Deuteronomy chapter 32

vs 11

I'm afraid that picture is somewhat lost on me. Why does it stir up its nest? Do eagle chicks really fly on the wings of the mother? Anyway, I get that it's a picture of motherly protection, I just don't really bond with the metaphor.

vs 12

Now there's an important statement - only God was with Israel (Jacob - the whole singular thing can be confusing, but the song is really about the people). It was God who led his people to the promised land.

vs 13

I'm pretty sure honey doesn't come from rocks (although bees might have made their nests in the rocks). But oil from the flinty crag? Got to be a miracle. Unless we're talking about black gold, in which case I don't think it fed them. Either that or that's how you make oil, by squeezing it through rock crevices?

vs 14

It's all very poetic. Funny, I always think of Israel as just eating manna and quail. But they did have beasts and so could have made milk and curds and stuff. Foaming grape juice, I'm not so sure of. Like the wheat. You sort of need to sit in one place for a while to get those. So this could even refer to their stay in Egypt? I don't think so.

I actually think this is referring to Israel in the promised land. They're learning a song about their actions in the promised land before they even get there.

vs 15

See, I don't ever recall Jacob himself doing this. Surely this is talking about Israel as a people, and what is going to happen to them in the promised land.

vs 16

I'm assuming, since this really did happen to Israel as a nation, even in the time of Judges, that this is what is being referred to here.

vs 17

The idea of calling the other gods demons is a strong early indicator of the idea that all non-God gods are actually evil spirits. Again you can see the repetitive nature of Hebrew poetry.

vs 18

And again with the repetition.

Israel did forget God pretty much all together - certainly the northern kingdom was pretty close to that description. But even in the time of judges, there was a bit of forgetfulness.

vs 19

God's sons and daughters, or Jacob's sons and daughters? Either way it's the same people, but to be called the sons and daughters of God is pretty cool - not so cool when God's angry with you I guess.

vs 20

This is a rare statement of God - normally, God is deep into the affairs of humanity, and especially his chosen people. But this is one of those statements where God says, "You know what? I actually am going to pull back, hide, and see what happens to these people." So all those deists can know there's a verse in the Bible that almost backs up their ideas. But it's not done by God as a rule - in fact, for God to do so is a punishment.