Week 10

2/16/2025

Winter 2025

• Central Passage: Deuteronomy 31-34, Moses' Farewell. 

• Click here to see the Middle School Sunday school handout for Deuteronomy.

• Check out the Middle School Sunday School Resources page for other books of the Bible resources.

This past Sunday, the children’s Sunday school classes studied Deuteronomy 31-34: Moses’ farewell, the song of Moses, his final prophetic blessings, and the death of Moses. This past Sunday, Pastor Heath also preached from Deuteronomy 31 (and will preach from Deuteronomy 32 this upcoming Sunday), so be sure to check out our livestreams if you were not able to be here in person.

Deuteronomy 31

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses is 120 years old. Egyptians believed 110 to be the ideal life expectancy, though the life expectancy was much shorter. Moses lived ten more years, however, implying that his life of faithfulness during the Exodus and these desert wanderings was even more ideal than a life in Egypt. Yet, as he was no longer able to go into battle with them, Moses did several things. He exhorted Joshua three times to “be strong and courageous,” a teaching which Joshua took to heart (Josh 1:6, 7, 9, 18; 10:25). The Hebrew word for courageous means to be bold, unmovable, or hard. As Moses recounted in the historical prologue, despite his pleas, God forbade him to enter the Land (Deut 3:33-29). Though God justly punished Moses, He provided Joshua as a leader, giving Moses the task to strengthen and encourage (same Hebrew word used for courageous) him in Deut 3:28. Joshua would be God’s gracious provision, despite Moses’ punishment. And as a result of Moses strengthening and encouraging him, God will put them in possession of the land.

Additionally, Moses wrote this Torah (Deuteronomy), gave it to the priests to safeguard and deposit in the Ark of the Covenant, and instructed them to read it every seven years at the Feast of Booths. If you noticed from this past Sunday, we read selected passages from John 7-8, which takes place in Jerusalem during the Feast of Booths. The irony of this passage is that the feast celebrates God preserving and dwelling with His people during the wilderness wanderings, but when God dwells among them in Jesus (cf. John 1:14), they reject Him, just as Israel repeatedly rejected God’s leadership and instruction. The chapter then closes with Joshua’s official commissioning, more prophecy about Israel forsaking Yahweh for foreign gods (31:16ff), and the transition into the Song of Moses.

Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32 contains the Song of Moses, which is the essential teaching of Deuteronomy. The main idea is an appeal to Israel, both now and in their future times of rebellion (about which the song is very prophetically explicit about), to return to this point of decision to choose life and obedience instead. The song should call Israel back to repentance, hence why the song ends with a call to worship. Also, note that God is their “Rock” in 32:4, 15, 18, 30, and 31. When Israel rebels, they should return to their Rock, the real source of safety and deliverance and not remain with the powerless false “rocks” of their pagan neighbors (32:37). Though the song recounts God’s gracious dealings with Israel (32:7-14), Israel repays God with treachery (32:5-6, 15-18). In Deuteronomy 32:19-27, God responds with righteous, angry justice. However, according to one commentator, verses 26-27 are the “axis…on which the whole song revolves” (J. Gary Millar, 96). God has a missionary heart for the world, remembering His promise to bless the world through Abraham. God will not utterly destroy His people because the nations are watching. He does not want them to think that they were empowered by their false gods to do so. As a result, God will deal justly with the nations to whom He will give His people (32:28-38), for justice and power belong to Him alone (32:39-43). As the chapter concludes, Moses recounted again his inability to enter the land, modeling the charge of the song that Israel must treat God as holy.[1]

Deuteronomy 33

            Deuteronomy 33 contains Moses’ final blessing (cf. Genesis 49, Jacob’s blessing). Moses did more than just wish them well; he prophesied, meaning that these blessings would come to fruition. A few blessings are interesting to note, particularly when compared to Genesis 49.

