Deuteronomy 32:15 ” …they grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.”
Always ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom before attempting to understand God’s Word.
(Romans 8:26 & Jude 20)
“Lead me, Lord. Lead me in Thy righteousness. Make Thy way plain before my face.” 1
The Hebrew word Eben means Rock (or Stone). The word is spelled with characters of the Hebrew alphabet. It looks like this: אבן The First character is the letter, Aleph (ah-leff). It represents God or Heavenly Father. The second character is Beth (Bah-yeet). This represents the Son, Jesus. The Rock. God and Jesus. Always working together.
Jesus is found throughout the Bible , including the Old Testament. God’s entire Word is always relevant.
Our study today is focusing on the Rock, who is faithful and true. The passage in Deuteronomy 32 is the Song of Moses. Every word of the song was given by God.
God intentionally wanted Moses to teach this song to the Israelites because they would eventually reject Him.
The song would be a reminder of their previous rejection of Him and the reason for judgment against them.
But the song would also remind them of His love and constant provision for them and His provision of ultimate salvation, even for the gentiles.
Discipline for sin will always be reality. It was for the Hebrews, and it is for you and me, too.
But be thankful for that discipline. Do you remember the verse about God’s loving discipline?
“…for whom the Lord loves, He disciplines and chastises every son (and daughter) whom He loves.”
Hebrews 12:6 (WEB)
Sin dishonors our Holy God. Sin leads to darkness and death. Sin led to the brutal crucifixion of Jesus. Sin wasn’t just a Hebrew problem. We can’t read these passages and not see ourselves in them.
We can’t just gleefully have Mardi Gras every day and then have a prescribed day of repentance and mourning. Staying in habitual or planned sin is an abuse of God’s grace. If we can easily sin without true conscience and remorse, then we need to look at our heart. Have we truly given our lives to God?
Of course, no one living on this earth will ever be sinless, but reading this passage should have the effect that God intended. It is a reminder of His Holiness, our rejection of His ways that leads to death, His kindness that leads to repentance, His certain provision for salvation to those who surrender to Him, and our relentless pursuit to be more like Jesus.
“The last words of the Song of Moses are a promise that God will “make atonement for his land and people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). This is a significant promise, because the atonement for God’s people is none other than the sacrifice of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:20).” 2
God never has abandoned His people.
He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
so He spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on His pinions.
Clicks by Cordero
The Song continues for you and me, today. Even though this passage was for the Hebrews, our Rock remembered you and me.
Deuteronomy 32: 43. Jesus. Salvation for everyone who would have it.
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God,
and it is by openly declaring your faith
that you are saved.
As the Scriptures tell us,
“Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.
They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:8-13
- “Lead Me Lord”
by Samuel S. Wesley 1810-1876
First published 1905 ↩︎ - Got Questions Article “What is the Song of Moses?” ↩︎
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 