Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:1-29 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them:
“I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come
in. Also the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ 3 The
LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations
from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over
before you, just as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as He did
to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed
them. 5 The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according
to every commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and of good
courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the
One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be
strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which
the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to
inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with
you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi,
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the
appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all
Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses,
you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the
people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within
your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your
God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their
children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God
as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die;
call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may
inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the
tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now the LORD appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar
of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle. 16
And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this
people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the
land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My
covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be aroused against
them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them,
and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so
that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our
God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide My face in that day because of
all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods. 19
Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the
children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for
Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land
flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have
eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods
and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it
shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will
testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths
of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even
before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”
22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children
of Israel. 23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong
and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land
of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” 24 So it was, when Moses had
completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25
that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD,
saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the
covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;
27 for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet
alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more
after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your
officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and
earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will
become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you;
and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the
sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”
Devotion
“Be strong and of good courage…” These words appear several times in today’s
reading. And even though they are comforting words, they also mean that trouble
is certainly coming. The Lord would not say “Be strong and of good courage” if
things were going to be calm and easy!
The life of God’s people is always subject to the evils and troubles that sin
brings upon man. There will always be temptation for the faithful, and there
will always be persecution from the unfaithful. We will all stumble as we
wrestle with our sinful flesh, and many will fall. But the Lord always provides
His help and strength to those who cling to His Word. There is no other source
of real strength and courage. People can delude themselves with false hopes or
prideful strength, but these cannot hold up when faced with death and judgment.
Death and judgment are the worst things any man has to fear. As our Lord Jesus
tells us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But
rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt.
10:28). No one can save himself by his own strength or courage when faced with
the consequences of his sins. We can only know strength and courage according
to God, Who has overcome our death and condemnation in Jesus Christ’s own death
and resurrection. Through faith and hope in God’s own promises and provision we
are able to truly stand, even when we know that evils and troubles will surely
come.
We pray: Lord God, strengthen and preserve us according to Your holy Word so
that we may remain strong in the hope of the everlasting life that we have in
Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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