DEUTERONOMY 31
The first six verses of this chapter were spoken by Moses “to all Israel”. They present what it is important for all the people of God to know. “Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan” (verse 2). As regards Moses personally there was a governmental reason for this (see chapter 32: 51), but here he may be regarded as typical of Christ after the flesh. Not even Christ after the flesh could bring us into what was in the purpose of God for us. As to His life in flesh He could say, “For also the things concerning me have an end” (Luke 22: 37);”the days of his flesh” terminated in death. He came in infinite grace into a condition which was not that of divine purpose; Himself the [p. 348] all-holy One who knew no sin He took part in the condition of flesh and blood — of which we were partakers — that He might glorify God in it, and be the propitiation for our sins, be made sin for us, and bring to an end the life to which, in us, sin attached. Christ after the flesh is no more; the silver cord has been loosed, and the golden bowl broken. Perfect and blessed as that life was, it was not the life of divine purpose for man, and “if even we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer” (2 Corinthians 5: 16). He has been “put to death in flesh, but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3: 18). As such He is the true Joshua, going over before His people, and with them, to cause them to inherit the land. The destruction of what answers to the nations of Canaan, and acquiring possession of the inheritance, depends on our following Christ as the true Joshua who by the Spirit leads His people in. The faithfulness of God is definitely pledged to Joshua in this scripture (verses 7, 8), and as we follow the spiritual leading of Christ that faithfulness will be our sure resource. “Thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And Jehovah, he it is that goeth before thee: he will be with thee; he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed” (verse 8). Joshua and the power of Jehovah are identified.
Joshua represents that spiritual leading of Christ which began in Himself as “made alive in the Spirit”, and was continued in His apostles, and which, in principle, continues in the gifts which have come down from Him as the ascended One. Divine faithfulness is pledged to support all such spiritual leading. It is really the leading of Christ, though manifested through His representatives here. Viewed thus we can see the value and suitability of the call to Joshua in verses 7, 8, and to the “charge” and commandment of verses 14, 23. There is a remarkable contrast between the faithfulness [p. 349] and support of Jehovah fully assured to Joshua, and the unfaithfulness of the people as prophetically declared in verses 16 - 21.
All that Joshua represents has been, and ever will be, supported by God, and it will ever lead the people of God into the inheritance which His love has prepared for them. It is possible that the people may not value the leading, or get the good of it spiritually, but if is there in divine faithfulness for their good. To whomsoever it may be given to have any part in spiritual leadership the call, the charge and the commandment to Joshua are directly the word of God today. It was never more essential that spiritual leading should be marked by strength and courage, by confidence in God, and by the assurance that He is with those who are set in purpose to cause His people to inherit what He has given. It has been well said, “Our present work and duty, whatever it may be in the church, hangs from the charge, and is sustained by it, whatever we may know of the result as regards man’s unfaithfulness”. The spiritual leading of which Joshua is a type was seen in the apostles; they were strong and courageous, and God was with them. The public result soon became like verses 16 - 21. I suppose every reader of this chapter has felt how like its closing verses are to Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.
Before Jehovah declared prophetically what the people would actually do in forsaking Him and breaking His covenant He led Moses to express in verses 9 - 13 what was agreeable to His own mind. The Deuteronomic law, written by Moses, was delivered to the priests and to all the elders of Israel. The priests being characterised as bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah shews that this law is committed to those who are personally identified in affections and service with Christ. They are in priestly nearness to God, identified with His [p. 350] covenant known as secured in Christ. Then “all the elders of Israel” represent the people viewed in intelligent responsibility. Spirituality is ever accompanied by a deep sense of responsibility that God’s mind shall have its influence in a practical way amongst His people. Apart from this there will be no sabbatical “year of release”, which indicates that the saints are formed in the divine nature, and are able to express it practically amongst themselves. (See chapter 15, and also remarks in “Outline of Leviticus”, chapter 25) And the “feast of tabernacles” speaks of fulness of blessing in the land, and of all Israel coming to appear before Jehovah “in the place which he will choose”. See chapter 16. For Israel these are millennial conditions, and they will not be realised until the new covenant is consummated. But, as we have seen, they have a present spiritual application.
