Deuteronomy 31:14-30 - Defining Success in Godly Leadershio

Introduction

     As God’s chosen leader for Israel, Moses had provided everything the people needed for a life of success and prosperity (Deut 11:26-28; 30:15-18). However, in this pericope, the Lord informs Moses and Joshua that after Moses dies and Joshua leads the nation into Canaan, the people will abandon the Lord and pursue idols to their own harm. And this will happen after the Lord demonstrates His goodness to them and blesses them greatly. This shows that godly leadership does not guarantee others will follow. Nevertheless, God’s leadership must maintain faithfulness to their appointed task, even when they know those they lead will fail to live by the virtues they are taught. This requires commitment and integrity before the Lord.

Text

     This new section opens with Moses’ death being mentioned and the appointment of Joshua as his successor. The text reads, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.’ So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. 15 The LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent” (Deut 31:14-15). The “tent of meeting” was a special place located outside the camp where Moses would meet with God for instruction and direction (Ex 33:7-11; Num 11:16, 12:4). The “pillar of cloud” was the visible presence of God for Israel during this time (Ex 13:21-22). Whereas Moses had previously commissioned Joshua publicly as his successor (Deut 31:7-8), here the meeting was private, with only Moses and Joshua presenting themselves to the Lord. In what follows, the Lord speaks first to Moses (Deut 31:16-21), and then to Joshua (Deut 31:23).

     The text reads, “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them’” (Deut 31:16). The Lord revealed to Moses that after his death, the people of Israel would begin the journey of apostasy in which they would turn away from the Lord and worship idols. In this way, they would break their covenant promise to the Lord and turn away from Him (cf., Judg 2:17). This must have been sad news to Moses, who had spent his years as a faithful and godly leader who instructed and encouraged his people to know the Lord and walk with Him (Deut 11:26-28; 28:1; 30:15-16). The Lord continued to inform Moses, saying:

• "Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ 18 But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods." (Deut 31:17-18)

     Because Israel would act wickedly by turning from the Lord and worshipping idols, He would execute the curses of the covenant (Deut 28:15-68). His people would incorrectly think their problems came upon them because God had abandoned them, saying, “Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?” (Deut 31:17b). It’s true the nation would experience great suffering, but not because God had failed, but because they had. The Lord declared, “I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods” (Deut 31:18). Earl Radmacher correctly notes, “The principal reason for God’s judgment on His people was their continual idolatry. They abandoned His grace and willingly embraced the evil religious practices of the Canaanites.”[1]When God hides His face, it is the opposite of blessing, in which He causes His face to shine upon them for their good (Num 6:24-26).

     In order for Israel to correctly assess their circumstances from the divine perspective, the Lord instructed Moses and Joshua to write a song and to teach it to Israel. The Lord said, “Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel” (Deut 31:19). Here, the directive was for Moses and Joshua to write the song together. The song itself is recorded in Deuteronomy 32:1-43. The phrase, “put it on their lips” means, “have them recite it” (CSB), which denotes memorizing it in order to be able to recall it from memory. The Lord gives the reason, saying, “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant” (Deut 31:20). Earl Kalland notes:

• “Teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it” (Deut 31:19) implies sufficient repetition to fix it in the minds of the people. Only then would they be able to sing it, and only then would it be a witness to the Lord’s admonition, not only to those of that generation, but to their descendants who will not have forgotten it (Deut 31:21). The song was to be taught nationally from generation to generation.[2]

     Unfortunately, the people who welcomed the Lord’s prosperity, would develop a sense of independence, and because the human heart is corrupt, they would turn away from the Lord and pursue idols to their own harm. There is wisdom in the prayer of Agur, who asked the Lord, “Two things I asked of You, do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov 30:7-9).

