Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31 records Moses’ final instructions to the Israelites as he prepares for his death. It highlights the transition of leadership to Joshua and the command for the Israelites to remain faithful to God. Moses emphasizes the importance of trusting in God’s promises as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He also provides instructions on reading the law regularly and warns of future rebellion, but assures that God will always remain faithful to His people.

Deuteronomy 31:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
2 And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’
3 The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said.

Moses, now 120 years old, recognizes that his time as leader is ending and that he won’t enter the Promised Land. God has chosen Joshua to lead the people in his place. Despite the daunting task ahead of them, Moses reassures the Israelites that God will go before them, giving them victory over the nations in Canaan. Moses reminds them that their success is not dependent on human leadership alone but on God's power and promises.

Deuteronomy 31:4-6 (NKJV)
4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them.
5 The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Moses encourages the Israelites by recalling their past victories over Sihon and Og, reminding them of God’s faithfulness. These victories are a preview of what God will do for them in Canaan. He urges them to be strong and courageous, without fear, because God will be with them. God’s constant presence and support are emphasized as the foundation of their courage.

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Moses formally commissions Joshua before the people, reminding him of the responsibility to lead Israel into the Promised Land. The command to be strong and courageous is repeated, with the assurance that God will go before Joshua just as He had with Moses. God’s unfailing presence is again highlighted as the reason for Joshua’s confidence and success.

Deuteronomy 31:9-11 (NKJV)
9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles,
11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Moses instructs the priests and elders to read the law to the entire nation every seven years during the Feast of Tabernacles. This was intended to ensure that all generations of Israelites, including those who were too young to remember the giving of the law, would be reminded of God’s commands and their covenant obligations. The public reading reinforced the importance of God's Word in their national life.

Deuteronomy 31:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law,
13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”

Moses emphasizes that the entire community, including men, women, children, and even foreigners, must be present for the reading of the law. This would ensure that everyone understood their responsibilities before God and learned to revere Him. This practice was especially important for the younger generation, ensuring that God’s laws were passed down and observed faithfully in the land.

Deuteronomy 31:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting.
15 Now the LORD appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.

God tells Moses that his death is near and instructs him to bring Joshua to the tabernacle, where Joshua’s leadership will be confirmed by God Himself. The presence of the pillar of cloud, a visible sign of God’s presence, is a powerful reminder that this transition is directed by God. It also affirms God’s continued guidance over Israel through Joshua.

Deuteronomy 31:16-18 (NKJV)
16 And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.
17 Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’
18 And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

God warns Moses that after his death, the Israelites will eventually turn away from Him and worship foreign gods. This rebellion will provoke God’s anger, leading to severe consequences. The people will experience suffering and feel abandoned by God as a result of their disobedience. However, this warning is meant to serve as a reminder of the serious consequences of forsaking their covenant with God.

Deuteronomy 31:19-21 (NKJV)
19 Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel.
20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.
21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”

God commands Moses to write a song that will serve as a testimony against Israel’s future disobedience. Even though God will bless them with abundance in the Promised Land, the people will still fall into idolatry. The song will serve as a reminder of their covenant and a witness to their unfaithfulness, even before they enter the land. This song will be a lasting reminder of God’s warnings and their accountability.

Deuteronomy 31:22 (NKJV)
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

Moses immediately obeys God’s command and writes the song that will act as a witness to the people’s future actions. He teaches the Israelites this song so that it remains in their memory as a constant reminder of their covenant with God and the consequences of disobedience.

Deuteronomy 31:23 (NKJV)
23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

God formally commissions Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land, giving him the same encouragement to be strong and courageous that Moses had given. God’s promise to be with Joshua is reaffirmed, ensuring that Joshua will succeed in his mission just as Moses had.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (NKJV)
24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished,
25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying:
26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;

Moses completes writing the law and instructs the Levites to place it beside the ark of the covenant. This placement of the law beside the ark signifies its importance as a witness of the covenant. The law will serve as a testimony, reminding the people of their obligations and holding them accountable to God’s commands.

Deuteronomy 31:27-29 (NKJV)
27 for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death?
28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

Moses expresses his deep concern for the future, knowing that the Israelites are already rebellious while he is still alive. He predicts that after his death, their corruption will only increase, leading them to provoke God's anger by turning away from His commands. Moses calls the elders together to witness his words, underscoring the gravity of their future rebellion and the inevitable consequences that will follow.

Deuteronomy 31:30 (NKJV)
30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended.

Moses begins to deliver the song that God instructed him to write, ensuring that the entire assembly of Israel hears it. The song will serve as a lasting reminder of their covenant with God and the consequences of forsaking Him, marking Moses’ final act of leadership before his death.