God comes into the heart and takes all our grief away, and gives us joy and peace in believing in Christ , there is no fiction then. Of course, to other men this is no evidence, except they will believe our honesty; but to us it is the very best of evidence. We were bidden to believe on Christ; it was all we were to do: to look to his cross, to believe him to be the propitiation for sin, and to trust in him to save us; we did so, and oh, the joy of that moment! In one instant we leaped from the depths of hell to the very heights of heaven in experience; dragged up out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, our feet were set upon a rock, and we could sing for very joy. Oh, the mirth! oh, the bliss! oh, the ecstacy of the soul that can say "Happy, happy, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away, Happy, happy, happy day." That was no fiction, surely. If it be so, I will continue to cry, "Blessed fiction! blessed dream! may I contrive to believe thee; may I always be so deluded if this is to be deluded and misled!" Since then , look at the believer's experience. He has had as many troubles as other men have, but oh, what comforts he has had! He lost his wife, and as he stood there and thought his heart would break, he could still say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Child after child sickened before his loving gaze, and as they went one after the other to the tomb where he often wished he could have slept instead of them while he mourned and wept as Jesus did, yet still he could say, "Though he slay me yet will I trust in him." When the house was burned when the property vanished when trade ran ill when character was slandered when the soul was desponding and all but despairing, yet there came in that one ray of light, "Christ is all, and all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose." I can tell you, that Christians have often had their brightest days when other people thought they were in their darkest nights; and they have often had the best of dainties when there was a famine abroad. Is this a fiction? O sirs, we challenge you to find so blessed a fiction as this elsewhere! I saw last Friday a sight, enough to make one weep indeed: there in the back-room of the house, lay a fine youth, a member of this Church, sickening and near to death of consumption, and he talked to me joyously of his prospect of entering into the rest which remaineth for the people of God; there in the front-room, on the same floor, lay his sister, I suppose but some two years younger, withering under the same disease; and there sat the tender mother with her two children, thinking to lose them both within a few days, and though she said, it was natural to weep, yet she could say even under this sharp trial, "The Lord's name be magnified in it all." I say there was no fiction there. If you who think there is a fiction in such things could live among Christians if you could see the poor cheerfully suffering if you could mark the sick and how joyously they bear their pains-if you could see the dying and hear their shouts of triumph, you would say, "There is a reality here; there is something in true religion; let me die the death of the righteous; let my last end be like his!" But yet further; as we are sure there is a reality in the objects and in the experience of true godliness, so are we quite clear that there is a reality in its privileges . One of the privileges of the Christian is prayer . It is the believer's privilege, to go to God an ask for what he wants, and have it. Now, sirs, I am absolutely certain that prayer is a reality. I shall not tell here my own experience. One reads not his love-letters in the streets, one tells not his own personal dealings with God in public; but if there be a fact that can be proved by ten thousand instances, and which therefore no reasonable man has any right to doubt if there be anything that is true under heaven, it is true that God hears prayer when it cometh not out of feigned lips, and is offered through Jesus Christ. I know when we tell the story out, men smile and say, "Ah, these were singular coincidences!" Why, I have seen in my life, answers to prayer so remarkable, that if God had rent the curtain of the heavens and thrust out his arm to work a deliverance, it could not have been more decidedly and distinctly a divine interposition than when he listened to my feeble cry for help. I speak not of myself as though I were different from other men in this, for it is so with all who have real godliness. They know that God hears them; they prove it to-day; they intend to prove it at this very hour. Communion with Christ is another reality. The shadow of his cross is too refreshing to be a dream, and the sunlight of his face is too bright to be a delusion. Precious Jesus! thou art a storehouse of substantial delights and solid joy. Then, the privileges of Christian Love towards one another are real. I know they are not with some men. Why, look you at some of your fashionable Churches; if the poor people were to speak to the richer ones, what would the rich ones think of them? Why, snap their heads half off, and send them about their business! But where there is true Christianity, we feel that the only place in the world where there can ever be liberty, equality, and fraternity, is in the Church of Christ. To attempt this politically, is but to attempt an impossibility; but to foster it in the Church of God, where we are all allied to God, is but to nourish the very spirit of the gospel. I say there is a reality in Christian love, for I have seen it among my flock; and though some do not show it as they should, yet my heart rejoices that there is so much hearty brotherly love among you, and thus your religion is not a vain thing. Once