March 22: Deuteronomy 32-34, Psalm 91

March 22, Deuteronomy 32-34, Psalm 91

Well, congratulations again for reading another book of the Bible! What a great journey that we are on together and I am praying that you are growing in your faith as you are staying in His Word and hopefully looking for ways to Glorify Him!

Deuteronomy 32 is the song that Moses was given by God to teach the people of future generations, so that they didn't forget what God has done for them. It explains the majesty of Yahweh and some of the attributes of God. It recalls how God found them and took care of them, and also talks of future curses if they walk in disobedience. God is the one who kills and God is the one who heals - nothing is out of His hands - He is Sovereign. 

Then God tells Moses that very soon (that day) he is to go up to the mountain to die, not to enter the Promised Land, but he may at least see it from the mountaintop.

Deuteronomy 33 is the final blessing of Moses to the Israelites. He blesses the tribes…

Deuteronomy 34. The death of Moses. Moses went up to the mountain and got to see the land that God had promised to the Israelites. Moses died at 120 - with all the energy and vigor, and God buried him! Nobody knows where his body was buried. I think that this is so they couldn't make an idol out of his body.

Then Joshua, full of the Spirit of God, takes over the leadership. There has never been a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord spoke face to face, until Jesus comes.

Psalm 91 is an incredible psalm full of tenderness and hope. God will protect His people. This doesn't mean that we are not going to have hardships and trials, but we can rest in the arms of the Almighty. Satan  used this verse 11-12 but twisted and misquoted it to Jesus in the New Testament, in Matthew 4:6 - Satan missed the middle of verse 11, that talks about ‘to guard you in all your ways…’ meaning that we are to walk in the ways of the Lord, in Righteousness and in Truth.  

We are to hold fast to God Almighty and He will deliver us from our enemies. And the Lord Himself says to all of us, (Verse 15-16) “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. 

To sum it all up:

• The Lord’s promises of blessings and curses still apply today. Although we focus on the spiritual blessings, we must not over look the physical ones He promises. Which are protection, love, and peace. 
• We need to learn from Moses, that although we are saved, there are consequences to disobeying God. And we need to make sure that even if we don’t get to go to the promise land. That we are thankful, we get to see it with our own eyes. God is kind and merciful. He is just and we need to trust His discipline and His plan. 
• In the beginning of Psalm 91 is war talk. Depending on your version of the Bible. The verses 4-6 speak in war terms. It states, “He will cover you with His pinions (Mother Chicken wing feathers are called ‘pinions’, where her chicks are gathered and are safe under her big feathers.) and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. (A buckler was a piece of armor that covered a waring soldiers left shoulder and upper arm, while the shield was being held with the left hand and the sword in the right hand, the left shoulder was exposed. This shows that God acts like our armor, covering our weak, exposed areas.) You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” This war talk, in this Psalm, shows that our daily walk with Jesus is dangerous. We need the Armor of God, as in Ephesians 6:10-19.