Chapter Text
Joshua to Succeed Moses
The Reading of the Law
Israel's Rebellion Predicted
Summary
Moses speaks the words of his song to all the assembly of Israel. The song declares God's perfection, Israel's corruption, and the Lord's coming judgment and mercy. It recalls God's care for Israel in the wilderness and their ingratitude in prosperity. God will scatter them among the nations but ultimately avenge their blood and show mercy to His land and people. Moses urges Israel to set their hearts upon these words and teach them to their children.
Meaning
The Song of Moses proclaims that God is the Rock, a title emphasizing His unchanging faithfulness in contrast to Israel's fickleness. The imagery of God as an eagle stirring its nest and bearing its young on its wings portrays divine parenting that is both challenging and protective.
The song's trajectory from rebellion through judgment to restoration encapsulates the entire biblical narrative. God's final word is not wrath but mercy. Even the most severe discipline serves the ultimate purpose of redemption and restoration.
Background
The Song of Moses is referenced in Revelation 15, where the redeemed sing it alongside the Song of the Lamb, connecting Old Testament deliverance with final eschatological salvation. The Rock imagery was deeply meaningful in a desert context, where rocks provided shade, water, and protection. This song was likely preserved and recited in Israelite worship for centuries.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-6Moses encourages Israel for the conquest
- vv. 7-8Public commissioning of Joshua
- vv. 9-13The law entrusted and publicly read
- vv. 14-15God summons Moses and Joshua to the tabernacle
- vv. 16-22Prophecy of Israel's apostasy and the witness song
- vv. 23God's personal charge to Joshua
- vv. 24-30The law placed beside the ark as witness
Key Verses
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”— 31:6
One of the most frequently quoted promises in Scripture, assuring believers of God's unfailing presence. Echoed in Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5, it forms a bedrock of biblical encouragement.
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”— 31:8
Moses personally commissions Joshua with this assurance, reinforcing that leadership depends not on human ability but on divine presence. The repetition of the promise intensifies its certainty.
“Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:”— 31:12
Establishes the principle of universal public Scripture reading — inclusive of every age, gender, and social standing. This verse shapes the theology of corporate worship and covenantal instruction.
“Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.”— 31:19
God commands the composition of a prophetic song as a perpetual witness, demonstrating that Scripture serves both as instruction and as testimony against unfaithfulness.
People & Places
People
- Moses — The aged leader of Israel, now 120 years old, delivering his final charge before his death.
- Joshua — Son of Nun, publicly commissioned as Moses' successor to lead Israel into the Promised Land.
- Sihon — King of the Amorites whom the LORD had previously defeated, cited as evidence of God's faithfulness.
- Og — King of the Amorites defeated alongside Sihon, referenced as proof that God will likewise destroy Canaan's nations.
Places
- Jordan — The river Israel must cross to enter the Promised Land, which Moses is forbidden to pass.
- Tabernacle of the congregation — The sacred tent where the LORD appears in a pillar of cloud to commission Joshua.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
The LORD explicitly foretells Israel's future apostasy: that they will forsake the covenant, turn to foreign gods, and suffer devastating consequences (vv. 16–18, 29). This prophecy is fulfilled repeatedly throughout Judges, Kings, and the prophetic writings, culminating in the Babylonian exile. The command to write a prophetic song as a 'witness' (v. 19) anticipates the Song of Moses in chapter 32, which serves as a covenant lawsuit against Israel's unfaithfulness.
Devotional
Moses stands at the threshold of death, yet his final words are not of fear but of faith. He does not minimize the challenges ahead — enemies remain, and human frailty is certain. But his counsel is fixed on one truth: God goes before His people.
This chapter reminds us that every transition in life — new leadership, new seasons, new uncertainties — is undergirded by the same unchanging God. 'He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee' is not wishful thinking; it is covenant promise.
When we feel inadequate for what lies ahead, we can take courage not from our own strength, but from the One who has already gone before us.
Literary Style
This chapter blends farewell discourse with narrative, prophecy, and covenant ceremony. Moses' speeches carry the solemn weight of a last testament, while God's direct speech in verses 16–21 shifts into prophetic oracle. The threefold repetition of 'be strong and of a good courage' (vv. 6, 7, 23) creates a rhetorical pattern of escalating commissioning authority — from Moses to Israel, Moses to Joshua, and God to Joshua.