Even though Moses had personally observed the rebellion and stubbornness of Israel for forty years, the main reason that he knew for sure they would turn from God is God told Moses that would happen! The people of Israel are going to turn from God. He is going to judge them, and he is also going to preserve a remnant of true followers who will one day return.
It is extremely relevant and important to note “when” God says Israel will turn from him. Deut 31:20 – “For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.” It is not when food is short and times are tough that they will turn away; it is when they are living in the land of promise and abundant blessing!
The most dangerous place to be in terms of maintaining your walk with the Lord is in the land of plenty! When we are blessed and comfortable and all needs are supplied, we quickly lose track of the source of those provisions! What is even more frightening is that Israel will not only turn away but they will trade God for false gods and they will “despise” God! In other words, now that they have all they ever wanted, why keep serving God? They will conclude, “Let’s go get our own gods that allow us to live any way we wish!” Wealth, health, life void of tragedy, and abundance on all fronts are not bad in and of themselves – but they can be disastrous for us if we do not keep them in perspective! If you are living in the land of blessing today, recognize the danger and bless the Lord for his gracious blessings to you!
Poor, poor Moses! I find myself depressed with him at the end of his life. All he had poured into these people, all the lessons he had tried to teach them, all the frustrations with their grumbling and unbelief in God!! He had had such high hopes for them, and now God tells him that the people WILL reject Him, and disaster WILL come on them because of that rejection. There have been hints all along in Deuteronomy that the people are stubborn and likely to rebel, but also glimpses of a glorious, harmonious, worshipful life in the new land. Maybe Moses had believed that when the people were finally settled in their new homeland THEN everything would be right, THEN the people would want to follow God's laws, and THEN obeying Him would be their joy!! What a temptation that is: to believe that a different environment will change my heart--Adam and Eve had the perfect environment!! But with no end in sight?? At least when Abraham had his dream and was told that his descendants would be mistreated and enslaved for 400 years (Gen. 15:13-16) there was also an ending prophesied to that terrible time. The promises of Deut. 30:1-10 for a people returning to God ARE glorious, but there is no time frame given--WHEN will they return? HOW LONG will it take them to finally understand?? I wonder why God told Moses what the future would hold? I would have preferred (if I'd been Moses!) to die in peace: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course. There is a crown laid up for me..." like Paul (even if Paul's death itself was likely far from peaceful!). I bet it was a very slow and weary hike up Mount Nebo. But God tells the TRUTH to His servant, the one He has talked with "mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and [who beheld] the form of the LORD" (Num.12:8) God shares HIS pain with Moses, what a frightening and awe-some thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a very courageous person. I'd PREFER to not know the hard things, I guess. But I'll say it here: I want to be ready to hear whatever He wants me to know, with whatever truth He can entrust to me. He is faithful to give grace for our Mt. Nebo climb.