Moses the servant of the Lord

 Christ in all the scriptures

The rain and the dew  Deuteronomy 32v2

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass".

The call to universal attention, makes this chapter of utmost importance in the revelation of God.  Constructed in the form of a song, there are four stanzas, each one proclaiming the character of God, the major topic of the Bible:

The greatness of God  32v3/4   The unrivalled majesty of His person

The goodness of God  32v5-14  His faithfulness to Israel, despite their unfaithfulness

The government of God  32v15-25  Judgment must begin at the house of God.  He chastises His people but mingles it with mercy

The glory of God  32v26-43  Ultimately He will suppress all enemies.

With such dignified subject matter in mind, Moses was concerned with the manner of his presentation.  Just as our lives should "adorn the doctrine", to use Paul's phrase, so thought should be given to the manner in which preachers and teachers present Divine truth.  This aspect is developed in scripture, as we are entrusted with sacred things that require reverential publication.  As always, our Lord Jesus was the supreme example.  Never had the people heard such ministry as came from His lips:

"They wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth"-Luke 4v22.

"They were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power"-Luke 4v32.

"Never man spake like this man"-John 7v46.

He spoke the truth of God with grace, as Psalm 45v2 says, "...grace is poured into thy lips". God is not in the business of alienating or repelling people, rather He is drawing all men to Himself (John 6v44 with John 12v32).

Those of us who are divine communicators today should follow His example:

"And moreover because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge: yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth"-Ecc. 12v9/10.  Paul wrote the following:

"The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth..."-2nd Timothy 2v24/25.

The manner of preaching is important if we are to enhance the understanding of the hearers.

Moses likens the doctrine to the raindrops on the plants and grass, and as the distillation of the dew to refresh the earth.  A close inspection of these reveal a very apt description of the action of the word of God.

Firstly we think of the dew distilling in the early morning light.  The process is of water vapour condensation as the warm air contacts the cold surfaces of earth.  The purpose is to heat up the cold surface and hydrate it for moisturisation.  This benign process of distillation falls silently upon the ground and aids the nourishment of plant life.  There is no sound, just gentle therapeutic provision.  How like the word of God!  It comes in silence, almost undetected until it begins to revive us from sleep.  I recall my late uncle William Neilly say, "The word of God does not burst upon us, it dawns upon us".  For those who have an ear for God's word it is a very real experience.  There is no need for loud mouth preaching, just gentle, powerful, transforming words.

Then he likens it to the raindrops.  God's word is similar to the rainfall upon earth.  Isaiah, in chapter 55v10/11, says, "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it".

The rains that fall are sent for production for the earth to deliver necessary food.  We, often have a negative attitude toward it, and, at times, it can be really uncomfortable and inconvenient.  However it produces necessary food, without which we would die.  Also, after a sustained period of rainfall, the earth is cleansed and the atmosphere is noticeably refreshed.  Like Moses, we are to see the word of God as vital to spiritual life, as the rain and the dew is to natural life.  That is how he viewed his doctrine, and so must we.

Yes, God's word can be challenging, but it is benign, and gentle, and productive, if we receive its wisdom, and adapt to its ways.  The doctrine is not for self glorification, but for the glory of God; it is not for self vindication but for the benefit of God's people

The song of Moses

 Christ in all the scriptures

A universal call to listen   Deuteronomy 32v1

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth the words of my mouth."

Moses has called the elders and officers of Israel to hear the words of God.  It would be their duty to pass the words to all the people including the children.  Beyond that, successive generations were to be instructed.  This is because the eternal God does not speak lightly, He never changes, He remains the same wonderful God throughout all ages.  His words have meaning.

The call was for Israel to hear, and to obey His words.  It is also  the call to the whole world, as He addresses heaven and earth as witnesses.  This is a perpetual theme in scripture, that God's chosen people were to be witnesses to all nations.

Deuteronomy 4v26  "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day...".

Deuteronomy 30v19  "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

Deuteronomy 32v1  "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth".

Psalm 50v6-7  "And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself. Selah (ponder that).  Hear, O my people, and I will speak, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God".

Isaiah 1v2  "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken...".

Jeremiah 2v12  "Be astonished, O ye heavens at this...".

Jeremiah 6v19  "Hear, O earth: behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of my thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it."

Jeremiah 22v29  "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord".

When God is speaking, it is not only to servants like Moses, or to His chosen people Israel only; He is speaking to the whole world and all heaven and earth are witnesses!

