Deuteronomy - Lesson 32

Moses has finished his preaching on the plains of Moab. That part of this long worship service is over. It probably has been going on for days. We do not know if these are all the sermons he preached in the context of these final events here on the plains of Moab. But these are the ones that have been preserved for us, and they are given to us in a deliberate order related to covenant. Whether they were preached in this order is not indicated. But we have finished with a major part of the Sunday morning service, this Russian church service, now we can move to other matters. 

In chapter 31, the preaching ends but a narrative returns. If we come back to our diagram of the book, chapter 31 on the one hand, brings this part to a conclusion that is the last address, as Moses declares that the Torah that he has been preaching has been written down. So that will show up. But it is also the introduction to the song that is preserved in chapter 32. It does double duty. But there's a third theme in this, and that is the commissioning of Joshua as his replacement when he is gone. 

Now, for our purposes, it's helpful to consider this whole book of Deuteronomy a death narrative. There are many death narratives. We weren't really aware of this, of how many there were, until my doctoral student at Southern Seminary, Bryan Cribb, did his dissertation on death narratives. It's a very fine piece and it's been published. We knew there were birth narratives, there are call narratives, and other types of narratives, but nobody had systematically, or had studied accounts of people’s death, systematically. There are notices of people dying, but there's no story with a notice, it’s just a notice. But he dealt with death stories. The whole book of Deuteronomy is really the death story, the death of Moses. Living in the light of the death of Moses, preparing for his death. 

Now, in the Old Testament, First Testament, death narratives, we have lots of these. I mean, we can list them. There's the death of Sarah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Aaron, Moses, Joshua, David. These are all extended accounts. They didn't just all of a sudden expire and it's done. But there are accounts of how they died and how they prepared for death. 

In these death narratives, if we are a form critic, there are several typical parts that are basic to the structure of a death narrative. The text declares the person's length of life. Moses will do this in chapter 30. “Moses said to them, I am 120 years old today and I'm no longer able to come and go.” That doesn't always happen, but here you have it. A declaration of the person's length of life. 

An announcement of impending death. Well, in our account, it will actually come formally in verse 14, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, the time for you to die is near.’” So, we're in that ballpark.  In both instances, in verse 16, he says again, “’Look, you are about to die.’” Behold, hinnê, pay attention, this is important. 

Then there's a pronouncement on the life of the person. In our case, it's by Yahweh. I have here 32:51. After Moses has taught the people the song, the narrative continues, “Because you broke faith with Me in the midst of, you're not crossing over. Go up the mountain and die.” So, there's a commentary on the life. 

Then there's a description of putting the house in order, preparing for death. And in our case, it involves appointing Joshua as his successor so there's a smooth transition. The provision of the national anthem. The Lord says you're about to die and the solution to your absence is not Joshua, it's, Teach them a song. You can't go with them everywhere they go as they settle in their assigned tribal territories, but the song can go with them wherever they are and keep them on course. This is all about putting the house in order so that it survives your passing. 

Then there's a report of blessing, or charging, those who remain. This happens in chapter 33, the blessing of the Tribes. 

A declaration of the length of life again, 34:7, “Although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eyes were not dim.” 

The death notice, “and Moses died.” 34, verse five. They're not always in the same order. 

An announcement of the burial. 

A description of the response of the bereaved. 

And then the narrator's eulogy. 

This is one long death. The death narrative of Moses is longer than any other character in the Bible, with the exception, of course, of Jesus. Have you, I'm sure you've noticed that in the Gospel accounts, the Passion Week takes up almost half the gospels. This is what it's about, the Passion. It's clearly the center of gravity. 

Well, this death narrative is divided into two parts: the report of Moses’ personal preparation of Israel, for the future without him, 31 to 32. And then the report of Moses’ personal death and burial, and this is 33 to 34. So, we'll look at that yet. 

But the center of gravity of the two parts, in the first part, it's the song of Yahweh, and in the second part, it's the blessing of the tribes. Suddenly, this book breaks out into poetry. When you see inserted poems, you know something very significant is happening. This is Exodus 15, Jacob's blessing, and this is true of inserted poems throughout. 

Now, the narrative framework of the poems. First of all, for the song, 31:1 to 30 is the opening frame; 32:44 to 47 is the conclusion to this section, and that song is inserted right there. “When Moses had finished all the words of the song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son … When Moses finished speaking all these words to Israel, he said to them, ‘Take to heart all the words of which I'm warning you today.’” The preacher's back. We've given you the song, don't mess it up. 