more upon this point, for I am spending all my time here while I need it for other points. The religion of Christ is evidently not a vain thing if you look at its effects . We will not take you abroad now to tell you of the effects of the gospel of Christ in the South Sea. We need not remind you of what it has done for the heathen, but let me tell you what it has done for men here . Ah! brethren, you will not mind my telling out some of the secrets, secrets that bring the tears to my eyes as I reflect upon them. When I speak of the thief, the harlot, the drunkard, the sabbath-breaker, the swearer, I may say "Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye rejoice in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." How many a man has been going by the door there, and has said "I'll go in and hear Old Spurgeon." He came in to make merriment of the preacher, and very little that troubles him . But the man has stood there until the Word has gone home to him, and he who was wont to beat his wife, and to make his home a hell, has before long been to see me, and given me a grip of the hand and said, "God Almighty bless you, sir; there is something in true religion!" "Well, let us hear your tale," We have heard it, and delightful it has been in hundreds of instances. "Very well, send your wife, and let us hear what she says about you." The woman has come, and we have said "Well, what think you of your husband now, ma'am?" "Oh, sir, such a change I never saw in my life! He is so kind to us; he is like an angel now, and he seemed like a fiend before; Oh! that cursed drink, sir! everything went to the public-house; and then if I went up to the house of God, he did nothing but abuse me. Oh! to think that now he comes with me on Sunday; and the shop is shut up, sir; and the children who used to be running about without a bit of shoe or stocking, he takes them on his knee, and prays with them so sweetly. Oh! there is such a change!" Surly people say "Will it last? Will it last?" Well, I have seen it last the eight years of my pastorate, in many cases, and I know it will last for ever, for I am persuaded that it is God's work. We will put it to all the Social Science Societies; we will put it to all the different religions under heaven, whether they know the art of turning sinners into saints; whether they can make lions into lambs, and ravens into doves. Why I know a man who was as stingy a soul as could be, once, and now he is as generous a man as walks God's earth. There is another, he was not immoral, but he was passionate, and now he is as quiet as a lamb. It is grace that has altered these characters, and yet you tell me that this is a fiction! I have not patience to answer you. A fiction! If religion does not prove itself to be true by these facts, then do not believe it; if it does not, when it comes into a neighborhood, turn it upside down, sweep the cobwebs out of its sky, clean the houses, take the men out of the public-houses; if it does not make swearers pray, and hard-hearted men tender and compassionate, then it is not worth a button. But our religion does do all this, and therefore we boldly say, it is not a vain thing. Besides, to the man who really possesses it, it is his life . He is not a man and a Christian, but he is all a Christian. He is not as some are, men and Members of Parliament, who have many things to attend to, and attend Parliament also; but the man who is thoroughly a Christian is a Christian every bit of him. He lives Christianity; he eats it; he drinks it; he sleeps it; he walks it. Wherever you see him, he has his religion. His religion is not like a man's regimentals which he can take off an go in undress; it is inside of him; it is woven right through and through him. When the shuttle of his religion was thrown, it went right through the core of his heart, and you must kill that man to get his religion out of him. Racks may tear his nerves and sinews, but they cannot tear away his hope, for it is essentially and vitally part and parcel of himself. Ah! my ladies and gentlemen, you who think religion is no more real than the life of a butterfly, it is you who are unreal in your fancies, and your follies; religion is the substance, and your life is only the shadow! Oh! you workingmen, who think that to be godly is but to indulge a dream, you know not what you say. All else is fiction but this; all else is but a moon-beam phantom, but this is sun-lit reality. God give you grace to get it, and then you will feel we have not spoken too strongly, but rather have spoken too little of that which is essentially and really true. II. Secondly, "It is not a vain thing" that is, IT IS NO TRIFLE. If religion be false, it is the basest imposition under heaven; but if the religion of Christ be true, it is the most solemn truth that ever was known! It is not a thing that a man dares to trifle with if it be true, for it is at his soul's peril to make a jest of it. If it be not true it is detestable, but if it be true it deserves all a man's faculties to consider it, and all his powers to obey it. It is not a trifle. Briefly consider why it is not. It deals with your soul . If it dealt with your body it were no trifle, for it is well to have the limbs of the body sound, but it has to do with your soul . As much as a man is better than the garments that he wears, so much is the soul better than the body. It is your immortal soul it deals with. Your soul has to live for ever, and the religion of Christ deals with its destiny. Can you laugh at such words as heaven and hell, at glory and at damnation? If you can, if you think these trifles, then is the faith of Christ to be trifled with. Consider also with whom it connects you with God ; before whom angels bow themselves and veil their faces. Is HE to