The people were to be gathered — men, women, children, and not excluding “thy stranger that is within thy gates” — every seven years at the crown of the festive year, for the purpose of having the law read in their ears, “that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and take heed to do all the words of this law; and that their children who do not know it may hear it and learn, that they may fear Jehovah your God as long as ye live in the land” (verses 12, 13). This is the last reference in the book to “the place” where Jehovah would set His Name, and it is a wholesome, and not unnecessary, reminder that assembly conditions are not complete apart from a place being given to what answers to the reading of the “law”. God would have the feasts to be celebrated, and all other things which are mentioned in this book as to be done at the place where He causes His Name to dwell, but He would also retain a great place in His assembly for the continued communication of His mind in regard to [p. 351] His saints, viewed as in the land. He would give a great place to His word, and to priestly ministry of that word. We may think, perhaps, that praise and worship are more important than having the mind of God communicated to us, but it is not so. There is, indeed, no higher or more glorious feature of God’s assembly than that He there makes known the pleasure of His love, and His mind in regard to all that constitutes His glory in that assembly. And even if some feel able to do without this, and to fill up all the time with praise, it is well to remember that there are always in God’s assembly those who answer to “the children who do not know”.
Verse 14 contains the only mention of “the tent of meeting” which is found in this book, and it is also to be noted as the last occasion on which “Jehovah appeared at the tent in the pillar of cloud”. There is peculiar solemnity in this, for He was there to declare how utterly His people would depart from Him, so that His anger would be kindled against them, and He would forsake them and entirely hide His face from them! In view of this He provided a twofold witness for Himself against them in a song and in the book of the law. The “song” corresponds with those parts of the New Testament which plainly declare what the future of the Christian profession would be, as, for example, 2 Timothy, 2 Peter, Jude. The “book” of the law is the will, or pleasure, of God concerning His people in its entirety. In the “song” God anticipates the complete failure of His people to answer to the “book”; He sets out the solemn consequences of that failure; but at the same time He shews that He will not abandon His thoughts, and that He will ultimately secure them in His greatness and immutable faithfulness, on the ground of atonement. The dominant note of the “song” is divine faithfulness, and it ends in divine triumph. It fully exposes the [p. 352] terrible departure, but it leaves the impression that God is great, and that He will ultimately have His way. It is wonderful to think of God taking account beforehand of His people’s failure, testifying solemnly against it, and yet giving that testimony the character of a “song!”
Both as to the “book” and the “song” Moses wrote and spoke the words “until their conclusion” (verses 24, 30). The “book” refers to the completeness of the way in which God has made known His pleasure concerning His people. He has reached the “conclusion” of all that He has to say; there is nothing more to come out. Paul could speak of the ministry of the assembly, which he had according to the dispensation of God, as being given “to complete the word of God” (Colossians 1: 25). One feels that it is a serious thing to be living in a day when the word of God has been completed. It is extreme favour, but it is a grave responsibility. We are in a time of finality as regards the definite and permanent communication of God’s mind which writing signifies. The book of Revelation is rightly put last in our Bibles, for it is morally the “conclusion” of what God would have put on record. Hence it ends with a solemn warning against adding to the things written.
Then the “song”, while fully declaring the evil course of God’s people in departing from Him, shews how He will secure them for blessing according to His own thoughts in the end. He will not stop short of a “conclusion”, as regards the state and blessing of His people, which will fully correspond with His complete pleasure as set forth in the “book”. A “conclusion” will be reached which will be in every way satisfactory to God, and He will reach it by Christ. The book of the law being put at the side of the ark of the covenant, while being a witness against the people, intimated that Christ was God’s Resource for the effectuation of it all.