March 10
Deuteronomy 32–34
Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 32:1–34:12
Series: Read the Bible in a Year
Moses sings to the heavens and the earth the greatness of the name of God. He calls him the Rock, and declares his work is perfect. But what is this perfect work of the Rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29)? He is our rock and fortress, our deliverer, our God, our rock in whom we take refuge. He is our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold. (Psalm 18:2). We are not any of these. Only God is our Rock. Moses and the people could not provide water to slake their thirst in the wilderness, but the Lord their Rock supplied water in abundance (Exodus 17:1–7; Numbers 20:1–14). It is no stretch to conclude that, just as the Rock supplied this physical water to the Israelites, he supplies us spiritual water in Baptism. He satisfies the thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). God is the spiritual Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4) who quenches the howling desert of his own wrath. This Rock is our salvation.
But people scoff at this salvation. They sacrifice to strange gods: the idols of culture and worse atrocities against God. Even believers try God’s patience by being forgetful of the Rock who bore us and gives us rebirth. God promises this will not end well. But he will vindicate his people, those who believe there is no God besides the Rock, no one to deliver but him.
In chapter 33, Moses begins to sing of God as the king of Jeshrun (Israel) who protects and supplies his people, tribe by tribe. Indeed, were it not for their king, they would not be a people at all. “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your help…” (Deuteronomy 33:26). He is “the everlasting arms” in whom we dwell.
Chapter 34 records the death of Moses, who died in Moab and was buried by God. He is remembered as the man “whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). This undoubtedly means that God and Moses were in a close relationship. Yet, in this acknowledgement we may see also that Moses did, in some sense, get his desire to see the Lord’s “face” to experience, at least, his glory (Exodus 33:18–23). The Lord buried Moses in a valley opposite Beth Peor by the Dead Sea. Beth means house, and Peor means to open wide, to hunger, yearn, or desire. It is worth considering that in this house of yearning, God might have shown Moses his face-to-face glory, causing his servant’s death (Exodus 33:20).
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Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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