be trifled with? Trifle with your monarch if you will, but not with the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Recollect that those who have ever known anything of it tell you it is no child's play. The saints will tell you it is no trifle to be converted. They will never forget the pangs of conviction, nor the joys of faith. They tell you it is no trifle to have religion, for it carries them through all their conflicts, bears them up under all distresses, cheers them under every gloom, and sustains them in all labour. They find it no mockery. The Christian life to them is something so solemn, that when they think of it they fall down before God, and say, "Hold thou me up and I shall be safe." And sinners , too, when they are in their senses, find it no trifle. When they come to die they find it no little thing to die without Christ. When conscience gets the grip of them, and shakes them, they find it no small thing to be without a hope of pardon with guilt upon the conscience, and no means of getting rid of it. And, sirs, true ministers of God feel it to be no trifle. I do myself feel it to be such an awful thing to preach God's gospel, that if it were not "Woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel," I would resign my charge this moment. I would not for the proudest consideration under heaven know the agony of mind I felt but this one morning before I ventured upon this platform! Nothing but the hope of winning souls from death and hell, and a stern conviction that we have to deal with the grandest of all realities, would bring me here. A pastor's office is no sinecure. A man that has the destinies of a kingdom under his control, may well feel his responsibility; but he who has the destiny of souls laid instrumentally at his door, must travail in birth, and know a mother's pangs; he must strive with God, and know an agony and yet a joy which no other man can meddle with. It is no trifle to us, we do assure you; oh! make it no trifle to yourselves. I know I speak to some triflers this morning, and perhaps to some trifling professors. Oh! professors, do not live so as to make worldlings think that your religion is a trifling thing! Be cheerful, but oh! be holy! Be happy, for that is your privilege; but oh! he heavenly-minded, for that is your duty. Let men see that you are not flirting with Christ, but that you are married to him. Let them see that you are not dabbling in this as in a little speculation, but that it is the business of your life, the stern business of all your powers to live to Christ, Christ also living in you. III. But next, and very briefly, for time will fly; the religion of Christ is no vain thing that is, IT IS NO FOLLY. Thinking men! Yes, by the way, we have had thinking men who have been able to think in so circuitous a manner that they have thought it consistent with their consciences to profess to hold the doctrines of the Church of England, and to be Romanists or infidels! God deliver us from ever being able to think in their way! I always dislike the presence of man who carries a gun with him which will discharge shot in a circle. Surely he is a very ill companion, and if he should turn your enemy how are you to escape from him? Give me a straightforward, downright man, who says what he means, and means what he says, and I would sooner have the grossest reprobate who will speak plainly what he means, than I would have the most dandy of gentlemen who would not hurt your feelings, but who will profess to believe as you do, while in his heart he rejects every sentiment, and abhors every thought which you entertain. I trust I do not speak to any persons here who can think so circuitously as this. Still, you say, "Well, but the religion of Christ, why, you see, it is the poor that receive it." Bless God it is! "Well, but not many thinking people receive it." Now that is not true, but at the same time, if they did not we would not particularly mind, because all thinking people do not think aright, and very many of them think very wrongly indeed; but such a man as Newton could think and yet receive the gospel, and master-minds, whom it is not mine just now to mention, have bowed down before the sublimity of the simple revelation of Christ, and have felt it to be their honour to lay their wealth of intellect at the feet of Christ. But, sirs, where is the folly of true religion! Is it a folly to be providing for the world to come? "Oh, no." Is it altogether a folly to believe that there is such a thing as justice? I trow not. And that if there be such a thing as justice it involves punishment? There is no great folly there. Well, then, is it any folly to perceive that there is no way of escaping from the effects of our offences except justice be satisfied? Is that folly? And if it be the fact that Christ has satisfied justice for all who trust in him, is it folly to trust him? If it be a folly to escape from the flames of hell, then let us be fools. If it be folly to lay hold of him who giveth us eternal life oh, blessed folly! let us be more foolish still. Let us take deep dives into the depths of this foolishness. God forbid that we should do anything else but glory in being such fools as this for Christ's sake! What, sirs, is your wisdom? your wisdom dwells in denying what your eyes can see a God; in denying what your consciences tell you that you are guilty; in denying what should be your best hope, what your spirit really craves after-redemption in Christ Jesus. Your folly lies in following a perverted nature, instead of obeying the dictates of one who points you to the right path. You are wise and you drink poison; we are fools and we take the antidote. You are wise and you hunt the shadow; we are fools and we grasp the substance. You are wise, and you labour and