For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Deut. 32-33
God gave Moses a song for the Israelites so they could remember who He is and who they were. The song told of things past, present, and future, ending with God’s promise to purify His land and His people. Moses then blessed the tribes. At the end he said of all Israel, “Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?” (Deut. 33:29a). What an awesome statement!
Remembering the right things is so important! First and foremost, we need to remember who God is. There is no other like Him, period. Next, we need to remember who we are. We can’t even get it right when everything is stacked in our favor. We are as stubborn, hard-hearted, and set in our own ways as the Israelites were. When we remember these things, then we know that all the good things God does for us are because of who He is, not because of us. Yet He loves us and does remarkable things for us. This all serves to remind us how blessed we are, because we are a people saved by the LORD.
Though all of these things should inspire us to remain faithful to our great God, none of it was enough to keep the Israelites in check. The sad truth is that it wouldn’t be for us either. Thank God He sent His Son to give us His Spirit to help us with that! And thank God He is still working toward His sure promise to make us pure.
Deut. 34
Moses was truly one of the greats of the Bible. “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” (Deut. 34:10). He faithfully carried out God’s work with a genuinely humble heart. Yet even he didn’t get it all right. God made this very clear by not allowing Moses to enter the Promised Land. None of us enter into God’s rest by our own hand or character. Even Moses needed God’s salvation. Truly, none of us can boast in anything other than God.