Deuteronomy chapter 31

vs 21

Imagine that, humming this song to yourself as you sift through the ruins of your house, wheeling the corpses of your family to a pit in the ground. Then you think, "I always thought it was just a nursery rhyme" or something. Its like a line out of a fiction book.

God knows they are going to rebel. He knows that they are bound for a painful ride. No doubt he knew about Adam and Eve too. But he goes through with it all anyway, which must show that the act itself has meaning, and purpose, in God's eyes.

vs 22

What song? Where is it? Is it Moses' song that is recorded later?

vs 23

Joshua still has his part to play, even though God has revealed to him a spoiler about how it ends. God did the same for Abraham, if you recall - the slavery in Egypt was foretold. God likes giving spoilers. But they never really contain it all, do they? The results always still take us by surprise.

vs 24

The one book?

vs 25

So not the whole tribe, but those ones specifically who had this very important job. If you're going to entrust something important to someone, probably the ones who carry the giant gold box are the guys to do it.

vs 26

Just as the Ark represents the presence of God with them, so the Book represents in very real terms the Laws that they have accepted over them.

vs 27

Moses knows that it will get worse after he's gone. That's not a reflection on Joshua, it's a reflection on Israel.

vs 28

Perhaps a little bit of a scare tactic, but it's also him doing his responsible thing. He wants to make sure they have every opportunity, so they can't later turn around and say, "We weren't told," or "We forgot," or "You didn't tell us enough times."

vs 29

Moses knows because God told him. But he also knows what God him is true because it is self-evident by the actions of these leaders at pretty much every step of the way between Egypt and where they stand now.

vs 30

So now we get the song. You could be forgiven for thinking that the bit before has been shoved in by some later editor. But then it's trying to be chronological here, and Moses had to set the scene for the song. Remember, it's supposed to remind them, to hold them to account, for the disasters that will befall them when they turn away from God. And we get to look at that tomorrow.