put your money into a bag which is full of holes, and spend it for that which is not bread, and which never gives you satisfaction; and we are fools enough to be satisfied, to be happy, to be perfectly content with heaven and God "I would not change my bless'd estate For all the world calls good or great; And while my faith can keep her hold, I envy not the sinner's gold." Blessed folly! Oh, blessed folly! But it is not a foolish thing; for it is your life . Ah, sirs, if you would have philosophy it is in Christ. If you would accomplish the proudest feat of human intellect, it is to attain to the knowledge of Christ crucified. Here the man whose mind makes him elephantine, may find depths in which he may swim. Here the most recondite learning shall find itself exhausted. Here the most brilliant imagination shall find its highest flights exceeded. Here the critic shall have enough to criticise throughout eternity; here the reviewer may review, and review again, and never cease. Here the man who understands history may crown his knowledge by the history of God in the world; here men who would know the secret, the greatest secret which heaven, and earth, and hell can tell, may find it out, for the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant. All the learning of man is doubtless folly to the angels, but the foolishness of God in the gospel is wisdom to cherubim and seraphim, and by the Church shall be made known to them in ages to come the manifold wisdom of God. IV. And now for the last point, hurriedly again: "It is not a vain thing," that is, IT IS NO SPECULATION, no hap-hazard. People sometimes ask us what we think about the heathen, whether they will be saved or not. Well, sirs, there is room for difference of opinion there; but I should like to know what you think about yourselves will you be saved or not? for after all that is a question of a deal more importance to you. Now the religion of Christ is not a thing that puts a man into a salvable state, but it saves him. It is not a religion which offers him something which perhaps may save him; no it saves him out and out, on the spot. It is not a thing which says to a man "Now I have set you a-going, you must keep on yourself." No, it goes the whole way through, and saves him from beginning to end. He that says "Alpha" never stops till he can say "Omega" over every soul. I say the religion of Christ: I know there are certain shadows of it which do not carry such a reality as this with them, but I say that the religion of the Bible, the religion of Jesus Christ, is an absolute certainty. "Whosoever believeth on him hath eternal life, and he shall never perish, neither shall he come into condemnation." "I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." "Well," says one, "I should like to know what this very sure religion is." Well, it is this "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Trust Christ with all that you have and you shall be saved. "Well," says one, "but when?" Why, now, here, this morning, on the spot: you shall be saved now. It is not a vain thing; it is not a speculation, for it is true to you now . The word is nigh thee; on thy lip and in thy heart. If thou wilt with thy heart believe on the Lord Jesus Christ thou shalt be saved, and saved now. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are Christ Jesus." This is a great and glorious truth, and it is true to-day "Whosoever believeth in him hath everlasting life." "But is it true to me?" saith one. My text says "It is not a vain thing for you ." "Oh, it will suit other people; it will not do for me." It will suit you , sir "It is not a vain thing for you because it is your life." If you have come up from the country, it is no vain thing for you, my dear friends; if you reside in town, amidst its noise and occupations, it is not a vain thing for you, my dear hearers. It is not a vain thing for any; if you do but lay hold of it, and it lays hold of you if you receive the reality and vitality of it into your soul, be you who you may, it will not be a vain thing to you; not a "perhaps" and an "if," a "but" and a "peradventure," but a "shall" and a "will," a divine, an eternal, an everlasting and immutable certainty. Whosoever believeth in Christ let the earth shake; let the mountains rock; let the sun grow old with age, and the moon quench her light shall be saved. Unless God can change his mind and that is impossible; unless God can break his word and to say so is blasphemy; unless Christ's blood can lose its efficacy and that can never be; unless the Spirit can be anything but Eternal and Omnipotent and to suppose so were ridiculous he that believeth on Christ, must at last, before the eternal throne, sing hallelujah to God and the Lamb. "Well," says one. " 'tis a vain thing, I'm sure, to me, for I'm only a poor working-man; religion no doubt, is a very fine thing for gentlefolk, but it doesn't do for a man as has to work hard, for he's something else to think on." Well, you are just the man that I should think it would do for. Why, it is little enough you have here, my dear friend, and that is the very reason why you should have eternal joys hereafter. If there be one man that religion can bless more than another and I do not know that there is it is the poor man in his humble cot. Why, this will put sweets into your cup; this will make your little into enough, and sometimes into more than enough; you shall be rich while you are poor, and happy when others think you are miserable. "Well," says the rich man, "It is nothing to me; I do not see that it will suit me." Why, it is the very thing for you , sir; in fact, you are the man who ought to have it, because, see what you have to lose when you die, unless you have religion to make up for it! What a loss it will