After defeating King Og of Bashan and King Sihon of the Amorites, while camped east of the Jordan River in the Land of Moab, Moses took the time to address the people he had led this far. What could have taken eleven days had taken forty years due to the Israelites disobedience. Moses reminded the people of what God has done for them and of the covenant relationship He had entered into with His people.

The majority of the book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ last speech to the Israelites before handing leadership over to Joshua. He starts by looking back over his time with God’s people, reminding them of God’s faithfulness to them through some of the hardest times. First he reminds them of the moment when God said it was time for them to go into the Promised Land and take possession of it.

Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. (1:29-33)

In response to this lack of faith and obedience, God’s people wandered for 40 years but God did not abandon them: The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything (2:7).

Moses’ continues his speech to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:3…
“You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did…” Now obey! This is the main theme of his message.
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember…” (4:9-10a).

There will be tough times ahead of you, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (4:29).

Moses’ strong desire is that history would not repeat itself – that Israel would learn from their past mistakes and move forward in righteousness and faithfulness to their covenant relationship with God. He reminded them of the 10 Commandments and then gave them this very wise advice:

“Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (4:39).

“So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (5:32-33).

Dear God, we thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for the times in our lives when you have carried us as a father carries his child. We praise you for those times when you have gone ahead of us in our journey, preparing the way and directing us down the right path. Your plan has never been for us to fear but always for us to trust in your provision. Thank you for watching over us, for remaining with us even when we struggled to trust you, and for your provision. We have not lacked for anything!

Abba Father, we thank you for being a God who is there for us – a God we find every time we seek you with all our heart and with all our soul. We choose to walk in your way today, to remain in a covenant relationship with you. Guide us into your perfect plan, we pray. Amen.