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.