be for you when you have to lose all your grandeur and substance! What a loss it will be for you to go from the table of Dives to the hell of Dives! Surely it is not a vain thing for you . "Well," says another, "but I am a moral and upright person; indeed, I do not think anybody can pull my character to pieces." I hope nobody wants to; but this is not a vain thing for you, because, let me tell you, that fine righteousness of yours is only fine in your own esteem. If you could only see it as God sees it, you would see it to be as full of holes as ever beggars' rags were when at last they were consigned to the dust-heap. I say your fine righteousness, my lady, and yours, Sir Squire from the country, no matter though you have given to the poor, and fed the hungry, and done a thousand good things; if you are relying on them, you are relying on rotten rags, in which God can no more accept you than he can accept the thief in his dishonesties. "All our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we are all as an unclean thing." It is not a vain thing for you, then. "Oh, but I am a young man just in my teens, and growing up to manhood; I think I ought to have a little pleasure." So I think, friend, and if you want a great deal of it, be a Christian. "Oh, but I think young people should enjoy themselves." So do I. I never was an advocate for making sheep without their first being lambs, and I would let the lambs skip as much as they like; but if you want to lead a happy and a joyous life, give you young days to Jesus. Who says that a Christian is miserable? Sir, you lie; I tell you to your teeth that you know not what Christianity is, or else you would know that the Christians are the most joyous people under heaven. Young man, I would like you to have a glorious youth; I would like you to have all the sparkle and the brilliance which your young life can give you. What have you better than to live and to enjoy yourself? But how are you to do it? Give your Creator your heart, and the thing is done. It is not a vain thing for you. "Ah!" says the old man, "but it is a vain thing for me; my time is over; if I had begun when I was a lad it might have done; but I am settled in my habits now; I feel sure, sir, it is too late for me; when I hear my grand-children say their prayers as they are going to bed, pretty dears, when they are singing their evening hymn, I wish I was a child again; but my heart has got hard, and I cannot say "Our Father' now; and when I do get to "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us,' I get stuck there, I do not know how to get over that, for I have not forgiven old Jones yet who robbed me in that lawsuit; and then you know I am infirm, and have these rheumatics, and a hundred other pains; I do not think religion will suit me." Well, it is just the very thing that will suit you, because it will make you young again. What, "Can a man be born again when he is old?" That is what Nicodemus asked. Yes, a man can be born again, so that the babe shall die a hundred years old. Oh! to make the autumn of your life and the coming winter of your last days into a new spring and a blessed summer-this is to be done by laying hold of Christ now; and then you shall feel in your old veins the young blood of the new spiritual life, and you will say, "I count the years I lived before a death , but now I begin to live." I do not know whether I have picked out every character; I am afraid I have not; but this thing I know, though you may be under there, or up in the corner yonder where my eye cannot reach you, yet you may hear this voice and I hope you may hear it when you are gone from this house back to your country-towns and to your houses "'Tis religion that can give Sweetest pleasures while we live! 'Tis religion must supply Solid comfort when we die. After death its joys will be Lasting as eternity! Be the living God my friend, Then my bliss shall never end." And this is the gospel which is preached unto you. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" that is trust him "and thou shalt be saved." May God bless you for Christ's sake. Amen. Deuteronomy 32:48 The LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, Nu 27:12,13 The LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying - John Maxwell entitles this last section "A Land to be Denied." Deuteronomy 32:49 "Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. mountain: De 34:1 Nu 33:47-48 and look at: De 34:2-5 Isa 33:17 2Co 5:1 Deuteronomy 32 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deut 34:1-5 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. Moses on Mt Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1+) Listen to Mt Nebo as you Ponder How Moses' May Have Felt GOD'S COMMAND TO GO, LOOK AND DIE! Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho - God is commanding Moses to make his final journey and at the end of this journey to fall asleep. Moses the man of God obeys God, leaving us an example to follow in his steps, that we would not sluggish but be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Heb 6:12+) Numbers 27:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. Mount Nebo (Nu 33:47, Dt 32:49, Dt 34:1) - (nee' boh) Place and divine name meaning, “height.” Mountain about twelve miles east of the mouth of the Jordan River from which Moses viewed the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:49 ). It rises over 4000 feet above the Dead Sea and gives an excellent view of the southwest, west, and as far north as Mount Hermon. Israel captured the area around Mount Nebo as they marched toward Canaan. They camped in the area of Mount Nebo opposite Jericho when the Balaam incident occurred (Numbers 22-24 ). During the period of the judges it was the possession of Eglon of