The Story

We shall soon learn about the death of Moses. Joshua (called also Hoshea) would be leader in his place. What have we learned about Joshua? He was Moses' servant; he led the soldiers in the battle with Amalek before they came to Sinai (Exod. 17:9); he was with Moses in the mountain when the first tables of stone were broken (Exod. 32:17); he was one of the spies who went up from Kadesh, one of the two who encouraged the people to trust the Lord and to go into the land. Do you remember to which tribe Joshua belonged, and his father's name? The Lord had said that Joshua should take Moses' place. (Num. 27:12-23) Now the time was near and Moses and Joshua presented themselves before the Lord at the tabernacle. Moses told Joshua and told the people to be strong and of a good courage, for the Lord would not fail them, nor forsake them.

The Ten Commandments had been spoken to all the people at Mount Sinai, and the Lord wrote them on tables of stone. Other things had been written by Moses at the Lord's command in a scroll of parchment or papyrus, which was the kind of book used in those days. Many laws had been written (Exod. 24:4; 34:27) and also the story of the journey. (Exod. 17:14; Num. 33:2) In our chapter (verses 9, 24) we are told that Moses wrote "this law," the law as given in Deuteronomy, and that the book was kept by the priests "in the side of the ark," probably by the ark with the pot of manna and Aaron's rod.

It was commanded that all the people should gather at the tabernacle and temple to hear the law read, every seventh year, which was called "the year of release," because on that year all but foreign debtors were released from payment, and the cultivated land was allowed to rest. (Exod. 23:10-11; Deut. 15:1-2) On the seventh year, when the people gathered for the feast of Tabernacles, the autumn thanksgiving feast (Lev. 23:33-44), they should hear the law read. Joshua read the law to the people at Shechem soon after taking possession of the land. (Josh. 8:30-35) It may have been this same copy of the law written by Moses and entrusted to the keeping of the priests which, after being neglected and forgotten for long years, was found in the temple in the days of king Josiah and read again to the people. (2 Kings 22)

The Lord told Moses that the people would by and by disobey Him and worship idols and would come into trouble; and He gave Moses a song to teach the people (and he wrote it also), which would remind them of the Lord. Nothing is so long remembered as a song. In that way many old traditions were kept and handed down in times when there were few books. This song is in the thirty-second chapter. It is a song of the Lord's loving care, with a warning not to disobey Him. Read the first fifteen verses.

1. What books of the Bible were written by Moses? Which of them describe events which Moses himself witnessed?

2. From what source did Moses take the first chapters of Genesis?

3. The Lord's Word must always be about heaven and the way to heaven; is that true of the story of Israel's journey? Is it true of the laws that were given them on their way?

4. For what purpose was the song given which we find in Deut. 32?

Spiritual Study

A literary study of the Bible shows it to be a book made up of many smaller books which were written by different persons in different languages and at widely different times. And yet these books make one Word of the Lord, for the Lord used all these writers as His instruments, and guided them in their writing, and breathed into their words heavenly and Divine meaning, far more than they themselves knew. "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." (Ps. 68:11) The first five books of the Bible are the books of Moses. Can you name them? Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are the story of events which Moses himself witnessed, with the laws which the Lord gave him to teach the people. The story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have been fresh in the memory of the people. The first seven chapters of Genesis, the story of creation and Eden and the flood, Moses copied from the Ancient Word which the Lord had given long before and which was preserved in Egypt. (S. 103; T. 279) He took from the same source the substance of chapters 8-11 to the beginning of the story of Abram. (A. 66)

What in general is the deeper meaning within the history of the going out of Egypt and the journey to Canaan? The many chapters of laws written by Moses (aside from the Ten Commandments) are not as yet of much practical use to Christians, but they will sometime be, for they contain in their deeper meaning all the principles of Christian life. (Matt. 5:17-18)

The law was to be read in the seventh year, the year of release. The seventh year when debtors were released, and the cultivated land was allowed to rest, was a sort of Sabbath year, and like the Sabbath day, it represents a peaceful, heavenly state when temptation and effort in doing right are ended and it is easy and delightful. (A. 8974-8976₎ 9272-9274) The connection between the Lord's commandments and this heavenly state must never be forgotten.

The song of Moses is full of the beauty of a Psalm, and in many places the heavenly meaning shines through the letter. Why are doctrine and speech likened to rain and dew? (Verse 2) What does water represent, water falling gently from above? (A. 3579; E. 644) Why is the Lord called the Rock? (Verses 4, 18, 31) What are spiritual stones, useful for foundations and for building? Verse 4 explains itself. (E. 411) The Lord's care is compared to the eagle's. (Verse 11) Wings represent the power of spiritual thought, and so the Lord's Divine thought and providence. Compare Ps. 91:4; Matt. 23:37. (E. 281, 283)

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