This is reminiscent of Jesus, who, on seven separate occasions, proclaimed, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (refer Matthew 11v15; 13v9; 13v43; Mark 4v23; 7v16; Luke 8v8; 14v35).  On one occasion in Luke 9v44 He said "Let these sayings sink down into your ears!".

Seven times also He said the same to the churches, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 2v7; 2v11; 2v17; 2v29; 3v6;3v13; 3v22). God is speaking, He is speaking to His servants, He is speaking to the churches, He is speaking to the world.  He speaks collectively, but we are responsible individually to hear Him and respond.  It is of paramount importance to hear Him in the sense of heeding Him, for what He says will come to fruition.  God never speaks idle words, what He says will come to pass, and He will call heaven and earth as witnesses.  Scripture records:

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it"-Isaiah 55v10-11.

He spoke the universe into being, He speaks life into every believing soul.  He also speaks in judgment and reproof.  There will be things we don't want to hear. but because of who is speaking we must take heed for our good.  The One who created us knows us best. 

When Moses spoke his last words, they were the words of the Lord.  He was speaking to his people Israel, but he was also speaking to the whole world.  The call is to give ear to what He is saying.  Jesus said it to Israel, He said it to the apostles, He said it to the churches; He is saying it to the world.  His words are eternal life as well as earthly blessing.  The Lord is speaking to every one of us today.  Our response will decide our ultimate destiny.  Jesus said, "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life"-John 5v24. 

The eternal God, who spans all time, who inhabits all space, who created all matter has, at His command, countless spirit beings who are greater in power and wisdom than man.  When He speaks they do His bidding, immediately, and without question.  He is apart and higher and greater than all creation, yet He deigns to woo us with love and mercy.  Such an one deserves our utmost attention.  He is seeking our wellbeing, He is speaking in the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, in the innermost recesses of our being.  Next we shall consider the manner of His speaking.

The swansong of Moses Deuteronomy 32

 Christ in all the scriptures

The power of song   Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy chapters 14-31 are a reiteration and practical application of the Mosaic covenant to Israel, as they settled in the promised land.  Believers, today are under the New covenant, and many of the ritualistic and ceremonial and cultural demands are not relevant to the Church.  Indeed, the New Testament is notable for its lack of specific ordinances and ceremonies, emphasising more the inward spiritual faith common to all believers.  However, there are abiding principles that apply; we are told not to conform to the world around us. Rather we are to exercise dignified pursuits and practices as the children of God.  

Chapter 32 brings us to the closing hours of Moses life on earth.  These are his final words after 40 years of faithful service.  His words are described as a song (31v30 and 32v44), that is they could be set to music.  God used songs to communicate His word, for often they are memorised more readily than sermons.  Songs can become powerful in spiritual life, as they readily come to mind at all times.  I recall walking alone, at a time of spiritual depression, that the Holy Spirit arrested me with the song written by Graham Kendrick...."the Servant King".  I didn't even know the words, but I hummed the tune, then, miraculously, sang the words.  I fell to my knees, and vowed before the Lord to serve Him with humility.  That was a turning point for me.  I hope these words do the same for you, I will never forget them:

"From heaven you came, helpless babe; entered our world, your glory veiled:                        Not to be served but to serve; and give your life that we might live!

This is our God, the servant King; He calls us now to follow Him                                          To bring our lives as a daily offering; of worship to the servant King." 

Scripture reveals that songs can be powerful sermons, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..."; also great aids to worship. "...singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"-Ephesians 5v19.

Moses is associated with three songs:  Exodus 15v1/2 and 15v21  A song of rejoicing.  The song extols the wonder of the Redeemer in v11, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"

In Deuteronomy 32v1-43, it is  A song of reproof  in which Moses is contrasting the faithfulness of God, in His utter dependability, with the fickleness of the people of Israel, in their forgetful and rebellious ways.  The message of the song is the publishing of the name of the Lord to ascribe greatness to Him-32v3.  Witness the powerful testimony of song today: the song "Amazing grace" is the third most known entity in the world, behind O.K. and Coca Cola.  At large sports events the hymn "Abide with me" is sung passionately.  The group, The Proclaimers, popularised the conversion song "Sunshine on Leith".  Who doesn't know "The Lord's my shepherd..."?  Through songs, the name of the Lord is known throughout the world.  The strains of their message continues every hour and in all places.

In Revelation 15v3-4, it is A song of retribution as the wrath of God is filled up against the godless nations of the earth; "And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?  for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest".

