Good morning,
This year is almost over. For some this was a year of joy and contentment, but for others of loss and hardship. For some a combination of both. Whatever situation you are in, this would be a good time to reflect on what God has done during this past year. When we reflect on God’s all knowing, ever-present, all-powerful character, then the events of the year may have a clearer meaning. Then we need to ask ourselves, “How did we deal with these events?” How did we glorify God this year? What could we have done better? Then we set some goals for next year.
The Song of Moses will be our text for this week. Moses is getting ready to die. He writes this song to remind Israel of their past and what they will do in the future. Our goal is to take lessons from Moses’ teaching and apply it to our lives.
Song of Moses
Deuteronomy 32:1-43
Israel forsakes God (v15-18)
15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
God hides His face from Israel (v19-26)
19 And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. 21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
Israel lacks counsel and understanding (v27-33)
27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this.28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. 29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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