Prepare
Opening Prayer
God, thank you for this day, time together, and your Word. Help us walk in your ways, love you, and follow you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Read
Scripture Passage
The Song of Moses
32 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my [a]teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
3 For I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
5 “They have corrupted themselves;
They are not His children,
Because of their blemish:
A perverse and crooked generation.
6 Do you thus deal[b] with the Lord,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father, who bought you?
Has He not made you and established you?
7 “Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of many generations.
Ask your father, and he will show you;
Your elders, and they will tell you:
8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the [c]children of Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
10 “He found him in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the [d]apple of His eye.
11 As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
12 So the Lord alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
13 “He made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.
15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With [e]abominations they provoked Him to anger.
17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God,
To gods they did not know,
To new gods, new arrivals
That your fathers did not fear.
18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
19 “And when the Lord saw it, He spurned them,
Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.
20 And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their [f]foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And shall burn to the [g]lowest [h]hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 ‘I will heap disasters on them;
I will spend My arrows on them.
24 They shall be wasted with hunger,
Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction;
I will also send against them the teeth of beasts,
With the poison of serpents of the dust.
25 The sword shall destroy outside;
There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
26 I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces,
I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,”
27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy,
Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
Lest they should say, “Our hand is high;
And it is not the Lord who has done all this.” ’
28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!
30 How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had surrendered them?
31 For their rock is not like our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves being judges.
32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
33 Their wine is the poison of serpents,
And the cruel venom of cobras.
34 ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up among My treasures?
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
36 “For the Lord will judge His people
And have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their power is gone,
And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
37 He will say: ‘Where are their gods,
The rock in which they sought refuge?
38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices,
And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise and help you,
And be your refuge.
39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
40 For I raise My hand to heaven,
And say, “As I live forever,
41 If I [i]whet My glittering sword,
And My hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to My enemies,
And repay those who hate Me.
42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword shall devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.” ’
43 “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His [j]people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”
44 So Moses came with [k]Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a [l]futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
A — About
What Is This Passage About?
Moses' song witnesses to God's perfect justice and faithful care, Israel's corrupt ingratitude and idolatry, covenant judgment through enemies, and the Lord's eventual vengeance, compassion, and atonement. Israel must teach these life-giving words to its children.
B — Best Verse
A Verse That Summarizes the Passage
Deuteronomy 32:46-47
Distilled from the devotional exposition; the speaker did not explicitly name a best verse.
Bryan explicitly declines to challenge his child to choose a best verse from the long song. Verses 46-47 best capture its stated purpose: set these words on the heart, teach them, and obey because they are life.
C — Called or Christ
C — Christ Connection
Do not repeat Israel's treachery by growing satisfied with worldly abundance and forgetting God. Confess the same idolatry in your own heart, turn from it, and look to Jesus, who bore judgment and alone is hope in life and death.
Additional Notes
Devotional Study
Transcript of the devotion. Minor transcription errors may remain.