Moab. David recaptured the area (2 Samuel 8:2 ), and it remained a part of Israel until Mesha rebelled and took control about 850 B.C. (See also Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible) NET NOTE - Abarim. This refers to the high plateau region of the Transjordan, the highest elevation of which is Mount Pisgah (or Nebo; cf. Deut 34:1). See also the note on the name "Pisgah" in Deut 3:17. Pisgah - (pihss' guh) Place name perhaps meaning, “the divided one.' Mountain in the Abarim range across the Jordan River from Jericho. Some Bible scholars believe it was part of Mount Nebo; others think it could have been a separate rise, either en-Neba or near modern Khirbet Tsijaga. God allowed Moses to view the Promised Land from the heights of Pisgah (Deuteronomy 34:1 ) but would not let him cross into Canaan. Israel had camped near Pisgah (Numbers 21:20 ). Balak took Balaam to its height so the prophet could see Israel and curse them (Numbers 23:14 ). It was a limit of Sihon's kingdom (Joshua 12:23 ); Ashdoth-pisgah in KJV) and also for the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:20 ). Driver - Go up to this mountain of the ʿAbārim] verbatim as Nu. 27:12. The “mountains of the ʿAbārim, in front of Nebo” are mentioned also Nu. 33:47f. The name—properly, no doubt, meaning, “of the parts beyond”—appears to have been applied to the range of mountains “beyond” (i.e. East of) Jordan, in which Nebo formed a particular ridge. ʿIyê (ruins of) ʿAbārim was the name of a station of the Israelites in the high ground S.E. of Moab (Nu. 21:11, 33:44) Unto Mount Nebo … fronting Jericho] these words are not in Nu. 27:12. See Dt 34:1. Nebo was not situated in the Jordan valley, so that some more general expression would naturally have to be employed. and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession - Yahweh's gift to Israel was linked to His original promise to Abraham in Ge 17:8 and note that it was to be their everlasting possession. God repeated the promise to Moses in Ex 6:4+ “I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned." This promise of Yahweh's giving the land of Canaan is repeated in Lev 25:38, Nu 13:2, 1 Chr 16:18, Ps 105:11 Possession (property, site) (0272) ahuzzah/achuzzah basic idea of the root is "to take hold of." Something seized, a possession (esp. of land) Jacob "took hold" of Esau's heel (Gen 25:26); Samson "took hold" of the city gate (Jud 16:3); Ruth "held" the cloak as Boaz poured six measures of barley into it (Ruth 3:15). The curtains of Xerxes's palace were held by cords of linen on silver rings (Est 1:6). Men could "hold" or "wear" swords (Song 3:8). In the Niphal stem the verb usually means "to acquire property," thus overlapping with the noun 'ahuzza "possession." Sometimes both noun and verb occur in the same verse (Josh 22:9, 19). The Niphal may arrive at this meaning through its reflexive use, "to take for oneself." The property in view is almost always land. The majority of its sixty-six uses pertain to the possession of land. Normally the property under discussion was located in the land of Canaan. All of that land had been promised to Abraham as "an everlasting possession" (Gen 17:8), a promise repeated to Jacob (Gen 48:4). Five times in Genesis, Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah is mentioned (Gen 23:4, 9, 20; Gen 49:30; Gen 50:13). By gaining possession of this burial site for Sarah, Abraham made the down payment on the eventual full possession of the land. Canaan is called "the land of the Lord's possession" in Josh 22:19, to distinguish it from Transjordan where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh chose to settle (Jos 22:9). Within Canaan each family had its individual property, considered its inheritance. Even if it had to be leased to others, or was consecrated to the Lord, the land always reverted to the original owner in the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10, 13, 28; Lev 27:24). The daughters of Zelophehad were successful in their bid to acquire property as an inheritance, since they had no brothers (Num 27:7). The Levites received no land as a possession, but they did have cities and their surrounding fields (Lev 25:33). The Lord was the possession of the Levites; he was their inheritance and share (Ezek 44:28; Num 18:20). It was the Lord who promised to the Messiah, son of David, that the ends of the earth would be his possession (Psa 2:8). Once, in Lev 25:45-46, persons are called property. Israelites were allowed to keep resident aliens as their permanent possession. Deuteronomy 32:50 "Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, be gathered: Ge 15:15 25:8,17 49:33 Da 12:13 as Aaron: Nu 20:24-29 33:38 MOSES GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people - Gathered to your people is frequent - (Ge 25:8, Ge 35:29, Nu. 20:24, 26, Nu 27:13, 31:2) Deuteronomy 32:51 because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. you broke faith with Me: De 3:23-27 Nu 20:11,12,24 27:14 Meribah-Kadesh: Nu 20:13-14 because: Lev 10:3 1Ki 13:21-26 Isa 8:13 1Pe 4:17 Kadesh in Wilderness (Desert) of Zin Related Passages: Exodus 17:7+ (FIRST GENERATION OF ISRAEL - "NO WATER" TEST WHERE MOSES STRUCK ROCK IN OBEDIENCE) He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” Numbers 20:1-14+ Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 There was (SECOND - FIRST "NO WATER" TEST WAS IN Ex 17:7 ABOVE) no water for the congregation (SECOND GENERATION), and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! 4 “Why then have you brought the LORD’S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? 