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Deuteronomy 31 Devotional

A Promise That Outlasts Moses

“The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Deuteronomy 31:8 (BSB)

Moses is a hundred and twenty and can no longer lead (31:2). Israel is about to lose the only leader most of them have ever known. So Moses points them past himself. The LORD will cross over ahead of them, and he will never leave them or forsake them (31:3, 6). Moses repeats the same promise to Joshua in front of everyone (31:7-8), and the LORD commissions Joshua himself (31:23).

What follows is sobering. God tells Moses plainly that after his death the people will turn to other gods and break the covenant (31:16). He knows their inclination before he even brings them into the land (31:21). Yet he brings them in anyway, and gives them a song that will testify when trouble comes (31:19-21). Hebrews takes the promise never to leave or forsake and gives it to believers, as a reason to be content and unafraid (Hebrews 13:5-6). God's presence was never based on Israel's future faithfulness, and it is not based on yours. Whatever change lies ahead of you, he has already gone before you into it.

To think about: What change or loss ahead of you feels hardest to face, and how does God's promise to go before you meet it?

About Deuteronomy 31: Joshua Commissioned and the Song Announced

At 120 years old, Moses tells Israel that the Lord will go before them and never forsake them, and he charges Joshua to be strong and courageous. He gives the law to the priests to read every seventh year, and the Lord foretells Israel's rebellion and gives Moses a song as a witness.

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