well good morning good morning good morning welcome to coffee and devotions this morning we're at Deuteronomy chapter 32 it's going to be a little bit different because it's a longer passage on the song of Moses so we're going to read talk read talk read talk read talk real fast through it as Nathan yawns into the microphone you need some coffee to wake up okay means oh he's gonna go for it always go for it maybe watch out if you drink that all of a sudden you're going to have a mustache oh look a beard hair wasn't that bad okay well oh not that bad okay next thing you know it's going to be oh I like that let's pray God we thank you so much for this day we thank you for time together we thank you for your word father please help us to walk in your ways to love you and follow after you in Jesus's name amen all right Deuteronomy chapter 32 uh and here we go so I'll read a par you'll read a paragraph back and forth back and forth okay give ear oh heavens and I will speak and hear oh Earth the words of my mouth let my teaching drop as the rain my speech distill as the Doom as rain drops on the tender herb and as showers on the grass for I proclaim the name of the Lord describe greatness to our God he is the rock his work is perfect for all his ways are Justice a god of Truth and without Injustice righteousness right righteous and upright is he what's that talking about let my speech read again yeah listen up it's time to sing this is the God we're singing about he is righteous and without or and without Injustice all right you can read the next one they are corrupt they have corrupted themselves they are not his children because of them blemish and foros and crooked generation do you thus you thus deal with the Lord of foolish and unwise people is he not your father who bought you has he not made B bot you has he not made you and established you all right so what's that part of the song getting at you're not your own yeah right good he bought you you're not your own don't be deal like that with the Lord all right uh next paragraph remember the days of old consider the years of many generations ask your fathers and father and he will show you your elders and they will tell you when the most high divided their inheritance to the Nations when he separated the sons of Adam he set boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel for the Lord's portion is his people Jacob is the place of his inheritance right go ask your daddies go ask the older Generations he'll tell you how the Lord divided up the land right 10 through 12 he found him he found him in a desert land and in the Wast lands a howling wild wilderness he insired them he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye as an eagle sows up its nest H over its young spreading out its wings takeing them up carrying them on its Springs so the Lord alone led him and there was no forign God with him all right so what's that talking about um is like God found them in Egypt took them out like a bird picking up its its babies carried them away right he's the one who rescued them he's the one who cared for them and there was no forign God with him he made him ride in the heights of the earth that he might eat the produce of the fields he made him draw honey from The Rock and oil from The flinty Rock CDs from the cattle and milk of the flock with fat of lambs and Rams with the breed of basan and goats with the choicest wheat and you drank wine the blood of grapes all right sounds like you were starving them right yep no they had all sorts of great stuff all right 15 through 18 for it's kind of funny when when he's writing this he's writing this after it's happened and it's kind of funny because when you read the actual book it isn't it doesn't go as well if you just read this you'd be like wow this was great they they did just great like well Lord was great with them Exodus was just great there was no problems in Exodus keep on reading keep on reading 15 through 18 for you but jome grew fat Jun Jesu run grew fat and kicked you grew fat you grew thick you are obese then he forsook God who made him made him and scornfully esteemed the rock of his salvation they provoked him to jealousy with thr Gods with Abominations they provoked him to anger they sacrificed to Demons not to God God to gods they did not know to New Gods new arrivals that you your fathers did not fear of the rock who begot you you are unmindful and have forgotten you God you forgotten the God God who fathered you yeah so what happened after he treated them so well like we're doing F he says they got like fat and OB Beese and they forsook him and they worshiped did you catch it they worshiped other gods oh well they worshiped other gods they sacrificed to demons demons that's what he calls the golden calves right they they didn't come out with any Gods right it was just just him and now all a sudden they're doing this craziness uh verse 19 and when the Lord saw it he spurned them because the of the provocation of his son and his daughters and he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end will be for they are a perverse generation children in whom is no big one here is no faith they have provoked me to to jealousy by what is not God they have moved me to anger by their foolish Idols but I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation I will move them to anger by a foolish Nation for a fire is kindled in my anger and shall burn to the lowest hell it shall consume the Earth with her increase and set fire on the foundations of the mountains he's happy with them yeah yeah yeah no no all right verse 23 through 27 I will he disasters on them I will spend my arrows on them they shall be wasted with Hunger devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction I will also send against them the teeth of beasts with the poisons poison of Serpent of the Dust the sword shall destroy outside there shall be Terror Within for the young man in virgin the nursing child with the man and of gray hairs I would have said I will Dash them in pieces I will make the memory of them to incease from among men men had I not feel the wrath of the enemy lest their adversar should Mis misunderstand L they should say or hand is high and it is not the Lord who has done all this all right what's that say a lot yeah right is the Lord going to punish them for all that yep yeah verse 28 through 33 for