About Jesus Steve Sweetman

About Jesus Steve Sweetman

Chapter 32

The Song Of Moses (ch. 31:29 – 32:47)

In this chapter we actually see the lyrics to the song of Moses.

We note in verse 1 to whom this song is directed. It's directed to everyone who resides on the earth and in the heavens. It's a song for mankind and angels, and whoever else may exist in both the spiritual world and the material world. This tells me that this is one important song.

In verse 2 the song states that the "teaching" that comes from God is like the dew, like the rain, that causes all vegetation to grow. This surely must tell us how important the teaching of the Lord is. If we don't have the teaching of the Lord placed deep into our hearts and lives, we will not mature in the Lord. We will die as fruit dies on the vine. This is what I see is one of the biggest problems among both Christians and Jews these days. We don't know the Bible and our lives show this to be true.

In verse 3 Moses sings, "I will proclaim the name of the Lord". The name of the Lord in Moses days was Yahweh. Yahweh is Israel's Elohim, or God. Moses will shout the name of the only true God from everywhere he goes. His words and his life will demonstrate to all he meets that His God is Yahweh. We as Christians should do the same. We should proclaim the name of our Lord, and He is Jesus. Way too often in our lives we do not proclaim the name of Jesus in word and in action. We whisper His name more than proclaim it.

There's a lot in verse 4. God is a rock. He is solid. He is unmovable. He is strong. He is perfect. Nothing God does is imperfect, and that would include His judgments as seen in the curses of the last couple of chapters. He is faithful. If God says He will do something, he will indeed do it. You can count on that. This really takes on significance when you think of the prophetic aspect to the teaching of Yahweh. What is predicted will come true.

We've just seen some good qualities of God, now in verses 5 and 6 we see the opposite in Israel. Even though God is the Father, their creator, they have corrupted themselves in turning to their own ways and to other gods. "To their shame, they are no longer children", as the lyrics state. Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8 that their father was not Abraham as they claimed. He told them that their father was the devil, no longer the children of God. Whether Jew or non-Jew, if left to our own ways, humanity will always corrupt itself.

Verse 8 is interesting. It states that God gave the nations their inheritance and divided their lands. What does that mean? In Genesis 10 we note the genealogies of Noah's three sons. We note in Genesis 10:5 that God set people into nations. In verse 25 that God divided the earth. It is controversial what these two verses really mean. When it comes to verse 25 some suggest crusts of the earth shifted and we have a physical shifting of the earth, as in earthquakes. Other's suggest that people were simply divided into nations. Whatever the case, Genesis 10 is most likely what Deuteronomy 31:8 is speaking about. The simple fact is that God is not only sovereign over Israel, but over all nations of the earth. This is clearly seen in the book of Revelation, and that is one reason why the song of Moses is found in Revelation 15.

Verse 8 also states why and how the boundaries of nations were divided. The NIV states that the boundaries of Gentile nations were set by the number of the sons of Israel. There is a problem here. The Septuagint does not translate the Hebrew word as Israel in the last half of verse 8. It translates it as "angel". So, either it's the sons of Israel or the sons of angels that have determined the division of nations.

Those who feel the proper translation is the word "angel" turn to Daniel 10. Here we see angels in relation to nations. To make a long story short. Many Bible teachers believe there are angels associated over every nation on earth. You see in Daniel 10 the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece . This prince is not a man but an angel because one of God's angels was hindered by him to do his work so Michael the angel had to come and help.

Here in verse 8, according to some, the boundaries of nations are divided according to angels. Daniel 10 gives us a glimpse of the invisible war that is taking place in the heavenly realm.

You might note that Jesus, in Revelation chapters 2 and three directed His comments to "the angels" of the people of God in seven particular cities. You might conclude from this that there are both good angels and bad angels associated with cities and geographical areas. The Greek word that is translated as angel in Revelation and elsewhere in the New Testament means "messenger". This tells us that angels are sent from heaven to various localities on earth as a go-between, from heaven to earth.

Verse 9 tells us that out of all the nations of the earth, the Lord has His own portion, His own chosen people, and that's Israel . Although in the long run, all things belong to God, He has chosen a people, and even a portion of land, to be His specifically. He is very protective of both His land and His people. There is no evidence in the Bible that this has ever changed, even though some suggest it has.

In verse 10 the song says that in the desert and in a barren land the Lord found and shielded him. The word "him" refers to Jacob in the last verse, and Jacob refers to Israel. Yahweh looked after Israel while they were n the desert, and even while they were in disobedience in the desert.

Note the phrase "apple of His eye" in verse 10. This has nothing to do with the fruit. This phrase is an idiom. The point to this phrase is that God's main focus of His eyes and attention on Israel. He is single minded and single hearted when it comes toIsrael.

In verses 11 and 12 the song compares God to an eagle that looks after her young. The text states that like a baby eagle that falls out of the nest, the mother eagle swoops down and catches the baby. This is the picture of God swooping down and protecting Israel. We must remember, as stated many times before, that God looks after Israel, even when she is not following their God, and even when God is punishing her for her disobedience. There is an everlasting relationship

between God and Israel.

Verses 13 to 15 shows how God looked after Israel while they wandered in the desert. This is important because we know that most of the time while in the desert, Israel wasn't following God that well. God does not leave Israel, even when they are not following Him. He may turn His back on her in times of punishment, but He will never leave her.

