Song of Moses - Part VI - God Aches for Our Lack of Wisdom & Foresight -- Deuteronomy 32:28-33

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Song of Moses - Part VI - God Anguishes Over Our Foolishness -- Deuteronomy 32:28-33

This is a passage that does not get a lot of help from the commentators but I believe there's a lot there for us to consider and digest. In it, God, through Moses, is continuing to express His disappointment and amazement at how sinful Israel could be and shares the explanation for their behavior. As we study this, we need to be aware that as we sin against God, we too disappoint Him. We can each ask ourselves if what He said about the Israelites could well apply to us today.  Let's look at the passage verse by verse.

We need to note that God finished speaking at the end of verse 27 -- note the double closing quotation marks. So this passage is Moses speaking, inspired by God, and speaking for God.

28. The Israelites are lacking (or perishing) in counsel (or wisdom). That is to say, they are without any good counsel or they're getting too much of the wrong counsel from somewhere they shouldn't. They have no understanding in them. They just don't get it.

As a former counsellor and marriage mentor, I can think of many situations where I would often say to myself, "This person is hellbent on doing something stupid; I wonder where their head is really at; or I wonder who's been giving them this foolish advice." Well, the truth is that I often knew the answer to that question. Sometimes it was their mate, sometimes it was their involvement in things that weren't Christian, or listening to friends or family that weren't Christian, but it sure wasn't God or His Word. Those are the only two sources that count when it comes to advice for living the godly life. Yes, we may listen and should listen to sound counsel from others and often to even pursue it as they may well help us see things differently, but any counsel we receive should be held up to the light of God's Word.

29. And oh how God wishes that the Israelites (and us) were wise. How He wishes that we would consider our futures if we don't repent and love Him deeply and sincerely. This is Moses through and through -- that is his dying wish as well for his people.

How awesome is that. That the Almighty God aches for us, like a loving father, wanting us to be wise and to think of our future end if we were to continue down the road we are continuing. Have you ever had a child that wanted to go his/her own way and you wanted so much for them to be wise, to think seriously about their future if they took that path? If so, you know what that feels like as a parent. That's how God feels when we fail to even apply real logic to the merits of our decision.

30. Moses is again presenting the evidence and saying the Israelites have had great successes fighting their enemies against all odds, except that God was the one who delivered (or sold) their enemies into their hands.

Can you think of times in your life when you thought you were up a creek without a paddle and if it weren't for God, you wouldn't be reading this right now, or you'd be reading from jail, or goodness knows where? I can. Many a times my enemies were conquered not by me, but by my God. How did the Israelites forget that so often?  How do we forget that so often?

31. And then Moses says that the 'rock' upon which their enemies (and our enemies) rely on "is not like our Rock". And he goes on to point out that even the enemies themselves recognize that. (The reference here is to Exodus 14:25 during the chase of the Israelites by the Egyptians. God had caused their chariot wheels to swerve all over the place so they could not be easily driven, and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against [us]."

Why do you think that our enemies are trying to defeat us now? Part of it is because they know we are not relying on God as much as we can because we are weak, we have succumbed to the material successes we think we have achieved. Another reason is because they know that ultimately, they will be destroyed by the Almighty God that they fear.

32. Moses goes on to describe what characterizes the enemy. Their vine is from Sodom (you remember that city), and their fields from Gomorrah (and that one). Which makes their grapes poison and their clusters bitter.

Are those the places that we want to be associated with?  Are those the destructive ends that we want to have fall upon us?

Robert Jamieson says this on this verse: "This fruit, which the Arabs call "Lot's Sea Orange," is of a bright yellow color and grows in clusters of three or four. When mellow, it is tempting in appearance, but on being struck, explodes like a puffball, consisting of skin and fiber only." If we go after that fruit, we end up with nothing good and most likely finer in our faces. 

33. Their wine Moses says is like the venom of snakes and the deadly poison of cobras. You cannot escape it on your own.

Is this the kind of death that we, too, want?  Not for me thanks. But look, this isn't just about death --it's about how a real loving God as our Father gives His children freewill and how He hurts when we choose wrongly. Yet, He stays strong letting us suffer the consequence because He is a just God and a Holy God. Which is to say He can't abide with our idolatry, our sin. But that's not the end of the story. This same God who is Just, hates sin, but loves us -- provides a way out of the dilemma for us. He gives us Jesus Christ. You know the rest.

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