5 “Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them; 7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; 10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13 Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them. 14From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us; Dt 1:37+ “The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, ‘Not even you shall enter there. Dt 4:21–22+ “Now the LORD was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 “For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land. Dt 31:2+ And he said to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’ BROKEN FAITH PENALIZES MOSES because - Term of explanation, explaining why Moses must die on Mount Nebo. You (plural pronoun) broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah (meribah)-kadesh (Qadesh), in the wilderness of Zin - Note that the pronoun "you" is plural so the NET renders it "both of you rebelled against me" (NLT = "you betrayed me") reasoning that the plural pronoun signifies both Moses and Aaron were guilty of rebelling. The verb broke faith (maal) is rendered in the Lxx with the verb apeitheo which means to disobey (to willfully disbelieve) signifying deliberate disobedience to God's authority. He had said speak, but Moses struck the rock and God in essence "struck" him with the punishment of preventing passage into the Promised Land! THOUGHT- Be very careful when you make the foolish choice to deliberately disobey God's clear authority! You are free to choose to disobey, but you cannot choose your consequences and they might be far worse then you might think you deserve. God is a just Judge and does not grade on a curve (for anybody, even Moses!) Meribah-Kadesh (Nu 27:14; Dt. 32:51; Ezek. 47:19; Ezek 48:28) means 'place of strife,' and refers to two places in the desert named Meribath, where Moses struck a rock to produce water for the Israelites. The second, located near Kadesh (Nu 20:1–13), became known as Meribath-kadesh because of its proximity to Kadesh. Because Yahweh was displeased with Moses and Aaron there, he barred them from entering Canaan (Nu 27:14; Dt 32:51). Meribath-kadesh is used as a synonym for Kadesh (aka Kadesh-barnea) in descriptions of the southern border of Judah (Ezek 47:19; 48:28). In Numbers 20:24+ we read “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you (BOTH AARON AND MOSES) rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah." So Aaron died without being allowed into the promised land because he also rebelled when Moses rebelled at Meribah-Kadesh. Note this location is distinct from Massah and Meribah in Ex 17:7+. This preceding "Meribah" should be distinguished from the Meribah in Dt 32:51 where a similar contentious incident occurred near Kadesh-barnea (thus the name to distinguish it = "Meribah-Kadesh"). Broke faith (maal) means Moses did not believe Yahweh and instead seems to allow his anger take over his reason causing him to strike the rock (twice - Nu 20:11+) when God had told him to speak to the rock. Had he simply spoken, God would have given water, Israel would have witnessed this event and would see that Moses had treated God as holy. Broke faith in the Lxx is apeitheo which means to disobey God and His clear command to speak not to strike the rock. Broke faith (be or act unfaithful) (04603) Maal means to act unfaithfully, to trespass, to violate one's duty, to break faith, to commit a violation, to act. in a manner which is untrustworthy or unreliable in relation to an agreement or relationship. It is often used in Hebrew together with the noun maal (04604), so literally it could be translated "trepasses a trespass." (NIV = "commits a violation") (following use both verb and noun forms of maal - Lev 5:15, 6:2, Nu 5:6, 27, Josh 22:20, 22:31) The idea of maal is that of a conscious act of treachery or unfaithfulness against the Lord. In fact in Ezek 39:23 and Da 9:7 maal describes the sin which resulted in Judah's exile to Babylon! They were unfaithful to their covenant with Yahweh. Maal describes the horrid sin of Achan (Josh 7:1) in which he took "the things that were under the ban." (Josh 6:18) Maal describes King Uzziah's prideful usurping of priestly authority and offering incense in the Temple in 2Chr 26:16-18. NET NOTE - The word maal refers to some kind of overstepping of the boundary between that which is common (i.e., available for common use by common people) and that which is holy (i.e., to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the LORD). NET NOTE - The use of the plural (“you broke faith”) in the Hebrew text suggests that Moses and Aaron are both in view here, since both had rebelled at some time or other, if not at Meribah Kadesh then elsewhere (cf. Nu 20:24; 27:14). because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel - Literally - “did not esteem me holy.” NIV “did not uphold my holiness”; NLT “failed to demonstrate my holiness.” "you did not show me proper respect among the Israelites" (Dt 32:51NET) Moses pleaded with God in Deuteronomy and other scriptures, to have God change His mind and let him go into the Promised Land. But God said, "No." When Moses struck the rock the second time, it was like crucifying Jesus Christ afresh. It was like saying, you know, what you need is not already being provided, so something has to be done to provide you with your needs. And we do not crucify Jesus Christ afresh. We don't need to, why? Because He is the smitten rock, and so we just come to Him in faith. When we come to Him in faith and speak to the Rock in faith, what we need is supplied. There is victory in Jesus Christ. Everything and anything you will ever need is going to be supplied, according to [Php4:19]. Whatever "no water" situation you are in, don't walk out. It may be hard, but don't walk out because God has something better for you. Trust Him in His word & His promises & He will supply your every need or He is not Jehovah jireh, your helper & He is not El