they are a nation void of counsel nor is there any understanding in them oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider the latter end their latter end how could one chase a thousand and two put 10,000 to flight unless their Rock had sold them and the Lord had surrendered them for their rock is not like our Rock even our enemies themselves being judges for their Vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of gamor their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the possession of serpents and cruel Venom of cobras wait Z yeah right so they're they're in enemies somehow are outnumbering or even undern numbering them but out chasing them how could this be since they have a different Vine and a different Rock they have a different God and a different hope must be because God's given them over 34 and 35 is this not laid up in my in straw with me sealed up up among my treasures vengance is mine and re recompense their foot and in recompense their foot shall slip in due time for the day of their Calamity is at hand and the things to come hasten hasten upon them all right who do you think is talking about here that vengeance is mine and recompense their foot shall slip who are they or [Music] there are the Israelites going to be losers forever but where she they their footsteps shall slip into due time for the day of their Calamity is at hand it's it's there and there sorry oh I was like I there and there um that where are these there you kind of think of the Israelites but then you no here it's the enemies who are chasing them yeah for the Lord will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is no one remaining Bond or free he will say where are their gods The Rock in which they sought Refuge who ate their fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering let them rise and help you and be your Refuge right it's like God's saying go ahead where's where's your Idols Now where's our help I think you don't have any strength left wait he's talking about the enemy well I think here he's talking about the Israelites yeah it's kind of funny when God does that he he sometimes you can tell he's not God's not dummy yeah God God's no dummy I think that's a great we should put that on our wall God's no dummy so when he does it he thinks oh if I deliver them to these people I can't just let them be delivered because then you wouldn't believe God's true because he wouldn't keep his promises but he delivers them and then they were like where did I God and then the people are like wait all God's won woohoo but then God Huns against them yeah and so they're like wait a second who's going What's going at the at the end of the day let's go to the next point the end of the day verses 39 through 42 now see that I even I am he and there is no God besides me I kill and I make a lie I wound and I heal nor is there any who can deliver from my hand for I raise my hand to heaven and say as I live forever if I wet wet I if I wh wet my glittering so if I wet my glittering sword and my hand takes hold on judgment I will render Vengeance to my enemies and repay those who hate me I will make my arrows drunk with blood and I'm and my sword shall devour flesh and the blood of the slain and the captives from the heads of the leaders of the enemy what do you think that's saying a lot yeah right do judgment belong to the Lord Y is he eventually going to repay that's why right vengance is mine sayth the Lord I will repay right he's he's going to he's going to take Vengeance Rejoice oh Gentiles with his people for he will avenge the blood of his servant render Vengeance to his adversaries he will provide atonement for his lands and his people right so the Nations hear this and what are they supposed to do bow down to God what's that bow down to God bow on to God Rejoice right because he's a true God good all right let's finish it off you can read the very last part 44th 47 so Mo so Moses came with Joshua the son of dun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people Moses finished speaking all these words to Israel and he said to them set your hearts and all the words which I testify among you today which you shall command your children to be careful to observe all the words of this law for it is not a futile thing for you because it is your life and by this word you shall belong your days the land which you cross over the Jordan to Moses posess as I like to Moses yeah so Moses goes to Joshua now at the very end he gives them uh the song right it's a testimony of what God has done and then at the very end it's not autal task right your life it's your life go over the Jordan go and possess it remember what God has done so give me a summary what's all this about um Exodus okay about the Exodus I'm not going to challenge you to do a best verse I'm just going to ask the what in the world why does that matter to you uh I think at the end he kind of points out like don't make the same mistakes over on over he's trying to point them and say hey you've guys made the steak you might make it again so he's like wanting them hey these this this is things we have to walk on yeah right I think specifically of their treachery against the Lord and growing fat and forsaking him forgetting he's their God lord make me not rich that I might forsake you what Jesus talks about with the seed going into the soil growing up and it looks like it's going to be good and then the weed Sprout up and the deceitfulness of wealth and the cares of this life choke it out there noow good but that same idolatry can still happen in my heart I'm no better than the Israelites I still need that same Grace that same God knowing that he will avenge even my the evil in my own heart and has done that in Jesus but it means I need to turn from my idolatry all of us do look to Jesus you ready to pray yep I opened us you want to close us or do you want me to close I you okay God we thank you so much for this day we thank you for your word God we we tell you we confess to you that it's easy for our hearts to go and chase after the world and the things of this world God please help us keep our hearts firmly fixed on you for you you are the Lord you're the one who gets life and death let us walk before you with fear and tremble in Jesus's name amen well may you find yourself in Christ and may he alone Be Your hope in life and death we'll see you next time