And then you have the blessing. This is chapter 33. Well, actually, 32:48 to 33:1 with that narrative framework again. But 33 is the poem. But it's a very complex death story. 

We're in 31 today or in this session. This chapter itself is very complex. There are eight verses on the appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor. But he comes back to this topic in verses 14 to 15, the appointment of Joshua's successor, and then in verse 23 again. But in between you've got the reference to the Torah, “Moses wrote down all the words of this Torah, and he gave it to the Levites and he said, ‘Look, read this at the Festival of Booths every seven years.’” And then you have at the end another reference to the Torah, “Take this Torah that I have written and put it beside the Ark of the Covenant and store it there,” as a canonical text.

And then right at the very end in chapter 32, verses 45 to 7 [recte: 47], he's back to the Torah. So, three paragraphs on Joshua, three paragraphs on the Torah. 

But there's one more topic, and that is the national anthem. This is my word for chapter 32, and we will defend that in the next session. But it's 16 to 22 is a prose, 31:16 to 22 is a prose introduction to the national anthem. And then 31:28 to 32:44, you have the anthem itself, and it concludes then with a prose epilogue. We're going to rearrange these topically. 

So, let's deal with the appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor in those three sections. And then actually, I think we can fill in the blanks here. The installation of Joshua as Moses’ successor; the deposition of the Torah; and then finally, preparation for the national anthem. And you can notice by counting the words, where the centers of gravity are. And of course, it is the national anthem that is the weightiest of these three. 

All of this relates to preparing the people to carry on without him. You will have Joshua, you will have the Torah, and you will have the song. Three witnesses, and he will use the word ‘witness’ in this passage, to keep them on track with God. Witness is in fact, the key idea. 

Five times we hear this word in this chapter, twice as a verb, to testify, to be a witness, and then thrice (we don't use that Old English word very much. But if you going to say twice, you have to say thrice, it's useful.) Our witness 31:19, 21, and 26. Who are these three witnesses? Joshua, the Torah, and the song. So that's the structure of 31. 

So. Let's look at the installation of Joshua. This is not a difficult text. What's difficult is that it's broken up into three bits. For what reason? 

“Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: He said, ‘I am now 120 years old and I'm no longer able to lead you.’” Can you imagine the tone in his voice? If this were in chapter one, he would have inserted here, It's your fault. But he doesn't. And so, I am imagining that he's resigned. It's okay. I'm out of here. The Lord will come for me. Well, in any case, “’I am no longer able to lead. The Lord said to me, ‘You're not crossing over the Jordan.’ Yahweh your God Himself will cross over.’” You don't need me. “’Yahweh is crossing over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you. You will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over you ahead, as I said. And Yahweh will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom He destroyed along with their land.’” 

So, they turn out to be paradigmatic. They never set out to battle them, they just wanted permission to cross through. But when they resisted, they are like the Amorites on the other side of the river. Let's treat them that way. And so, they wipe them all out. And this is what they're to do on the other side. 

“Yahweh will deliver them to you; you must do to them all that I've commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them for your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” And then, skipping to 14, “Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting where I will commission him.’ So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. Then Yahweh appeared at the Tent of Meeting in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance of the tent. Yahweh gave this command to Joshua, son of Nun: ‘Be strong and courageous for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.’” 

It’s interesting. The first speech is by Moses, Be strong and courageous. And now God comes and gives His affirmation. Moses has spoken with My voice and He reaffirms Moses to the end. 

Well, this is how this part breaks up. Moses’ commissioning of Joshua. He begins with a speech that the people are to hear so that they know Joshua is the divinely appointed replacement. But then he has an encouragement speech for Joshua himself. This is the ordination sermon. And then the second part is Yahweh’s commissioning speech for Joshua, the context, and the nature of the commission. So, let's begin. 

Moses’ speech for the people. This is verses 2 to 6, remember? He is still talking, but now he's going autobiographical, or shall we say, biographical? He's no longer preaching. He is simply announcing to the people, We are at the turning point in our history. 

