Deuteronomy Chapter 31

This chapter is about Joshua succeeding Moses as leader of the Israelites. We’ll also be getting into the reading of the law & Israel’s “rebellion” is predicted. Moses knows that after his death, the Israelites are gonna mess up. A little foreshadowing on our part, Moses isn’t wrong. Let’s get into it, y’all. Enjoy the read!

Moses went out & talked to the Israelites, again. Yes, we know, shocker! We find out exactly how old Moses is at this point. He’s 120 years old!!! So he was 80 years old when he started wandering in the desert. He was no longer able to lead the Israelites. God told Moses that he (Moses) wasn’t going to go into the actual Promised Land. God Himself was going to cross over the Jordan River first.

Joshua was, also, going to go ahead of the Israelites. God was gonna do to their enemies like what He did to King Sihon & King Og, the kings of the Amorites. The Israelites had to be strong & courageous. They didn’t have to be afraid or terrified because God had their backs. God would never leave or forsake them. (Check out Hebrews 13:5.)

Moses called Joshua out, in front of all the Israelites. (It’s not what you think. It’s not a diss.) Moses says: “Be strong & courageous. Because you must go with these people, the Israelites, into the Promised Land. Joshua, you have to divide it (the Promised Land) amongst them as their inheritance. God Himself will go before you & will be with you. He (God) will never leave or forsake you.”

So Moses wrote down this law & gave it to the Levites & to the elders. Then Moses commanded them, telling them that at the end of every 7 years, in the year of canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all of Israel has come together, they had to read this law. The kids, who don’t know this law, must hear it. Learning to fear God as long as they lived in the Promised Land.

God then tells Moses that the day of his (Moses’) death is neigh. It’s about that time, friends. God told Moses to call Joshua & present themselves to the Tent of Meeting. Where God was going to commission Joshua.

Then God appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud. The cloud stood over the entrance to the Tent. God then says to Moses: “You’re going to rest with your fathers. (Ooo, here comes a burn from the Big Guy! Yikes. Aloe vera ain’t gonna cut it for this burn. Call the burn unit! Spicy.) These people are soon gonna prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the Promised Land. They (the Israelites) will forsake me. Plus, they’re gonna break the covenant that I made with them. Moses, my guy. On that day, I’m (God) gonna get heated. I’m gonna forsake them. Like I said I would. I do what I say. I’ll hide my face from them. They’ll be destroyed. They’re gonna suffer, homie. Then they’re gonna cry, saying, ‘Why did God leave us?’ I’ll hide my face from them because of the crap they’re gonna do.”

God continues His diatribe: “Now write down this song. (This is going to be the next chapter.) Teach it to the Israelites, and have them sing it. So that it may be a witness for Me against them. (Wow! We mean, anyone else’s petty meter going off.) When I brought them into the land of milk & honey. The Promised Land of your forefathers. When the Israelites get their fill, they’ll turn against me. They’ll start worshiping other gods. Rejecting me & breaking my covenant. When bad stuff starts happening to them, this song will testify against them. (Again, wow.) Because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they’re gonna do before they even go into the Promised Land.”

Then God said to Joshua: “Be strong & courageous. You’re the one who’s gonna get the Israelites into the Promised Land. I, Myself, will look after you.”

After Moses was finished writing the book The Words of the Law, from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites: Take the Book of the Law. Place it beside the ark of the covenant of God. There it will remain as a witness against you. Get together with the elders of the tribes so they can hear these words.

Moses lets them know that he (Moses) knows that once he dies, the Israelites are gonna mess up BAD.