Read Deuteronomy 32:1-52 at Bible Gateway.
the teaching tools of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions:
Deu 32:1-43 {p} The song of Moses
Deu 32:44-47 {p} Conclusion of Moses’ explanation of this Torah
Deu 32:48-52 {p} Command to ascend Mt Nebo to view the land, then die
Reverse parallelism:
1a.1) Deu 32:1-2, Hear the testimony of my mouth/ Let my teaching drop as the rain;
1a.2) Deu 32:3, For I proclaim the name of YHVH: Ascribe greatness to our God;
1b) Deu 32:4, YHVH is the Rock, a God of truth, righteous and upright;
1a) Deu 32:4a, He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
1b) Deu 32:4b, For all His ways are justice;
central axis) Deu 32:4c, A God of truth;
2b) Deu 32:4d, And without injustice;
2a) Deu 32:4e, Righteous and upright is He.
1c) Deu 32:5-20, His children forsook Him;
1a) Deu 32:5-6a, They are not His children, but a perverse + crooked generation, foolish + unwise;
1b) Deu 32:6b-14, YHVH, Israel’s Father: He made and established them;
1c) Deu 32:15a, But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked (he spurned Him); you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese!
1d) Deu 32:15b, Then he forsook God who made him;
1e) Deu 32:15c, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation;
1f) Deu 32:16, They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger;
2f) Deu 32:17, They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to new gods they did not know + their fathers did not fear;
2e) Deu 32:18a, Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful;
2d) Deu 32:18b, And have forgotten the God who fathered you;
2c) Deu 32:19, When YHVH saw it, He spurned them, because of the provocation of His children;
2b) Deu 32:20a, And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be;
2a) Deu 32:20b, For they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith;
2c) Deu 32:19-30, He spurned them;
1a) Deu 32:19-20a, When YHVH saw it, He spurned them, because of their provocation/ He said: ‘I will hide My face from them;’
1b) Deu 32:20b, I will see what their end will be;
1c) Deu 32:20c, For they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith;
1d) Deu 32:21a, They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols;
central axis) Deu 32:21b, But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation;
2d) Deu 32:22-27, For a fire is kindled in My anger, and it shall burn/ Disasters heaped on them;
2c) Deu 32:28-29a, They are void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them/ That they were wise + understood;
2b) Deu 32:29b, That they would consider their latter end;
2a) Deu 32:30, How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had surrendered them?
2b) Deu 32:31-43, Their rock is not like our Rock/ YHVH alone is God (repeated twice for emphasis);
1.1) Deu 32:31-34, Their rock is not like our Rock (even our enemies judge it so);
1.2) Deu 32:35, Vengeance is Mine, and recompense/ the day of their calamity is at hand;
1.3) Deu 32:36, YHVH will judge + have compassion His people + servants, when He sees their power is gone + none remaining;
2.1) Deu 32:37-39, Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge? See that I alone am He;
2.2) Deu 32:40-43a, I will render vengeance to My enemies/ repay those who hate Me;
2.3) Deu 32:43b {p} He will provide atonement for His land and His people.
1a.1) Deu 32:44-47 {p} The words of my testimony, all the words of this Torah;
1a) Deu 32:44, Moses + Joshua the son of Nun who was to cross over the Jordan;
1b) Deu 32:45, Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel,
1c) Deu 32:46a, And he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today;
central axis) Deu 32:46b, Which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—;
2c) Deu 32:46c, All the words of this law;
2b) Deu 32:47a, For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days;
2a) Deu 32:47b {p} In the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”
1a.2) Deu 32:48-52 {p} You did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel;
1a) Deu 32:48-49, View the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israel;
1b) Deu 32:50, Die on the mountain and be gathered to your people;
1c) Deu 32:51a, You trespassed against Me among the children of Israel;
central axis) Deu 32:51b, At the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin;
2c) Deu 32:51c, You did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel;
2b) Deu 32:52, You shall not go in there;
2a) Deu 32:52, You shall see the land before you, the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.
The B pair spoke to me this year:
1B:
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deu 32:4
2B:
For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges. … Vengeance is Mine, and recompense … For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge. ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, “As I live forever, If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me. … Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people. Deu 32:31-43
It seems to be saying that the judgment which they received for forsaking Him, was not just a reaction of His out of spite: You forsook Me, so I will forsake you. No, No, No. But by the judgment, which they brought upon themselves for ignoring His commandments and esteeming Him lightly, they learned that He alone is God and beside Him there is no other. They learned that the idols they worshiped were powerless, no gods at all. They learned to return to the LORD God, for He alone is God. So the Scripture says:
“For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants …” Deu 32:36
Can it be that the compassion and atonement is the entire purpose of the judgment? I am thinking so …
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