Can I Get A Witness?

"Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…?". That is a phrase that all of us have heard on tv courtroom dramas many times in our lives. It is an oath that sets the stage for any witness that will testify in a courtroom in the U.S. legal system. Its purpose is to insure truthful testimony regardless of whether the witness is called for the defense or the prosecution. In our scripture for this week (Deuteronomy 32:3-6, 10-14, 18), Moses was called by God to teach the Israelites a song before they crossed over into the Promised Land. The Song of Moses would stand as a witness to the nation of Israel to remind them of God’s grace in establishing and nurturing them, and as a witness to the fact that they had been forewarned of God’s judgment if (and when) they forsook obedience and trust in Him to follow foreign gods. I pray that you will cherish God's grace and mercy in your life and recognize the danger of forsaking Him to trust in the false promises of this world.

I will proclaim the name of the LORD.

Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is he.

They are corrupt and not his children;

to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.

Is this the way you repay the LORD,

you foolish and unwise people?

Is he not your Father, your Creator,

who made you and formed you? (Deut. 32:3-6). The Song of Moses (Deut. 31:30-32:43) was taught to Israel by Moses for use in their covenant renewal ceremony. Its purpose was to serve as a reminder of God's grace toward them and as a warning to the nation against future apostasy. Despite all of Moses' teaching before the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, God knew that it was only a matter of time before Israel would abandon Him and go the way of the nations around them. These early verses in Moses’ song, remind Israel of God’s attributes and contrast them with those of His people (the Israelites). God is described as faithful, the rock (stable; permanent), the One whose works (actions) are perfect and whose ways are just. By contrast, Israel Is described as corrupt, warped (bearing no resemblance to God's image) and crooked. This song reminded them that they would be foolish and unwise to rebel against God, their Creator and the One who formed them into a nation. Moses’ song was intended to remind God’s people that the way to enjoy a blessed life was by being faithful in their relationship with Him.

In a desert land he found him,

in a barren and howling waste.

He shielded him and cared for him;

he guarded him as the apple of his eye,

like an eagle that stirs up its nest

and hovers over its young,

that spreads its wings to catch them

and carries them aloft.

The LORD alone led him;

no foreign god was with him.

He made him ride on the heights of the land

and fed him with the fruit of the fields.

He nourished him with honey from the rock,

and with oil from the flinty crag,

with curds and milk from herd and flock

and with fattened lambs and goats, (Deut. 32:10-14). Moses reminded the Israelites through this song that it was God alone (not some foreign god) who had brought them out of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land. God had led them through the wilderness to make them strong. He had done that with the loving parental care of an eagle that pushes its young out of the nest to teach them to fly, but remains ready to catch them when necessary. Moses' song reminded Israel that God had nourished them in the wilderness (honey from the rock; oil from the flinty crag). And that it was God alone who had blessed them with the goodness and prosperity of a land full of the fruits of the field and milk from herds and flocks and with fattened lambs and goats.

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;

you forgot the God who gave you birth. (Deut. 32:18). Israel's prosperity would eventually make it easy for them to forget God. This portion of Moses song ends with a reminder to God‘s people that it was they who would desert God. Not the other way around. They would leave God for foreign gods who had not birthed them as a nation, or brought them out of Egypt and given them a land of their own. As a result, God would judge Israel and withdraw His presence from her, leaving her to be conquered by a foreign enemy. Eventually, their apostasy and God's subsequent judgment would come to pass, and Israel would be conquered by Assyria and Babylon.

The Song of Moses served as a witness to God's people of His grace toward those who love and are obedient to Him, and His judgment on those who rebel against Him. God is looking for those who will be witnesses of His goodness, His mercy and His grace toward His children. He is looking for those who will tell others of all that He has done for them. At the same time, those who would serve as witnesses of His justice, righteousness, love and forgiveness, will also need to warn people of the consequences of forsaking a relationship with the One who created and sustains them. For God is a jealous God and He will not allow those who rebel against Him to continue doing so. Instead, He will allow them to be subjected to the snares of the enemy and suffer even severe consequences for their rebellion. God's ultimate goal is to deter us from the certain and potentially severe judgment resulting from rebellion against Him, and to steer us toward the benefits of a great and prosperous relationship with Him. When we look back over our lives and the lives of those who have loved and trusted the Lord, we see the story of God's grace and mercy and faithfulness toward His children. It is a story that is foolish to ignore, and a God that is wise to put our trust in. Now...can I get a witness to that!?

Blessings,

Rev. Glenn

Listen as Donnie McClurkin sings “Great is Your Mercy”