Outline
Outline of Deuteronomy 32
The song of Moses. (Verse 1,2.)
The character of God, The character of Israel. (Verse 3-6.)
The great things God had done for Israel. (Verse 7-14.)
The wickedness of Israel. (Verse 19-25.)
The judgments which would come upon them for their sins. (Verse 15-18.)
Deserved vengeance withheld. (Verse 26-38.)
God’s deliverance for his people. (Verse 39-43.)
The exhortation with which the song was delivered. (Verse 44-47.)
Moses to go up mount Nebo to die. (Verse 48-52.)
This chapter is a song written by Moses (31:22) at the direction of God (31:19). This is probably the “song of Moses” referred to in Rev. 15:3 that will be sung in the tribulation period by the tribulation saints. This song is full of references to different events that will occur in the tribulation as recorded in Revelation and is therefore prophetic.
The song of remembrance. The purpose for the song is stated in 31:16,19,22. In the original this song is a composition of great excellence. It is distinguished as poetry in every Hebrew Bible and is written in its own short half lines. It takes in the whole range of God’s dealings with Israel from first to last and presents a most solemn record of their grievous sin and of divine wrath and judgment.
1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
The name of God is the foundation of everything and it shall stand forever.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
He is “the Rock” not merely a rock.
5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
“their spot is not the spot of his children” – in the tribulation the antichrist will require everyone to take a “mark” or spot (Rev. 13:16-18) in imitation of the mark or spot that God will put upon his own chosen ones (Rev. 7:3; 14:1).
6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
“They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished.” Because they had the blot of sin on them, because they were spotted with iniquity and marked idolaters, therefore God renounced them. There may be an allusion here to the marks which the worshippers of particular idols had on different parts of their bodies, especially on their foreheads.
7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
[Acts 17:26]
When God divided the earth among mankind he reserved twelve lots according to the number of the sons of Jacob, which He was now about to give to their descendents according to His promise.
God set bounds for the nations and intended for them not to intermingle & intermarry.
9 For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
[abroad – outdoors; away from home; scattered about]
12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
“pure blood of the grape” – not only is this the usual Bible definition for “wine” (ie. pure grape juice versus fermented alcohol), but this verse shows the symbolic typology between grape juice and the blood of Christ that is manifested in the communion celebration (Lord’s Supper).
“The Lord’s portion is His people.” As holy souls take God for their portion, so God takes them for His portion. God represents Himself as happy in His followers; and they are happy in and satisfied with God as their portion. The following verses show how God took care of His portion.
15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
[I Sam. 28:13 & I Cor. 10:19-21]
notice the connection between “devils” and “gods” – every idol that is worshiped will soon have a devil behind it to receive that worship – “new gods that came newly up” – in the tribulation “new gods” in the sense of greatly increased demonic activity will be seen; the antichrist will set himself up as a “new god” to worship – Rev. 13:4-8.
18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
Up to this point we have God, His thoughts, His loving interest, His gracious dealings. Now the human side is presented. The mercies of God led the
Israelites to nourish a spirit of self-complacency. The gifts were accepted but the Giver was shut out. “Jeshurun” is the poetical name of Israel “the upright.” The Septuagint translates this as “loved one.” This name is used elsewhere in the Bible and signifies Israel (Deuteronomy 33:5,26; Isaiah 44:2).
19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
[abhorred – to shrink from with dread; lothe; detest]
20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
[Rom Rom 10:19, 11:11]
“I will move…jealousy…not a people” – this was seen to be the case at the present time in our study of the book of Romans – God has temporarily set aside Israel and provided the opportunity of salvation to the Gentiles and in doing so will eventually provoke the Jews to jealousy and salvation
22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
[Luke 12:48]
“lowest hell” – there are different degrees of hell and different degrees of punishment in hell which is one of the purposes of the Great White Throne Judgment in Rev. 20:10-15
23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
This is a record of God’s dealings with His rebellious people. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
God yearns over them.
30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
“their rock” is a reference to the false gods the people trusted in (v.37); this statement about the difference between “their rock” and “our Rock” is also true of the Roman Catholic Church who replaces our Lord Jesus Christ with Simon Peter as their “true rock” and first supposed pope.
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 dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
[asp – the ancient Egyptian Cobra]
34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
[Rom 12:19, Heb 10:30]
36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
[Heb 10:30]
37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
[1st Cor 10:21]
38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
[Ex 15:26, Ps 33:9,103:3, 107:20, Jer 17:14, Matt 8:8]
40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
[Rom 15:10]
This song ends with God.
strong parallels to the tribulation judgments that are elaborated upon in the book of Revelation.
44 And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
Again Moses urges the people to obedience to the Word of God.
48 And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
50 And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
52 Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.
As God had spoken to Moses, so He now prepares to act. Moses was not to see the land of Canaan except from the mountain top.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.
