It was time for the people to cross over into the Promised Land. Moses could not go with them.
He explained this and asked them to be careful and to watch themselves closely. All that Moses loved and had given his life’s work for was about to depart from him
It must have been a very hard day for Moses.
HEAR O ISRAEL
He started out his last speech to them with some words that sound oh so familiar today; “Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you.”
These words remind me of the Jewish prayer called Shema Yisrael. “Hear O Israel; The LORD our God is One.” They say this three times a day and teach their children to say it and to live it out daily. Some say this is all we really need to know to follow God. It is considered to be the most important prayer of the nation.
What Moses was about to give to the Israelites was to be considered most important too.
These were the things to be followed and lived out as they reached and lived inside the land of promise.
FINAL INSTRUCTIONS
Moses told them to listen and observe each thing in God’s commandments; not to subtract or add to them; but to do them faithfully. We know of a time later in the New Testament days when Jesus accused the Pharisees of adding and subtracting to the commandments of God. This is not allowed. No man is wiser than the God who gave these to mankind.
Now Moses was instructing the people that these rules were to be observed just as God had given them – no changes, no man-made additions or subtractions.
Ever.
THEY HAD WITNESSED MIRACLES
The last speech of Moses is prefaced by the miracles of God that Israel had witnessed.
They had seen up close and in person how God handled things in Baal Peor. God had destroyed every follower of Baal. Only those who held fast to God and did not follow the pagan god called Baal had survived. Now these, the faithful; would enter into the land of abundance and plenty.
Moses told them to be wise and observe God’s commandments in the new place.
The nations around them would come to recognize this and know that Israel is a great nation of an understanding people. They would see how God drew near to the people and how the people were able to draw near to God.
What other nation has such a God as this?
A NATION GOVERNED BY A GOD OF MIRACLES
The other nations will note how God answers the prayers of the people. They will see that Israel is governed by God’s great and wise laws.
Over and over Moses reminds them not to forget the things they have seen and not to let the wonders of God fade from their hearts for as long as they live. They were to teach their children about God and His ways and to pass the things they knew down from generation to generation.
Moses reminded them to remember the miracle of standing before Mount Horeb and hearing the voice of God from the mountain blazing with fire through the black clouds and darkness.
They were to remember the sound of God’s words and all that He said and to note that they saw no form; but only heard a voice that declared the Covenant, the Ten Commandments.
God had written them on stone so that they would never forget. God commanded them to remember the laws and statutes that Moses had taught them; and to use these as the best ways to live when they reached the promised land.
NO IDOLS
Idolatry was strictly forbidden. They saw no form for God, only they heard His voice, and they were not to create a form and call it the image of God, for no man knew this.
It had not been shown to them.
They were not to make idols or images of any shape; whether in the form of a man or a woman, or an animal, bird or reptile. God reminded them that He made the stars in the sky and the sun and the moon and they were not to bow down to them; but only to worship The One True God – the Creator of heaven and earth; not his creation.
FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM
Moses reminded them of how they were brought out of the iron-smeltering furnace of Egypt from slavery and bondage so that they could become the People of God and inherit that promises God had in store for them.
The people were reminded that God had been angry with Moses because of their sins, and now Moses could not cross over with them. He reminded them not to anger God again.
Moses knew he had to die on this side of the river without the blessings; but he reminded the people to be grateful and appreciate their blessings. He told them not to forget, least the anger God was provoked and they too would have to die in their sins.
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN
Sin would certainly have the ability to destroy them. If they sinned in spite of their many blessings then the LORD would drive them from the land they were about to possess.
They would then become scattered among peoples and only a few of them would survive among the nations.
This would happen if they became so careless and heartless as to worship man-made gods of wood and stone which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
But if they sought the LORD they would always find Him The people were advised to seek God with all their heart and soul.
RETURN TO THE LORD AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU
Moses told them there would be times of distress. When that happened they were always to return to the Lord God and obey Him; for God is merciful and He will not abandon or destroy those who turn to Him
God will always remember the covenant with Abraham which He confirmed with an oath.
Moses told them simply to ask God about the former days; the days in which God created the earth and all that is within it.
Who else could do such a thing?
Only God.
What other God had spoken out of a fire to His people?
What other God had ever taken a people out of another nation and made a nation for himself by testing, signs and wonders, war, a mighty outstretched arm, or great and awesome deeds such as was done for these people in Egypt before their very eyes.
HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME
God had shown His people that He was LORD. There is no other. He had disciplined the people he loved, like little children. He had preserved their inheritance He had defeated their enemies.
Now Moses advises them to always keep God’s commandments, statutes and decrees so that things may go well with them in the land.
The cities of refuge were set aside so that the innocent would have a place of safety.
Different cities were designated for different tribes.
And the people sat below the slopes of Pisgah; waiting to move on.