Word of Encouragement (12/13/2022)
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 2 May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. 3 For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! (Deut. 32:1-3)
After giving the law for the second time to the new generation of the Israelites (hence, Deuteronomy—“the second law”), who came up after the exodus generation perished in the wilderness for their unbelief, and pronouncing God’s blessings and curses for their obedience and disobedience, respectively, Moses sings this song/prayer in Deut. 32 to memorialize this occasion. Its content is not going to be pleasant. Regarding this song, Moses said, “Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them” (31:28). So, he begins by calling on heaven and earth to bear witness.
By calling on heaven and earth as witnesses, Moses signals that what he is about to speak about is of great importance, worthy of heaven and earth’s attention—possibly referring to all the angels of heaven and all the men of the earth (John Gill). What could be so important? Moses summarizes the theme of his song/prayer in v. 3: “For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!” What subject can be more important than the name of YHWH and the greatness of God? God is the Creator; all things are created by Him and exist for Him. He alone is a self-existing, eternal, and infinite Being, who is supreme above all things that owe their existence to Him. He is the Essence of all beings and the Fountain of the meaning and purpose of everything He created. So, what can be nobler and worthier than the subject of God—the supreme greatness of His being and work?
Having called on heaven and earth as his witnesses, Moses prays, “May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb” (v. 2). He is praying for the effectiveness of his song/prayer (“my teaching” and “my speech”) in its life-giving purpose. That is what the imagery he uses for his song evokes—“the rain” and “the dew” that fall upon the tender grass and herb to give life and growth.
But how is it that this kind of imagery is used when this song is supposed to be a witness against Israel? The answer lies at the end of the song: “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs” (v. 29). Despite Israel’s rebellion and the judgment she incurred by it, God will redeem her by judging her enemies after punishing her for her sin. To judge her, God would use the nations of the world, giving them over to their greed and cruelty. But they will have to answer to God for their sins, particularly for the sin of persecuting God’s people without mercy.
In this, we see another instance of God’s infinite wisdom, by which He upholds both His justice and His grace. Of course, the perfect expression of this harmony was the cross of Jesus Christ. The substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ for our sins would satisfy His justice and allow God to extend His (righteous) grace to sinners like us. Because of Christ, we don’t have to worry about God’s judgment against us for our sins. But He will discipline us for our sanctification. So, we should not be discouraged when God should discipline us; rather, we should be grateful for His fatherly love and turn to Him in sincere, decisive repentance.