In Deuteronomy chapter 31, God has Moses make final preparations for the nation before his death. Moses is now 120 years old. He explains to the people with absolute certainty all that the Lord will do, because God is always faithful. “The Lord your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you and you will take possession of the land… Do not be afraid or terrified because of them because the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” Next Moses wrote down the law, and commanded, “At the end of every seven years… during the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel comes to appear before the Lord… you shall read the law before them in their hearing… men women and children and the aliens living in your towns so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord… their children who do not know the law must hear it and learn to fear the Lord“. It is not enough to just have the Word of God, we must read it and share it particularly with our children or they will never know the precious God of mercy we worship.
It is amazing to me, but God, after explaining His faithfulness, predicts the rebellion of the nation, yet God will still keep His promise. “They will forsake Me and break the covenant I made with them… I will hide My face from them and they will be destroyed… on that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because the Lord is not with us?’ I will certainly hide My face because of their wickedness in turning to other gods“. Notice, it is the people that turn away from God. The image is such that God cannot bear to watch His beloved people destroy themselves, like any loving father. Also notice, it is the consequences of our rebellion that causes us to realize our need to turn back to God. Sometimes the answer to “Why does God allow suffering?” is, because He is merciful!
The rest of the chapter details the rebellion of God’s people. “When they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting Me and My covenant“. What a great warning to us. It is when we are prospering that we tend to forget our need for God. Always merciful, God instructs Moses to write a song “and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so it will be a witness for Me against them“. This song is meant to remind and restore those that have turned away from their God. It is a great reminder that with God, there is always hope.
In John chapter 14, Jesus makes a promise to believers before His crucifixion. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you… I have asked the Father and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever The Spirit of truth“. It is our confidence in God’s faithfulness that gives us joy. We study God’s Word because we need a constant reminder that God is faithful. Hebrews 13:8 is a verse of encouragement, because even when we fall short, God does not. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.“