The name Jeshurum seen in verse 15 is simply an old Hebrew name for Israel.

Verses 15 to 18 speak of how Israel abandoned their God to worship other gods. Note in verse 17 these gods were actually demons. Demons are fallen angels and they are alive and well in the spirit world. Any spiritual identity apart from the Biblical God and His angels is a demon. We need to recognize the existence of demons. They are the ones both Jews and Christians really war against. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 speaks that our fight as Christians really isn't against people, it's against demons in all sorts of places. Therefore our weapons are not carnal and military. They are spiritual. He gives a list of them in Ephesians 6.

From verse 19 onward we note God's response to Israel's falling away from Him. He is very angry. We should note that we now see the words "I will" throughout the following passages. That means this song is now entering the prophetic stage, as in, "I will" do what I need to do to judge you and cause you to finally return to me.

In verse 21 God states that He will make Israel both angry and envious by those who are not a nation and those who do not understand. This clearly is in reference to the future involvement of the Gentiles. Through Jesus, God would bring the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God. Paul speaks about the relationship between the Jew and Gentile in Romans 9 through 11.

You see the Jews in the new Testament being very angry at the thought of Gentiles having anything to do with God and His righteousness, but that is what is being predicted here.

Verse 22 is a picture of the end of this age. The text states that God's anger will burn like a fire that will devour the earth and shake the mountains. That clearly suggests to me the Great Tribulation. We also notice that this part of the prophetic song is not directed to the Jews alone, but to the whole world, including the earth itself. This destruction is first due to the fact that God's people continue to refuse to do His will. Some people see this shaking as the explosion of nuclear weapons during the Great Tribulation.

From verse 23 onward we see all the calamities that will come to Israel, and eventually the whole earth. Some suggest that this is prophetic of the Roman invasion of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., but I tend to see this as the disasters that come on Israel, and eventually all nations at the end of this age. That being said, prophecy often has duel fulfillments. It's my opinion that the events of 70 A.D. in itself is prophetic of the events of the last and great judgment of Israel and the nations of the earth at the end of this age.

Verse 34 states that the things spoken of here are kept in reserve, as in a sealed vault until the time when God wills for them to take place. The vault will someday, and I believe soon, be opened and the wrath of God poured out on the earth.

In verse 35 God said that in time He will avenge, He will repay. The Bible is clear. God alone will punish Israel and the nations. It is not the job of any person to do that. Our job is to proclaim these things to the world.

From verses 36 to 43 there is a shift of thinking in this prophecy. The Lord basically says that once He has punished Israel sufficiently, He will heal them and make them what they were to be all along. The punishment was for Israel's worship of other gods, which is seen in all sorts of ways. That being said, it is God's will, and always has been, to see a restored Israel, which He promised to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant.

Verse 42 states that God will make His arrows drunk with blood. I see this as God using the nations of the world and their weapons to perform His will at the end of this age during the Great Tribulation.

Verse 48 tells the nations of the world to rejoice because God is avenging nations, including Israel for their sins. The reason why nations should rejoice is because when God punishes at the end of this age, we know restoration of Israel and the nations is the next thing on God's agenda. It is as Jesus said, "when you see these things begin to come to pass, look up for your redemption is near".

In verses 46 and 47 Moses ends his song and this long sermon which has been the whole book of Deuteronomy. He tells Israel to take seriously the words he has spoken "because they are words of life". They are words of life because they are words from God. The same admonition should apply to Christians when it comes to the words of Jesus and the Bible. I believe the lack of interest and dedication to the Bible is the biggest problem that Christians have today. It shows in the way we think and live, and ultimately will cause many problems for us. We should view the Word of God as seen in the Bible as our very life. Our life depends on what is written on those pages. The Word of God is just as important to us as food itself.

Moses To Die On Mount Nebo (ch. 32:48 – 52)

This section states that Moses climbed Mount Nebo for the last time. He would die here as he overlooked the promised land. He could see the land, but he would not enter, because, as the text states, he did not obey the Lord when he struck the rock that produced water instead of speaking to the rock a number of years earlier. Again, I say, I believe there is another reason why Moses could not enter the land of promise. The Bible views Moses as a type of the Law of Moses and Joshua as a type of Jesus. The New Testament is clear that no one can enter the promise land of salvation by the Law of Moses. It's by Jesus only. For this reason, and it is my opinion, that God never intended Moses, the representation of the Law, to enter the promised land.

Moses died on Mount Nebo . It is interesting to note that this is the same mountain where Elijah was taken up into heaven. It is also, as many scholars seem to think, the same mountain that Jesus was transfigured and spoke to both Moses and Elijah. I find that very interesting if true. I believe that both Moses and Elijah have more work to do on this earth. I presently believe they are the two witnesses spoken of in the book of Revelation.

There is another thing to think about concerning Moses and the book of Revelation. If Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses in Revelation, the son of Moses that is song in Revelation 15 might take on a clearer meaning. You will note that the song of Moses sung in Revelation is not the same as sung here. It is much shorter. If Moses is alive during the Great Tribulation on earth, he might well have adapted his song for that specific time period. Thus the song would not have to be lyrically exact as what you see here.

Next Section - chapter 33

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