Grief: Just Another Place Along the Way

Deuteronomy 32:44-47

Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Moses was nearing the end of his life and felt compelled to write a song for the people, as they approached the promise land, reminding them about their difficult history of wandering in the wilderness. He reminded them that they made big mistakes when they were not having faith in God’s divine power, but when they trusted Him, they lived a more stable and joyful life. Read the first 43 verses (the song) to get a sense of how Moses wanted the people to remember the work he had done under the direction of God’s power. Moses’ prophetic warnings served as his final reminder to the people about the importance of loving and obeying the Lord whole-heartedly. God did not want to see Israel suffer. Like a loving parent disciplines a stubborn child, God would rather discipline his children than wipe them out in wrath. Moses did not want to die without reminding his brothers and sisters that God is merciful, but also does not desire to control us. In fact, when the chosen people later turned from God, he had no choice but to remove His hand of protection, allowing bad things to happen to them. In His wisdom, He knew it would take an extreme situation such as plague, conquest, and exile, for Israel to turn back to Him. Likewise, as painful as separation/divorce can be for us, it’s quite possible that God allows such pain as a reminder for us to turn back to Him.