Deu 31: Moses informs the people that he is not permitted to
enter the Land of Promise, so that they must be led there by another man
appointed by God: Joshua the son of Nun. Both the people and their new leader
are exhorted to faith and courage, with the assurance that the LORD will be an
unfailing source of help if they manifest those qualities. The discourse is
interrupted by an incident in which open endorsement of Joshua's appointment is
made by a divine revelation, and a very solemn warning is given of coming
apostasy and its consequences. The section concludes with a charge given to
Joshua.
The chapter may be divided into the following sections: (1)
The people are exhorted to faith and courage (vv 1-6); (2) Joshua is appointed
and charged (vv 7,8); (3) The Law is delivered to the priests for instruction of
the people (vv 9-13); (4) Yahweh gives warning of coming apostasy (vv 14-21);
(5) Moses' charge to Joshua (vv 22,23); and (6) The Law is completed and laid up
as a witness (vv 24-29).
The final verse (Deu 31:30) introduces the Song of Moses (Deu
32).
Deu 31:21
THIS SONG WILL TESTIFY AGAINST THEM: "The people of
God" and "the book of God" continue to exist together, each giving meaning to
the other. To see how wildly improbable this is, cp with Egyptians or
Babylonians.