     The Lord continued to inform Moses and Joshua, saying, “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore” (Deut 31:21). God knew the hearts of His people were corrupt and that they would turn away from Him after they’d enter the land of Canaan and experienced His blessings. Peter Craigie states:

• "The words that the Lord addresses to Moses on the eve of his death must have caused great sadness in the aging leader. The substance of his long address to the Israelites had been faithfulness to God and a warning against the dangers of resorting to foreign gods and their cults. But now, about to die, Moses is told that this people will rise up and consort with gods foreign to the land. The words of God are not primarily prophetic; they portray rather divine insight into the basic character of the people and their constant tendency to unfaithfulness."[3]

     As God’s faithful leader, “Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel” (Deut 31:22). God’s call for His leaders to be faithful must be obeyed, even when they know those they lead tend toward corruption and will fall away and pursue evil the first chance they get. Godly leaders are responsible to the Lord, to be faithful to Him, to maintain godly output, even when those under their care are defiant. This is true for national leaders, pastors, business leaders, teachers, parents, etc.

     After giving Moses specific instructions, the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, saying, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you” (Deut 31:23). Even knowing the future failure of His people, the Lord commissioned Joshua to be Moses’ successor and to lead the people into righteousness. Failure among the people was not for want of direction and provision by the Lord. No doubt, after Moses’ death, Joshua would feel the burden of leadership. His only consolation was that God was with him, to strengthen and guide him along the way, and that his duty was to be faithful to the Lord. According to Peter Craigie, “Of the forms of loneliness that a man can experience, there are few so bleak as the loneliness of leadership. But Joshua assumed his lonely role with an assurance of companionship and strength. God’s presence with him would be sufficient to enable him to meet boldly every obstacle that the future could bring.”[4]

     Next, we learn, “It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, 26 ‘Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you’” (Deut 31:24-26). Here, again, we have a clear statement concerning Mosaic authorship of the book of Deuteronomy (cf., Deut 31:9). Moses gave the book of the Law to the Levites who were to carry it along with the ark of the covenant. Having this written record served a purpose, “that it may remain there as a witness against you” (Deut 31:26b). Truth is objective, and God’s judgments are based on fixed standards of righteousness. Moses then spoke to the people, saying:

• "For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death? 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will act corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands." (Deut 31:27-29)

     Later, near the end of Joshua’s life, he encouraged the people to adhere to the Law of Moses so that they might know success and blessing (Josh 23:6-11), with a warning of judgment if they disobeyed (Josh 23:12-16; 24:20-24). Though Israel’s journey of apostasy would begin with the death of Moses, it would gain full steam after the death of Joshua. Historically, we know Israel failed to drive out the Canaanites as God directed (Judg 1:21; 28-33). And because of their disobedience to drive them out, Israel was negatively influenced by the Canaanites who corrupted their values, and they repeatedly did evil in the sight of the Lord by worshipping idols (Judg 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). Sadly, each successive generation got worse and worse (Judg 2:19). And each time Israel fell into idolatry,  God gave them into the hands of their enemies to punish them (Judg 3:8, 12; 4:2; 6:1; 10:6-7; 13:1). But when they cried out to the Lord, He graciously delivered them (Judg 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6; 10:12), and for a while they experienced peace. The cycle of sin, suffering, prayer, salvation, and a period of peace was repeated six times in the book of Judges over a period of approximately 350 years.

     In anticipation of the next chapter, we read, “Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete” (Deut 31:30). As God’s faithful servant, Moses wrote the song as he’d been directed by the Lord.

Present Application

     In this chapter we have a glimpse into some of the issues related to godly leadership. When called to lead others according to God’s values, it’s important to know there will be times when those under our care will not follow us into God’s will, but will turn away from the Lord, and this to their own harm and the harm of others. Furthermore, ministry to the Lord can be marked by great hardship; however, integrity demands that we stay the course, no matter the difficulty of our situations. Below are a few examples of godly leaders whose leadership was rejected by others.