As servants of God, the songs should reflect all the attributes of God, whether for blessing or cursing, that He might be glorified.  Moses is associated with every aspect of God's truth.  He was called the servant of the Lord at the point of his death (Deut. 34v5).  Like Paul after him, he "declared the whole counsel of God".  The greatest accolade is given to him in scripture, when alongside Christ Jesus he was "faithful in all God's house".  Also, in Revelation chapter 15 the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb are sung together by the vast congregation of the redeemed in heaven.  The message of the song was powerful, the messenger was equally powerful.  No one was closer to God than Moses, no one so declared God like Moses.  The testimony of the Holy Spirit of the man Moses is, "...there arose not a prophet since in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face".   That is until the "prophet like unto Moses" came in the person of Christ Himself.  The two are again linked together in John 1v17, "The law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".

We will attempt to scale the heights and depths of this song, as we continue.  

Behold the severity of God

 Christ in all the scriptures

Test of loyalty    Deuteronomy 13

"The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul"-Deuteronomy 13v3 (refer also Deuteronomy 8v2).

The Lord puts to the test all who are of faith.  This is a major biblical truth.  The apostle James wrote, "...the trying of your faith worketh patience (endurance)"-James 1v3.  The apostle Peter said the same, "Salvation...wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (trials): that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth..."-1st Peter 1v6/7.  Paul adds, "...we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience (endurance).."-Romans 5v3.  One of the pictures used for this inevitable divine process with His people is of the testing of metals, the refining of gold and silver to remove impurities and enhance the value of the product.  The testing in this chapter is particularly severe, and the Lord brings three situations that will call for utmost loyalty from His redeemed people.

Deuteronomy 13v1-5  The emergence in their midst of false prophets and visionaries.

Deuteronomy 13v6-11  Ungodly influence from close family members.

Deuteronomy 13v12-18  Morally corrupt men, in the wider community, enticing many to separate in order to follow them.

In each case, the intention is to cause them to follow other gods.  Note the repetition of this in the chapter: v2 "let us go after other gods"; v6 "let us go and serve other gods"; v13 "let us go and serve other gods".  This was an enticement from three groups to compromise their devotion to God to follow other gods, in direct opposition to the first and second commandments.  The "harmless" suggestion to relax a little, risked bringing the wrath of God upon them.  God opposes all sin, but particularly the sin of idolatry.  Every form of idolatry is abomination in the sight of God.  As we have said before, idolatry is the practise of replacing God with things or people lesser than God.

In each case, the judgment is severe, so severe it would bring loud protests from our modern generations.  Yet the severity is to demonstrate how serious God considers idolatry.  The condemnation of God in this is stated as follows:

"That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God"-13v5.

"Thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is like thine own soul, entice thee secretly saying let us go and serve other gods...thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shalt thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him; but thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people..."-13v6-10.

"Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof with the edge of the sword.  And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again"-13v15/16.

The people of God were to effect this severe judgment themselves, so that they understood the Divine attitude to it.  This has been preserved in God's word that we might know the feelings of God in the matter.  We learn in Romans 1v18 that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold (suppress-hold down) the truth in unrighteousness".

The world is still full of idolatry, and the constant enticement is for believers to succumb to it.  However, there is no mandate to kill idolaters today.  That was given to the state of Israel so that men would know the severity of God's estimate of it, but there is no call for Christians today to do the same.  At worst the discipline is temporary excommunication from the church community as per 1st Corinthians 5.  What has happened, has God's attitude changed?  Not a bit of it, He still views idolatry as abomination.  What has changed is that Christ has come, and taken all the wrath of God against sin, and has satisfied the demands of God.  He has ushered in a "dispensation of grace" so that all who come to Him in Jesus are forgiven, and reconciled.  God is dealing with the world in grace, not by law, which has been fully met in Christ.

All of us, alive today, were born into the greatest age (the age of grace), when God is dealing with the world according to grace and not according to law.  This is because Christ fulfilled the law.  Were it otherwise, few of us would be still alive.  We should be thrilled that we were born in this privileged day, a day which has lasted almost 2000 years.  However this day will end soon, and the throne of grace (Hebrews 4v16), now operating in grace, will become the throne of wrath (Revelation 4v2-6), when God vents His anger on a rebellious world, and begins the process of exterminating all sin and idolatry.

We will never be called upon to display the loyalty demanded of Israel.  This is because Jesus gave His all for us to God.  Perhaps in light of that, we may decide to love Him more in practical reality.  There is no doubt, in the words of the song,..."Bye and bye, when I look on His face, beautiful face, thorn-shadowed face; bye and bye when I look on His face, I'll wish I had given Him more!.  More so much more....and so on.