Talk about a cliff hanger! Moses receives a song from the Lord, but we don’t hear what it is until tomorrow. If there was ever a day to read ahead….
The good part about reading certain passages every day is that it forces us to focus on what’s in each segment, instead of wandering into a passage that is more interesting to us. If I were just reading without a plan, my eye would skip most of these chapters and go to the song Moses taught the people. So as curious as I am to hear what Moses sang, I will attempt to focus here.
These words leave a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I imagine that I am standing with the community, hearing Moses spell out the blessings and curses, and while he does so, I hear the crowd excitedly say “yes! we will remain obedient! We will serve the Lord wholeheartedly!” How discouraging to then hear your leader speak of a time when your resolve will fail. It must be depressing to know that you don’t win in the end. Who wants to play a game where they know they lose? Who wants to purchase a home when they know they default on the loan and lose it? What country goes to war knowing they will be defeated?
But wait, that’s not what God is saying at all. God is telling the people that when they find themselves wandering far away, that He will still love them, and still rescue them if they will call out to Him. Sure, it’s hard to hear that your descendants will wander, but hope isn’t lost. They can be restored, even though they have fallen. That puts a different light on it for me. Instead of hearing “you will wander off and be taken captive” now I hear “you are going to fall down a couple of times and get skinned up….but you will stand again” Instead of losing in battle, I now hear hope after failure. To use a metaphor, it’s like riding a bike. No one gets on a bike thinking they will never fall down. And, no one gets on a bike wanting to fall down. We all hope that we learn to ride without falling and we never skin a knee…but that rarely happens. So it would be very comforting to hear our Father say, you will fall…but you will get back up and ride again…and after you get up, you will be even better than you were before.
Suddenly these words begin to bring hope to my day. Sure, I realize that I’m not perfect, and I occasionally make a mistake. Sometimes I even intentionally do something wrong. (gasp). But I know that God continues to love me, and even though my actions might land me in disfavor for a while, should I repent and begin to do what is right again, I will be restored. I don’t ever want to fall off the bike, but if I do, I know that all is not lost.
Key sentences for me:
This is not too difficult for you, it is not beyond your reach
I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster
O, that you would choose life! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him and committing yourself firmly to Him.
This is the key to your life
I would comment more on Joshua taking the reins from Moses, but since our reading continues with him as the focus, there will certainly be time for that later.
Faithfully,
PR