     In Scripture, we learn Noah was faithful to the Lord and preached His Word for one hundred and twenty years with very minimal results (2 Pet 2:5), and God’s judgment fell upon the world in a global deluge, with the result that only “eight persons were brought safely through the water” (1 Pet 3:20). The prophet Samuel was faithful to the Lord and tried to dissuade his generation from rejecting the Lord as their King, as they’d requested a human king in order that they might be like the other nations (1 Sam 8:4-17). But they rejected Samuel’s leadership, and “the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations’” (1Sa 8:19-20a). God gave them Saul, a king after their own hearts, and the nation suffered.

     Perhaps one of the most frustrating ministries found in Scripture is that of the prophet Isaiah. The prophet had heard the Lord’s calling to ministry and accepted it wholeheartedly (Isa 6:8). Isaiah knew his generation needed to hear the Lord’s Word, and perhaps hoped they’d respond in humility as he’d just responded to the Lord’s vision in the temple (Isa 6:1-7). God informed Isaiah that his ministry would be met with negative volition. When God’s people turned away from Him, choosing a path of darkness and closing their ears to His Word, He added to their blindness and deafness as a form of judgment (Isa 6:9-10). Isaiah’s ministry to his people would result in a further hardening of their hearts. Hearing this difficult news, Isaiah asked, “Lord, how long?” (Isa 6:11a). The answer came from the Lord, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, houses are without people and the land is utterly desolate, the LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land” (Isa 6:11b-12). But God, in His sovereignty and grace, would preserve a remnant of His people alive (Isa 6:13). According to Earl Radmacher, “The more the prophet would proclaim the word of God, the less response he would get from the people. This was a call to a discouraging ministry. In truth, the call of God is for faithfulness to Him, to His Word, and to the call itself.”[5] Warren Wiersbe offers a similar statement, saying, “God does not deliberately make sinners blind, deaf, and hard-hearted; but the more that people resist God’s truth, the less able they are to receive God’s truth. But the servant is to proclaim the Word no matter how people respond, for the test of ministry is not outward success but faithfulness to the Lord.”[6]

     Jeremiah is another example of a godly servant who faithfully preached God’s Word for twenty-three years, but his generation would not listen. Jeremiah said, “these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened” (Jer 25:3). The result was that Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians and went into captivity in 586 B.C. Biblically, we know God is gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger (Neh 9:17; Psa 86:15; 103:8); however, His gentle qualities do not last forever, and when people persist in their sin and there is no hope of them turning to Him, His judgment falls (Psa 9:7-8; 96:13; Acts 17:31).

     Of course, there’s no greater display of leadership than our Lord Jesus, Who spoke perfect truth all the time and called others to trust in Him and to follow Him. Jesus repeatedly offered His kingdom to the nation (Matt 4:19; 10:7); yet, the majority of those who heard His message rejected Him (Matt 12:24; John 3:19; 12:37), and He pronounced judgment upon that generation (Matt 23:37-39). The result was that Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 when the Romans attacked the city and destroyed the temple.

     As God’s people, we control the output of our message, but never the outcome. What the recipients do with God’s Word is between them and the Lord. As God’s children, we are to be faithful to learn His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), communicate it in love to others (Eph 4:15), and then let it do its work in the hearts of those who hear (Isa 55:10-11). However, we realize this will result in mixed outcomes, depending on the hearts of others. Charles Spurgeon said, “The same sun that softens wax also hardens clay.” By this he meant that God’s Word, which gives light like the sun, has different effects depending on the material exposed to it. The reality is that some hearts are positive to God (wax) and these grow soft when exposed to the light of His Word, but other hearts are negative to God (clay) and exposure to His Word only makes them harder. As God’s people, we are only responsible for our output of lifestyle and message, not the outcome of results. God measures our success by our willingness to submit to Him and our faithfulness to walk with Him moment by moment, learning His Word and doing His will. We want to be among those whom Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Matt 25:21a).

 

[1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 266.

[2] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 195.

[3] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 372.

[4] Ibid., 373.

[5] Earl D. Radmacher, et al., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 814.

[6] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Comforted, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30.