And of course, in the ancient world, whenever there is a change in leadership, it's a very insecure time. You remember Isaiah:6? In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw Yahweh. When the king dies, the people always are on pins and needles. What will happen now? Can the replacement? Will there be a good replacement? Can he take over without threats to his life? And of course, in the Northern Kingdom, they didn't last very long because there was assassination after assassination. In the southern Kingdom, they were always Davidites but that doesn't mean it was always peaceful. 

So, he announces his demise. First of all, his age, I am 120 years old. Note the symmetry in Moses’ life, his early years in Egypt: 40 years. (Stephen talks about this, Acts 7.) His sojourn in Midian: 40 years. His leadership of Israel: 40 years. He's an old man. He's way beyond the poem, the Psalm that is attributed to him, Psalm 90. Fourscore years and, or is it three score years and ten. That's a long age. I'm way beyond that. I'm sure there were times when he would have said, I wish God had taken me a long time ago, this lot. But in any case, it's 40, 40, 40. The rhythm of his life. It's like the 40 days up on the mountain. 40 days to do this, 40 days, and there we had three or four phases. 

Look at the second, his announcement. “I am no longer able to go out and come in.” I'm sure the people are asking, We were wondering when you would bow out. 

His explanation, Yahweh has said to me, You may not go over this. He doesn't pull any punches. But notice his promise. I can't go with you but you'll be all right. First because, Yahweh is going ahead of you. That's the first reason. Second reason, Joshua is going ahead of you, too. So, we're in good hands with Allstate. No, we're in good hands with God and His commissioned agents. 

But notice, then, why this works. First of all, Yahweh will destroy these nations. Second, through Joshua, Yahweh will deal with the nations as He dealt with Sihon and Og, Yahweh will hand them over to the Israelites. We're in good hands. And of course, they're not really Joshua's hands. They're God's hands. It's a great speech. 

But he also charges them: the Israelites must dispossess them. This is a synergistic enterprise. You must do your part. And at the end, he said, the Israelites must deal with the nations as Moses has commanded, so that he's expecting his own words to continue to ring in the ears of the people. Joshua's words will never trump Moses’ words, even though he is the leader. 

The people will not embark - the promise, they will not embark on the conquest, leaderless. Yahweh will deal directly with the Canaanites. Yahweh will go with them. He will not relax His hands or abandon them. Be courageous, I will not relax  My hands. 

And again, the metaphor here I think is very helpful. If our security rests in God, we are absolutely secure. If that's all there is to this equation, you're in My hands, trust me, I will never go like this. Never go limp. It will stay.  “For Yahweh, your God,” and now he gives it, “is a merciful God. He will not relax His hand or destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath.” It's a great word to the people. 

Well, then you have the speech for Joshua. “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel.” Did you notice that? He wants the people to hear what he is saying to Joshua so they know what Joshua has heard. And in a sense, they can hold Joshua accountable. So, this is the part of it. “Be strong and courageous for you must go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to the forefathers. You must divide it among them as their grant, nahala.  Yahweh Himself goes before you. He will be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” 

This is a very helpful ordination sermon. It's not going to be easy, but you'll be all right. Notice the call for courage, “Be strong. Be courageous.” After all, the fortifications reached to high heaven and the giants are still there. Nothing has changed. Negative. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. So be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Two ways of saying the same thing. 

But then the professional charge, “You must go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to their forefathers, and you must divide it among them as a grant.” It's a foregone conclusion that you'll take it. Go into the land that He swore, and divide it. He doesn't even tell Joshua to take it, claim it. But that's what their activity will. 

Finally, the promise will be fulfilled, but it will happen with Joshua, and Moses misses out on the joy. I am sure this was hard. I am sure it was hard, but there isn't a hint here of bitterness anymore. It's okay, I'm done. And I think by now he really is tired. Although the narrator will say he never got tired. He is the Eveready, the battery. 

Moses’ encouragement, and then his promise. Verse eight, “Yahweh Himself goes before you,” he's talking to Joshua, “and will be with you, Joshua. He will never leave you, Joshua, nor forsake you.”  You're His appointed agent. If God calls people into His service, God assumes responsibility for their well-being. You'll be all right. 

Of course, this alludes to Psalm 23, “Even when you walk through dark valleys.” That's not only about personal death, it's about any stressful, dark situation. God will be there. He will never leave you or forsake you. He'll send his good hounds after you if there are problems. 

