Deuteronomy 31

The time had now come for the conquest generation to go into the land. The Lord would go before them, but a new man, Joshua, would lead them forward. Trained under Moses, Joshua listened to these final sober words of instruction: “Be strong and courageous.”

God and His covenant Word would be the constant in the life of Israel. Any one human servant would reach the end of His days, but the Word of God and His presence as the true Leader of His people would continue beyond the life of the greatest of His servants. The leaders and the whole congregation were to be people governed by the Word.

The transition of leadership authority from Moses to Joshua was marked by a very solemn revelation of the disobedience of the Lord's people. The Lord plainly told Moses and Joshua that Israel would not obey Him, bringing upon themselves the horrible curse of the covenant. This sad prophecy would be recorded for them in a song that would be passed down from generation to generation.

The worst would surely happen. Israel would be passionate, not for the true God who created the heavens and the earth, but for false gods that came from the religious experience of the Canaanites.

Not only that, but the day would come when the Lord Himself would hide His face from Israel. The song would be a witness against them even before they had spent one day in the promised land.

If Israel would surely be a failure, what was all of this about? Why would the Lord have even bothered to make a promise to Abraham so long ago? Why had God brought them through the wilderness and given them the Law when He knew they would fail?

The Law would not be Israel's salvation. The promise, given long before the wilderness generation was born, would be secured not through Israel's obedience, but through another Servant who would come.

That Servant of the Lord would fulfill the words God spoke so long ago to Abraham. Through his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed. A coming Servant would take the curse of the covenant that we deserved and then rise again.

As the Apostle wrote in Romans 5:20-21, “The law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus Christ is the final Covenant Head of the people of God. He is the living Word who saves us. His death was not the occasion for the selection of a replacement. He lives forever as the one Mediator between God and man.

The Law was never to be Israel's hope. Jesus is our hope and our salvation.