Reuben’s blessing (33:6) seems negative, but it contains the promise that they will not die. Jacob’s blessing of Reuben (Gen 49:3-4) indicates that Reuben was preeminent as the firstborn son, but he was unstable, pointing forward to a day of no longer possessing his preeminence as a result of his affair with one of Jacob’s concubines. Though the Numbers 26 census does not indicate that Reuben is diminished yet, Moses’ blessing likewise anticipates Reuben’s instability and a time when they will be greatly afflicted yet preserved.[2]

Judah’s blessing (33:7) indicates that they will be a praying tribe, whom Yahweh will deliver and protect, which is true both before and after the Babylonian Captivity. This favor is consistent with Genesis 49:8-12, in which Jacob said that Judah will be powerful, with unending kingship[3] and prosperity.[4] The “blood of grapes” in Gen 49:11 has dual meaning: prosperity for those under Judah’s rule but also violent trampling of enemies under his feet (cf. Isa 63:2-3). This is powerful imagery for the Messiah’s rule. Grace and peace come to those under His rule, but judgment and destruction come to His enemies. Moses’ blessing supplements Jacob’s by saying that God will be Judah’s help against his adversaries.

Levi’s blessing (33:8-11) seems to be the opposite of Jacob’s blessing to Levi. Gen 49:5-7 groups Levi and Simeon into a curse, removing their blessing/inheritance of land due to their violence and cruelty (cf. Gen 34). Therefore, Jacob said they would be divided and scattered in Jacob/Israel. This is why Moses did not bless Simeon—their land would later be absorbed/“scattered” into Judah’s inherited territory.[5] Levi would also be scattered throughout, but God turned their curse into commissioning and blessing in Moses’ account.[6]

Benjamin’s blessing (33:12) also seems far different from Gen 49:27, but the two are complementary. Jacob prophesied that Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, and his people would indeed become renowned for their strength in battle, training their soldiers to be ambidextrous.[7] Benjamin would become a tribe of war, for better or for worse. Note that Ehud was a Benjamite (Judges 3:15), but the treacherous men of Gibeah were also from Benjamin (Judges 20). Esther and Mordecai were Benjamites whom God used to protect His people, but the infamous King Saul was also from Benjamin. Paul was also a Benjamite, who was a warring persecutor of the church at first but later the blessed Apostle whom God used to spread the gospel to the Roman world. But in Deut 33, Moses promised that Benjamin would dwell securely. God was their safety, and it was no coincidence that Jerusalem extended into their borders with God’s sacred dwelling (the Temple) nearby.

Last, Joseph’s blessing (33:13-17) is the longest in Deut 33, and the word for “abundance” occurs five times throughout. Gen 49:22-26 has a similar blessing for Joseph, promising fruitfulness in the face of hostility. The tribe of Joseph eventually split into the two tribes of Ephraim and Western Manasseh (whom Moses mentions as part of Joseph’s blessing in 33:17). The land given to Joseph, with Ephraim and Western Manasseh being its constituent parts, would become the largest, most dominant and prosperous northern tribe.

Moses blessed the other tribes and concluded with general blessings for all of Israel/Jeshurun[8] because God was their dwelling place. Moses’ final pronouncement of blessing in 33:29 uses a different Hebrew word, often translated as “happy.” This is the first and only use of the Hebrew word in the Pentateuch, but the Psalter uses it repeatedly. In fact, the first word in the book of Psalms is this word for happy/blessed (Psalm 1:1). Psalm 1 (and numerous others) ritually reminds its readers and singers that true blessing and happiness come from obedience to God’s word above all else (cf. Psalm 19:10).

Deuteronomy 34

            As Deuteronomy concludes in chapter 34, the author records Moses’ death, obviously not written by Moses. First, remember that Deuteronomy 18:15-19 talks about God raising up a prophet like Moses. This is a promise that God will continue to speak His word through prophets, just as He spoke to them through Moses. Yet, as Deuteronomy concludes, “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses…” there is a sense of anticipation for THE prophet like Moses, one who will know the LORD face to face, coming with signs and wonders. As the first section of the Hebrew Scriptures[9] draws to a close, we await the advent of a new Moses—Jesus.[10]