Well, the nature of the encouragement for Joshua comes then in verses 14 to 15. The context. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting where I will commission him.’” This becomes a private moment. Moses has done the public thing in front of all the people. And the Lord says, Now it's time for one more private moment. Bring Joshua. He's been your faithful lieutenant all these years. He was on Mount Sinai with you when they were worshiping the golden calf. He was the faithful scout on behalf of the Ephraimite tribe. You two come into the tent of meeting. 

Now, the expression tent of meeting. Apparently, there were two tents. Sometimes the tabernacle is the Tent of Meeting. The expression really means, Tent of Appointments. It's a special place where God invites His people, usually individuals, for an appointment, an audience with himself. You hear that? How that works? An audience with Himself. When you're in an audience with a superior, what you have to say is of secondary, tertiary importance. It's always what the superior has to say and the Tent of Meeting is about that. 

Sometimes this expression applies to the tabernacle because that's where the community meets with God in worship. But this is the, it must have been a different structure. 

Yahweh appeared at that tent in a pillar of cloud, and it stood over the entrance of the tent, which is really remarkable. I wonder if it moved from the tabernacle to this little pup tent where Joshua and he were.

But in any case, it is a sign to the community that the divine king is meeting with His appointed agents, that's what's happening here. 

It's a formal occasion. Notice the formality, the opening, “Behold,” hēn, Yahweh charges Moses to summon Joshua for an audience with him rather than the Lord summoning Joshua. He tells Moses, you the time has come. Call Joshua. Hey, Joshua, the Lord wants to talk to us. 

The use of a formal verb, hiṯyaṣṣᵊ, present yourself. This is a formal way of standing before a superior. Hebrew has several words for stand. This is one. At Mt. Sinai when the trumpet blows and the Lord appears, all the people stand. The time for the meeting is. You never sit in the presence of God. 

There's one exception in Scripture, and that's David. After the Lord has revealed through Naboth the Davidic Covenant, the promise of eternal dynasty, David sat before Yahweh. Never happens, never happens. You have to ask, what is David doing? And of course, when you hear the chroniclers say that Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh, you get an idea that this is not presumption. 

Well, the location of the audience at the tent. This is what we've got here. This is an image from the ancient Arameans. There's Aramaic script at the top of this one. But this is what we're talking about. 

Now, in what form Yahweh talks. This is a royal scene or a throne scene. Joshua and Moses appear before Yahweh. This is what we need to have in mind. And the enthroned one commissions the one standing there, it’s formal. Note the accompanying theophany: the glory, the pillar of fire moves. 

But look at the encouragement. Moses had encouraged him already with the words on the left, but now to hear it straight from God, “be strong and courageous for you,” and of course, Moses is standing there and hearing this. “You shall bring the descendants of Israel to the land that I swore to them. I will be with you.” Of course, I'm just imagining what he could have been feeling, and at the beginning of this week, he was feeling. 

Well, after the death of Moses, the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun who had served Moses. And in the Book of Joshua, we've made the transition. The man has been commissioned. Moses, my servant, is dead. I love that expression. Moses, my servant. Again, it's not bond slave. It is the word; you know the Septuagint often translates as doulos. Not always, but very often, doulos. I don't know what they have, I don't remember. But this is  the title of an envoy commissioned by the Superior. It's honorific. My servant, Moses 

“Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving to the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River.” 

If you remember Genesis 15, you have two definitions of the Promised Land. There's the maximalist definition from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates and the minimalist definition, the land occupied by the Canaanites. Well, here he says to Joshua, it's the whole deal. 

“No one will be able to stand before you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give to them as a grant. Above all, be strong and be very courageous to keep [my covenant] by doing the whole Torah that My servant Moses commanded (or charged) you to follow. Do not turn from the right to the left so that you will have success wherever you go.” 

Where did we hear that before? “Do not turn to the left or to the right.” Chapter 17. The king is supposed to write for himself a copy of this Torah, and it shall be with him that he not turn to the right or to the left. He's talking to Joshua and he is applying to Joshua as if he were king. 

This text is not for public consumption. This is a private thing. Joshua is not told here, Be sure you read the Torah to the people. That's the Levite's job. Joshua is to read it.  “This book of the Torah must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may observe everything written in it by doing it. For you will then prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Have I not commanded you: be strong, courageous? Don't be afraid or discouraged, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Of course, when I read what follows in the Book of Joshua, I mean, we start out really well, we go and we march around Jericho. And if I had been Joshua, I'd have said to God, This is crazy. This makes no sense. It's absurd. We're marching around and they've got their archers up on top. And then the last day, you blow the trumpets and the whole thing collapses and everything goes per plan. And then they go through the rituals of circumcision of everybody at Gilgal. They celebrate the first Passover in the land and the manna ceases. We're there. We're there. 

