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IN DEUTERONOMY 32 |
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by
Doug Ward |
Christians and Jews share a reverence for the Word of God
and a conviction that the Bible is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and
guidance. This conviction is expressed, for example, in Pirke Avot, a
compilation of early rabbinic wisdom. Speaking of the Torah, the fifth chapter
of Pirke Avot instructs, "Turn it, and turn it over again, for
everything is in it, and contemplate it, and wax grey and old over it, and stir
not from it, for thou canst have no better rule than this."
One
especially rich section of scripture is Deuteronomy 32, a song written by Moses
to help the children of Israel remember who they are and what the Lord has done
for them. Much of Israel's history is encapsulated in this single chapter.
The
song begins by contrasting the faithfulness of God with Israel's tendency to
stray from the covenant (vv. 1-6). It rehearses how God had chosen Israel,
nurtured his people in the wilderness, and would shower them with blessings in
the Promised Land (vv. 7-14). It then predicts that the nation would tend, in
the midst of prosperity, to forget its Creator and fall into idolatry (vv.
14-18).
To
correct his people, God would allow them to suffer the ravages of warfare,
hunger, and disease through attacks by foreign powers (vv. 19-25). But when
those foreign powers, in their arrogance, decide that their own strength is the
source of their victories, God would judge them as well and restore Israel's
fortunes (vv. 26-38). In this way he would reveal himself as the one true God,
ruler over all the earth (vv. 39-43).
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Deuteronomy
32 in the Prophets |
Deuteronomy 32 is foundational for the prophetic books of the
Bible. The prophets unpack the latter chapters of Deuteronomy, and chapter 32
in particular, for their generations. Following the song of Moses, they expose
Israel's sins and predict that the nation will go into captivity if it does not
repent. They also give assurance of God's faithfulness to his people and
describe Israel's ultimate restoration.
Consider,
for example, the book of Hosea. Hosea served in the eighth century B.C., during
the final years of the northern kingdom of Israel. He was given the task of
announcing that the northern tribes would soon be conquered by the mighty
Assyrian Empire.
God
directed Hosea to act out the message of Deut 32 in his own life. He was to
marry Gomer, a woman who would later commit adultery (Hosea 1:1-2). Their
marriage would represent the covenant relationship between God and his people,
with Hosea playing the role of God and Gomer the role of Israel. As Gomer was
unfaithful to Hosea, Israel had strayed from their Deliverer and Sustainer
(Hosea 2:4). The names of Gomer's children carried the message that God would
temporarily "hide his face" from the northern tribes, as described in
Deut 32:19-20. But God later had Hosea take Gomer back, symbolizing the fact
that he ultimately would return to Israel in mercy (Hosea 3).
With
beautiful poetic language, Hosea repeats the basic pattern of Deut 32
throughout the rest of his prophecy. For instance, Hosea 11:1-4 expresses God's
tender love for Israel, reminiscent of Deut 32:10-12. Then Israel's punishment
by the sword is predicted in Hosea 11:6, as in Deut 32:25. Hosea 11 goes on to
describe Israel's return to the land and God's forgiveness of his people,
similar to Deut 32:36.
The
Deut 32 message also is laid out carefully in other prophetic books. Each part
of the message of the song of Moses is discussed in detail, including one
aspect not covered by Hosea: the eventual punishment of Israel's conquerors for
their arrogance (Deut 32:26-35).
The
prophet Isaiah explains that the Assyrians, after defeating the northern tribes
of Israel and other nations, become filled with pride. "By the strength of
my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding,"
Assyria boasts (Isa 10:12). But as the song of Deut 32 states, "they are a
nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them" (v. 28).
Isaiah announces that Assyria would fall "in one day" (Isa 10:17),
again agreeing with Deut 32, which says that "their doom comes
swiftly" (v. 35). Assyria's dramatic fall, also predicted by the prophet
Nahum, would come a century later.
The
prophet Jeremiah makes a similar announcement about the haughty Babylonian
Empire, which took the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity (see Jer
50-51). "The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him
up," Jer 50:32 declares. Babylon’s fall followed in 539 B.C.
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Paul's
New Insight |
Later Deut 32 provided special guidance to the apostle Paul. Paul
struggled to understand why his message met with mixed reactions from his
fellow Jews while being embraced by many non-Israelites. In puzzling over this
question, he may have "turned over" and contemplated the Torah as
described in Pirke Avot. At any rate, he found an explanation in Deut
32:21: "They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked
me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no
people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation."
In
Romans 11 Paul asserts that in his time, Gentile Christians--rather than
Assyrians or Babylonians--play the role of the "foolish nation" in
Deut 32:21. Their acceptance by God has the effect of making Israelites
"jealous" and eventually drawing Israel to Jesus (Rom 11:11-14;
25-27). With this understanding, Paul envisions his own role this way:
"Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of
them" (Romans 11:13-14). Paul concludes that "a partial hardening has
come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this
way all Israel will be saved... " (vv. 25-26).
Paul's
application of Deut 32 illustrates something that Jesus described in one of his
parables. In Matt 13:52, Jesus says that "every scribe who has been
trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out
of his treasure what is new and what is old." Paul saw something new in
Deut 32 that helped him understand God's plan more fully.
In
our study of the Bible today, we also strive to be like the wise scribe in
Jesus' parable, the one "trained for the kingdom of heaven." We seek
ancient wisdom, and we also look for guidance, through the Spirit of God, in
applying that wisdom. And so let us continue to turn, turn over again, and
contemplate the Word of God. Great riches await us!
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On 17 Aug 2015, 23:48.
