Associate Producer

Kirsty

Podcast Introduction

This is Monday, and we will finish the book of Deuteronomy by reading chapters 32-34. I’m calling today’s show “The End of an Era.”

Comments on Deuteronomy 32-34

Thoughts on Deuteronomy 32

Chapter 31 ended with the words, “And Moses spoke this whole song for all the people of Israel to hear:”

Most of chapter 32 is the song. 

The first four verses are a call to all of creation to listen to what he is about to say, and the fact that he is proclaiming the name of the Lord, giving Him praise for who He is and what He does.

The next two verses state the fact that Israel has sinned.

Verses 7-14 tells how God has been faithful to Israel throughout history. He has loved them and blessed them. 

In verses 15-18, Moses reminded them of how Israel responded to God’s love by abandoning Him.

Verses 19-27 tell how, in response to their rebellion, God left their side and punished them.

In the final verses of the song (verses 28-43), God lists His charges against Israel and calls them back to Himself.

After the song, Moses encourages Israel with the words, “This is no trivial matter for you—this is your very life! It is by this means that you will prolong your life on the fertile land you are crossing the Jordan River to possess.” 

Another way to say “This is no trivial matter for you” is “This is no meaningless thing-this matters…” One of the lies of the enemy when we are in the midst of sin is, “What God says doesn’t matter. You can do what you want.” Moses is reminding them that what God says DOES matter. What He says is life itself. 

And then in the final five verses God gives Moses His final instructions. He is to go up to the place where he will breathe his last. He will be able to look across the Jordan River into the promised land, but because of his sin at Meribah-Kadesh he will not be allowed to go in.

Thoughts on Deuteronomy 33

Very few of us know the time of our death. But in Deuteronomy 33, Moses knows that his time has come. God told him.

And Moses wanted to leave the people that he had led out of Egypt and through the desert for these forty years with words that would encourage them, despite their failings. 

Did you notice that each of the twelve tribes received a distinct blessing except one? Which tribe received no blessing? It was Simeon. 

Why was Simeon left out? 

Let’s quickly look at some history. Remember that Jacob loved Rachel and asked her father, Laban, for her hand in marriage. Laban had two daughters, Rachel and her older sister Leah. Laban told Jacob that he could have Rachel after he worked for him for seven years. But after the seven years were up, Laban tricked Jacob by giving Leah to him instead. In order for Jacob to have Rachel as his wife, Jacob had to give Laban another seven years.

Then we’re told in Genesis 29 that when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved by Jacob, he gave her children, but Rachel was unable to do so. Leah’s firstborn son was Reuben, followed by Simeon, Levi and lastly, Judah. Leah also gave birth to a daughter named Dinah. 

When Dinah was a young woman, she caught the eye of a man, a prince, named Shechem, who raped her. Shechem told his father, Hamor, that he wanted Dinah to be his wife. So Hamor went to talk to Jacob, Dinah’s father. When Dinah’s brothers found out what had happened to her, they were furious. Hamor insisted that Shechem wanted to marry Dinah, and he told Jacob that they could agree that their two peoples could intermarry. Shechem also added, in essence, “Name your price. Anything you ask, I will agree to. Only let me marry your daughter.”

So Dinah’s brothers, angry still at what he had done to their sister, devised a scheme. They told Shechem and his father that they could never allow their sister to marry an uncircumcised man. It would be a disgrace. They could only agree if all the males were circumcised. Then and only then would they allow Dinah to marry Shechem and allow intermarriage between their people.

Hamor and Shechem agreed, and they convinced all the males of the city to be circumcised. Three days later, while they were all still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, came into the city and killed every male. They killed Hamor and Shechem, and took Dinah out of there. And then all of Jacob’s sons came into the city and looted it. They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children. 

Near the end of Jacob’s life, he gathered his sons to himself, to tell them what would happen to them in the future. Of Simeon and Levi, those who had instigated this act on Hamor, Shechem and the city of Shechem, Jacob said in Genesis 49:5-7 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.”

So the tribe of Simeon eventually became small and insignificant, and was absorbed into the tribe of Judah. Levi was also scattered throughout Israel, but in a much different way. God chose them to be His priests.

Thoughts on Deuteronomy 34

Chapter 34 tells us of Moses’ death. Imagine the bittersweet thrill that it must have been for Moses to have God show him a view of the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo! It had to be disappointing not to get to go in, but since God had already told him this would be the case after their sin in Numbers chapter 20, he must have been somewhat used to the idea. But the thrill of actually seeing the land with his own eyes had to have been very satisfying. If you’d like to see a picture, of what Moses saw I’ve got one, and a link, on the show notes page. /s12e362

The View From Mt. Nebo

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 32-33 CEB; Ch. 34 GWT

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