Deuteronomy 31:1-29; Psalm 115

Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-29; Psalm 115

Verse chosen for meditation: Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Reflect

Who was the instruction and promise given to? And why?

Is there a contradiction in verse 17? If so, did God not keep his end of the bargain?

Which one of the laws or commandments did Israel fail most in? Why so?

Relate

It took me three rounds of reading just to get a better understanding of the passage as well as a clearer picture. I had to do a double-check on who said what and to whom. For example, was it God or Moses who spoke verse 6? And was it only to Joshua or the whole Israelite community? This minor confusion came about as a result of verse 17, which seems to be at variance with verse 6.

All the instructions in the passage were from God mostly. They were not from Moses, as is sometimes thought, who was merely discharging his bounden duty as the chosen and anointed spokesperson for God. In reality, that aptly describes the manner of his leadership. Not many leaders in this present generation can boast of such a leadership style, maybe not one.

This passage and the succeeding few chapters are what some would call 'The Swansong of Moses'. It includes a written song as well (Deuteronomy 32) though the highlight has to be the transfer of leadership to Joshua. 

With such a heavy responsibility entrusted to him, Joshua could do more with an encouragement than the Israelites. So, while verse 6 was spoken to the entire Israelite community, the subsequent two verses (7 and 8), almost a repeat of the earlier verse, were meant solely for Joshua. It was not enough that it was already said a few times, but it had to be repeated in verse 23 and four other times in the first chapter of the book of Joshua.

So, what is with the repeated exhortation, you may ask?

Claiming territories, even those already promised, was no walk in the park. Curveballs, resistance and opposition could still happen. In some instances, it could be worse than expected. What it calls for then is not some gung-ho attitude, but great fortitude.

Again, most of the Israelites could still be reeling from the fear or entertaining wild imaginations after hearing the report of the ten spies (Numbers 13:28-33). Stepping out of a comfort zone is never easy. Intimidation by frightening stories, rumours, speculations, or even threats is not uncommon. To many, the unknown is a scary world. 

I remember bracing myself and the church leadership for our move to an alternative site by claiming an almost similar verse, Joshua 1: 9, during a Saturday morning prayer meeting. It’s true we didn't know what to expect, only that we had to do things differently than we're used to. And no one knew exactly what the outcome would be, or for how long we'd be doing it. A big question mark hung in the air. If we're not strong and courageous, we could easily be swayed by the strong winds of negativism.

Besides, Joshua's own meek bearing could benefit from the exhortation. He was great as a servant, but soon he would need to lead a people. It would do him well then to stand tall in the judgy eyes of the Israelites.

Furthermore, it was to serve as a reminder to Joshua and the whole Israelite community that God would be the one to bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey. That his presence would be the surety of their inheritance. Thus, it would be desirable that they remained faithful.

God knew that they would somehow turn away from him and choose other gods. Despite all the victories that Joshua led them to, and allowing them to enjoy all their fill and thrive in the Promised Land, they would still sadly break their part of the covenant by violating the very first Commandment.

For that reason, God forsook them when the time came. Even though a lot happened during that period, God still kept his end of the bargain eventually.

I can't help but see a parallel between the events mentioned in this passage and that between the Creation Story and the Cross. Mankind broke the covenant when all was good in the Garden. Consequently, God forsook his only begotten son on the Cross on mankind's behalf. He also made a promise to be with us always till the end of the age (Matthew 28: 20).

Since then, for every case, God will be the first to reach out to us when we return to him. For that is the sacred covenant between him and his chosen ones.

What we need is to be strong and courageous at all times, in good as well as bad times. Contrary to popular belief, we slip more often during the good times. Take the prodigal son for example. The adversary is not going to let us have it easy without a challenge. The target is invariably our covenant bond with God. 

But God is not one who will forsake without a reason. He yearns too much for our return, much more than we yearn for his mercy and grace. For he longs to keep his covenant promise to us.

Rest

Lord, thank you for showing me what spending eternity is with you. It's a covenant that will never be broken, an everlasting love. But for now, may I be strong and courageous.

Naville Chia