Roi, the God Who sees your abased state & He is not Jehovah rapha, the God Who heals the brokenhearted. But He is Who He says He is and in His perfect timing, He will meet you where you are and you will see His sufficiency and the Victory in Jesus. Deuteronomy 32:52 "For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel." De 32:49 Dt 34:1-4 Nu 27:12 Heb 11:13,39 Deuteronomy 32 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SEE BUT NOT ENTER For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel - The penalty for a single act of disobedience. May God grant us grace to learn and be very wary of testing God's patience by willfully sinning against Him. In Jesus' Name. Amen. John Maxwell - I vividly remember the thoughts that rushed through my mind some years ago when I stood on top of Mount Nebo and reflected on this incident. As a communicator and spiritual leader, I tried to place myself in the shoes of Moses. No doubt he was both glad and sad. What a joy to see the land that he had worked so hard to reach. What a sorrow to know the effects of a few brief self-indulgent moments of sin. Many times previously Moses had wrestled with God, asking permission to enter the land. Now he rested, knowing that God had another leader and the mission would be accomplished. Moses would be an example to all of Israel that God will not allow His people to get away with disobedience. (Preacher's Commentary)
Deuteronômio 32:46-47
Wiersbe - Moses closed the song, Joshua standing with him, by appealing to the people to take the message to heart and teach the song to their children, so that future generations would obey the Law and avoid idolatry. (See Deut. 4:9-10; 6:7; 11:19; Ex. 10:2; 12:26.) The Word of God is the life of God's people, just as God is our life (Deut. 30:20); for the Word communicates to us the truth about God and His gracious blessings. To receive and obey the Word is to share in the life of God. "They are not just idle words for you—they are your life" (Deut 32:47NIV). "For the word of God is living and powerful" (Heb. 4:12). (Be Equipped - Deuteronomy). By this word you will prolong your days in the land - "By this Word" conveys the sense of "by means of" this Word. Obedience to the Word is associated with "long" life, fullness of life with bountiful blessings! The reason I place "long" in quotes is that some godly obedient saints have had a short earthly life, but they redeemed the time God had allotted them. So the Word of God heard and heeded (obeyed) will enable them to possess the land and live in the land which God had promised. For NT believers, the promises include every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3), so the blessing to us is not a promised land but a promised life, indeed, an abundant life (Jn 10:10)! Thoralf Gilbrant - These were “not just idle words” to bind people in a pattern of legalism; they were God-spoken words designed to impart life. Longevity and prosperity in the divinely Promised Land awaited them if they adopted the life-style prescribed in the words God had spoken to them. (Complete Biblical Library Commentary) Prolong your days - see Deut 5:16; 6:2; 11:9; 25:15 Possess - See Deut 1:7, cp Dt 4:26, 40. See also Nu 14:24. Possess (03423)(yarash) means to take possession, to inherit, to drive out and is usually used in connection with the idea of conquering a land. This is the same verb Jehovah used when He gave this promise to Abram = "And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." (Genesis 15:7, also used in Ge 22:17 of the promise to Abram's seed, cp Ge 28:4) As noted below a major theme of the book of Deuteronomy is possession of the land. This theme continued throughout Israel’s history and prophetic message. Possession of the land was directly connected to a person’s relationship with the Lord; breaking the covenantal relationship led to dispossession. But even in exile, Israelites awaited the day when they would repossess the land (Jer. 30:3 referring to a future fulfillment when the Messiah returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom). Yaras is a key word (key verb) in the book of Deuteronomy, the second giving of the law to Israel as they prepared to go and take possession of the promised land. Of the over 200 uses note that the majority (about 63 verses) are found in the book of Deuteronomy... Ge 15:3f, 7f; 21:10; 22:17; 24:60; 28:4; 45:11; Ex 15:9; 34:24; Lev. 20:24; 25:46; Nu 13:30; 14:12, 24; 21:24, 32, 35; 24:18; 27:11; 32:21, 39; 33:52f, 55; 36:8; Deut. 1:8, 21, 39; 2:12, 21f, 24, 31; 3:12, 18, 20; 4:1, 5, 14, 22, 26, 38, 47; 5:31, 33; 6:1, 18; 7:1, 17; 8:1; 9:1, 3ff, 23; 10:11; 11:8, 10f, 23, 29, 31; 12:1f, 29; 15:4; 16:20; 17:14; 18:12, 14; 19:1f, 14; 21:1; 23:20; 25:19; 26:1; 28:21, 42, 63; 30:5, 16, 18; 31:3, 13; 32:47; 33:23; Jos. 1:11, 15; 3:10; 8:7; 12:1; 13:1, 6, 12f; 14:12; 15:14, 63; 16:10; 17:12f, 18; 18:3; 19:47; 21:43; 23:5, 9, 13; 24:4, 8; Jdg. 1:19ff, 27ff; 2:6, 21, 23; 3:13; 11:21ff; 14:15; 18:7, 9; 1 Sam. 2:7; 2 Sam. 14:7; 1 Ki. 14:24; 21:15f, 18f, 26; 2 Ki. 16:3; 17:8, 24; 21:2; 2 Chr. 20:7, 11; 28:3; 33:2; Ezra. 9:11f; Neh. 9:15, 22ff; Job 13:26; 20:15; Ps. 25:13; 37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34; 44:2f; 69:35; 83:12; 105:44; Pr. 20:13; 23:21; 30:9, 23; Isa. 14:21; 34:11, 17; 54:3; 57:13; 60:21; 61:7; 63:18; 65:9; Jer. 8:10; 30:3; 32:23; 49:1f; Ezek. 7:24; 33:24ff; 35:10; 36:12; Hos. 9:6; Amos 2:10; 9:12; Obad. 1:17, 19f; Mic. 1:15; Hab. 1:6; Zech. 9:4 The Lxx uses kleronomeo from kleros (First a pebble, piece of wood used in casting lots as in Acts 1:26 then the allotted portion or inheritance, and so a lot, heritage) and it means to receive a lot or share of an inheritance, inherit a portion of property or receive a possession as gift from someone who has died. G Campbell