Verse 1,2 – Moses begins with a solemn appeal to heaven and earth, concerning the truth and importance of what he was about to say. His doctrine is the gospel, the speech of God, the doctrine of Christ; the doctrine of grace and mercy through him, and of life and salvation by him.
Verse 3-6 – “He is a Rock.” This is the first time God is called so in Scripture. The expression denotes that the Divine power, faithfulness, and love, as revealed in Christ and the gospel, form a foundation which cannot be changed or moved, on which we may build our hopes of happiness. And under his protection we may find refuge from all our enemies, and in all our troubles; as the rocks in those countries sheltered from the burning rays of the sun, and from tempests, or were fortresses from the enemy. “His work is perfect:” that of redemption and salvation, in which there is a display of all the Divine perfection, complete in all its parts. All God’s dealings with his creatures are regulated by wisdom which cannot err, and perfect justice. He is indeed just and right; he takes care that none shall lose by him. A high charge is exhibited against Israel. Even God’s children have their spots, while in this imperfect state; for if we say we have no sin, no spot, we deceive ourselves. But the sin of Israel was not habitual, notorious, unrepented sin; which is a certain mark of the children of Satan. They were fools to forsake their mercies for lying vanities. All wilful sinners, especially sinners in Israel, are unwise and ungrateful.
Verse 7-14 – Moses gives particular instances of God’s kindness and concern for them. The eagle’s care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ’s love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan’s bondage. In ver.13,14, are emblems of the conquest believers have over their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, in and through Christ. Also of their safety and triumph in him; of their happy frames of soul, when they are above the world, and the things of it. This will be the blessed case of spiritual Israel in every sense in the latter day.
Verse 15-18 – Here are two instances of the wickedness of Israel, each was apostacy from God. These people were called Jeshurun, “an upright people,” so some; “a seeing people,” so others: but they soon lost the reputation both of their knowledge and of their righteousness. They indulged their appetites, as if they had nothing to do but to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Those who make a god of themselves, and a god of their bellies, in pride and wantonness, and cannot bear to be told of it, thereby forsake God, and show they esteem him lightly. There is but one way of a sinner’s acceptance and sanctification, however different modes of irreligion, or false religion, may show that favourable regard for other ways, which is often miscalled candid. How mad are idolaters, who forsake the Rock of salvation, to run themselves upon the rock of perdition!
Verse 19-25 – The revolt of Israel was described in the foregoing verses, and here follow the resolves of Divine justice as to them. We deceive ourselves, if we think that God will be mocked by a faithless people. Sin makes us hateful in the sight of the holy God. See what mischief sin does, and reckon those to be fools that mock at it.
Verse 26-38 – The idolatry and rebellions of Israel deserved, and the justice of God seemed to demand, that they should be rooted out. But He spared Israel, and continues them still to be living witnesses of the truth of the Bible, and to silence unbelievers. They are preserved for wise and holy purposes and the prophecies give us some idea what those purposes are. The Lord will never disgrace the throne of his glory. It is great wisdom, and will help much to the return of sinners to God, seriously to consider their latter end, or the future state. It is here meant particularly of what God foretold by Moses, about this people in the latter days; but it may be applied generally. Oh that men would consider the happiness they will lose, and the misery they will certainly plunge into, if they go on in their trespasses! What will be in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:31. For the Lord will in due time bring down the enemies of the church, in displeasure against their wickedness. When sinners deem themselves most secure, they suddenly fall into destruction. And God’s time to appear for the deliverance of his people, is when things are at the worst with them. But those who trust to any rock but God, will find it fail them when they most need it. The rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish nation, is the continuance of their ancient idolatry, apostacy, and rebellion. They shall be brought to humble themselves before the Lord, to repent of their sins, and to trust in their long-rejected Mediator for salvation. Then he will deliver them, and make their prosperity great.
Verse 39-43 – This conclusion of the song speaks,
1. Glory to God. No escape can be made from his power.
2. It speaks terror to his enemies. Terror indeed to those who hate him. The wrath of God is here revealed from heaven against them.
3. It speaks comfort to his own people. The song concludes with words of joy. Whatever judgments are brought upon sinners, it shall go well with the people of God.
Verse 44-47 – Here is the solemn delivery of this song to Israel, with a charge to mind all the good words Moses had said unto them. It is not a trifle, but a matter of life and death: mind it, and you are made for ever; neglect it, and you are for ever undone. Oh that men were fully persuaded that religion is their life, even the life of their souls!
Verse 48-52 – Now Moses had done his work, why should he desire to live a day longer? God reminds him of the sin of which he had been guilty, for which he was kept from entering Canaan. It is good for the best of men to die repenting the infirmities of which they are conscious. But those may die with comfort and ease, whenever God calls for them, notwithstanding the sins they remember against themselves, who have a believing prospect, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life beyond death.