But what happens next? Bethel and Ai. Total disasters. And Joshua weeps before the Lord, Why has this happened? And the amazing thing is the narrator never says, Oh, Joshua, you didn't read the Torah. Moses told you what to do next, and you didn't follow the first step. He never says that because I think the author of the Book of Joshua feels about Joshua even more positively than the author of the Book of Deuteronomy, and he doesn't want to spoil the image. And so, Achan gets the blame. I think there's more to that story than just Achan. And so, this is where we end. 

Well, what lessons does this text have for us? The person who leads God's people has one primary duty, primary role, primary obligation: read the Torah for himself so that people can see in you what covenant righteousness looks like. And of course, I think that's why at the end of the book, when Joshua knows he's about to leave, he's an old man by now, too, not as old as Moses, but he is. And he's about to leave. He gathers all the people at this place again, at Gilgal - or at Ebal. And he says, Choose you this day whom you will serve. 

In fact, chapters 23 and 24 of Joshua, the tone, (this is why this is called Deuteronomistic history), the tone of the two sermons at the end of the book of Joshua that Joshua delivers, sounds just like Moses. And in the end, he says, Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me and for my house, we are serving Yahweh. He says, I am the model, I am the paradigm. Watch me. Follow me. We're not only walking in the ways of Yahweh, we should be able to walk in the ways of Yahweh’s servants. Don't just do as I say. Do as I do.

And of course, in my interpretation, Joshua wasn't perfect. He wasn't. To me that Ai and Bethell, that fiasco, that one's on Joshua. Now, I'm probably wrong, but I have published an article on this, it’s on chapter 37 in which I deal with this as an appendix, oh, by the way, what happened after this? What's the sequel? And in there I note that this seems off track. Joshua doesn't start out so well. But I hadn't noticed anybody in any of the other commentaries ever caught that. They didn't look at, they didn't check the map. If you check the map that Moses tells you where to go and where Joshua goes, they don't match. 

But again, I guess we learn God doesn't expect perfection. He wishes it were there. Tamim means wholeheartedly after God. Joshua was. But that doesn't mean he didn't slip. We all do. We all do. And so, I think there's great encouragement here, even for people like this who have feet of clay. But ultimately, the lesson is, Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I am with you. 

That is Psalm 23,  “Yea, though I walk through the valley,”.  (‘Yea,’ that's old English!) “Of deep, of deepest darkness,” and that is the Hebrew. It's not, valley of the shadow of death, we now know that lexicographically. “I fear no evil,” because you explain everything to me. No, no. The ways of God remain a mystery. I mean, when we go through the deep valleys ourselves, the why questions scream, and they rarely get answered. They rarely get answered. But we're okay because the Lord is with me. 

“His rod and his staff comfort me.”  Now, when we think of rod and staff, we think of an instrument of discipline and beating. That's not what it is. That's not the primary function of a shepherd’s staff - to beat sheep. It is to beat wolves and bears, the enemies, to protect. 

But with reference to the sheep, when we are walking through the valley of deep darkness – like that clip you showed me yesterday, sheep are kind of stupid and they don't have good eyesight. But when you're walking through the valley of deep darkness, your rod and your staff comfort me. Why? Because it's the nudge of the master's hand reminding you, I'm here, and gently pushing you this way, that way, and leading us along. And that's, I think, the picture here. Don't be discouraged. Don't be afraid. Yahweh your God is with you. 

All right, that's it. 

Student: You have not used it in this lesson, but you keep using “gospel” in Deuteronomy. Is it fair to say that a summary of what you mean by gospel is, I will be with you? 

Dr. Block: Well, yes. But there's more. There's an actual story. That's too ethereal, esoteric. It's real presence. God is not present merely there as a Being beside us. He is present as the agent of our well-being. So that, I am the one who brought you out of Egypt, I am the one who brought you to Myself in covenant relationship, I cared for you in the desert, I gave you the land. So, I think that could be a summary, I will be your God and you will be my people. That is the covenant formula. But then what does that mean? How did we get here? That's the gospel.