Deuteronomy 32
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Deuteronomy 32:44-47, Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
In this chapter, God gives Moses his final instructions before the torch is passed to Joshua and Moses passes away. He is to teach the people the words to a song (32:1-33) which was intended to serve as a witness to the covenant that God was entering into with the people. This was a normal element in mid-east treaties. What God was agreeing to was available for all to see. The song also would serve as a reminder for the people of what they agreed to and it was intended to be repeated and sung for years to come.
Moses gathers the people to teach them the song and tells them to take the words of the song, as well as the whole law, to heart. He stresses, "these are not just idle words for you - they are your life." The people needed to live and breathe these words because they represented their relationship with God. If the words were not on the forefront of their mind, then they would drift and fall out of covenant. Truly, these words were life for them.
I couldn’t help but think about how we also have access to God's Word through Scripture. The words of the Bible are not idle words but truly life for us. It’s through God’s Word that we get to know God and hear his voice. When we fail to read Scripture regularly, then we also are tempted to drift away and break covenant with God. How important it is to stay connected to the words of life and allow them to soak down deep within us.
Let’s pray…Almighty God, Thank you for your words of life. Thank you for making Scripture available to us. Help us to allow your Word to soak down deep within us so that we can know you, obey you, and hear your voice. Give us a desire to read your Word daily and help us make it a priority in our everyday lives. In Your Name, Amen.