Read Deuteronomy 31:14-30 at Bible Gateway.
the teaching tools of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions:
Chiastic structure (this triennial torah portion forms a structure in conjuction with triennial vayelech, Deu 31:1-13):
1a) Deu 31:1, Moses spoke these words to all Israel;
1b) Deu 31:2-6 {s} Moses’ impending death and Israel’s coming victory;
1c) Deu 31:7-13 {p} Joshua + the book of the Law:
1) Deu 31:7-8, Moses to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage/ you shall bring Israel in/ He will be with you;”
2) Deu 31:9-13 {p} Moses wrote the Law + sons of Levi who bore the ark + hear the Law that you may keep it;
1d) Deu 31:14-15, Call Joshua and present yourselves before Me, that I may inaugurate him;
central axis) Deu 31:16-22, The coming apostasy of Israel and the song of Moses;
2d) Deu 31:23a, He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun;
2c) Deu 31:23b-26, Joshua + the book of the Law:
1) Deu 31:23b, The Lord to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage/ you shall bring Israel in/ I will be with you;”
2) Deu 31:24-26, Moses wrote the book of the Law + Levites who bore the ark + keep this book as a witness against you;
2b) Deu 31:27-29, Moses’ impending death and Israel’s coming apostasy;
2a) Deu 31:30 {p} Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel.
But there is an interesting smaller structure within hen qarvu:
1a) Deu 31:16-18, Israel’s apostasy + YHVH’s anger + evils will befall them because of the evil they shall do;
1a) Deu 31:16a, YHVH said to Moses: You will die, then this people will commit apostasy with foreign gods;
1b) Deu 31:16b, They will forsake Me + break My covenant which I have made with them;
central axis) Deu 31:17a, Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day,
2b) Deu 31:17b-18a, I will forsake them + hide My face from them, and evil shall befall them;
1a) Deu 31:17b, I will forsake them+ hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured;
1b) Deu 31:17c, And many evils and troubles shall befall them;
central axis) Deu 31:17c, So that they will say in that day;
2b) Deu 31:17d, ‘Have not these evils come upon us;’
2a) Deu 31:17e-18a, ‘Because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide My face in that day;
2a) Deu 31:18b, Because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods;
1b) Deu 31:19-22, The words of the song will testify against them;
1a) Deu 31:19a, Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves;
1b) Deu 31:19b, And teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths;
1c) Deu 31:19c, That this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel;
1d) Deu 31:20a, When I have done good for them (brought them in + prospered them);
central axis) Deu 31:20b, “Then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant;”
2d) Deu 31:21a, Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them;
2c) Deu 31:21b, That this song will testify against them as a witness;
2b) Deu 31:21c, It will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know their behavior even now;
2a) Deu 31:22, Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel;
central axis) Deu 31:23 “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;’”
2b) Deu 31:24-28, The words of the Law will testify against them;
1a.1) Deu 31:24-26a, Moses wrote the words of the Law in a book + commanded the Levites to keep it beside the ark of the covenant;
1a.2) Deu 31:26b, That it may be there as a witness against you;
central axis) Deu 31:27, For I know your rebellion: if you have been rebellious while I am alive, how much more after my death;
2a.1) Deu 31:28a, Gather to me all your elders, that I may speak these words in their hearing;
2a.2) Deu 31:28b, And call heaven and earth to witness against them;
2a) Deu 31:29, Israel’s apostasy + evil will befall them because of the evil they have done + YHVH’s anger.
Because God obeys His own Torah, He established two witnesses to testify against Israel in the case of her coming apostasy, for a fact can only be established on the testimony of two witnesses. The first witness is the words of the song which Moses was to teach them, and the second witness is the words of the Law. Notice how Torah draws attention to these two witnesses: In the 1B pair, Moses wrote the words of the song, and in the 2B pair, Moses wrote the words of the Law.
(I have heard the religious professionals teach that even though it is the tradition among the Jews that Moses wrote the first five books of Moses, no where does it say in the first five books who the author actually is. I just read this in a teaching from the religious professionals this past week. Beloved, it is not true what they say. I can only assume they must be repeating what they have been taught themselves, not having actually read the Torah for themselves, for the Torah clearly tells that its author was Moses, and furthermore, by the mass of structures from which it is composed, that its author was the Holy Spirit working through Moses.)
But even though Israel’s apostasy was a fearful thing, the central axis of the structure is the inauguration of Joshua, who will lead Israel into her promise. We saw that Joshua is in Hebrew, Yeshua, and Joshua is a prophetic type for Yeshua who will lead Israel – THAT IS ME AND YOU! – into her promise! For we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and not Israel only. God has provided, in Yeshua, for the whole earth to recognize their apostasy against Him, and return to Him!
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