When are the "latter days"? (4) Deuteronomy 31:16-23,29-30

Today’s passage, as with the previous one, is from Deuteronomy and tells us again that the latter days will involve God’s mercy on the nation, bringing them back to the land after a period of desolation.  

·        Deut. 31:29; 32:29: The great Song of Moses describes the latter days as a time of Israel’s desolation and then of God’s mercy in returning them to the land in holiness and prosperity. 

o   It is an expansion the previous prophecy we studied in Deut. 4.  But that is a serious understatement.  This is one of the most important and frequently quoted passages in the Old Testament.  (See our Saturday blogs from May 28-July 23, 2016 – ronandcindy.blogspot.com - for a detailed study of this Song.)  In 31:14-18 God tells Moses that after he dies rebellion by Israel will not be “if” but “when.”  Thus in 31:19-29 God instructs Moses to write this Song and teach it to Israel.  You might say it’s a dirge as it predicts Israel’s disobedience and judgment.  On the other hand, the last stanza, so to speak, is one of hope as it predicts God’s deliverance of Israel and the resulting salvation to the Gentiles as the eventual outcome.

o   Here are some things that stand out in the Song.

§  Moses refers to God as Israel’s Rock (32:4,15,18,30).  When you see this at other times in the Old Testament (e.g. Ps. 18:2; Isa. 17:10-11) it usually makes sense that the human author is referencing Deut. 32.  The same can be said of the description, there is no God besides Me (32:39), a phrase repeated often in Isa. 40-46. 

§  While Isaiah and Jeremiah relied on Deut. 32 Ezekiel drew from the Song heavily.  For example, take Ezek. 16.  Ezek. 16:1-14 describes Deut. 32:10-14; 16:15-22 matches 32:15-34; 16:15-18.  When Ezekiel promises God’s eventual deliverance of Israel (39:21-29) it is for the glory of God’s name, the same argument in Deut. 32:27. 

§  God’s promise to severely judge but not totally destroy Israel (32:26f) is often referenced in the later prophets (e.g. Amos 9:8).

§  What is of great interest is the reference to Moses’ Song in Rev. 15:3-4.  After the salvation of Israel, the day promised in the Song, when the nations God used to judge Israel are themselves judged, then the saints will be singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.  A comparison with Rev. 15:3-4 with Deut. 32:3-4,43 shows that this is the Song the Revelation has in mind.

Again, in terms of the latter days, this great Song tells us of events that will occur that are fundamental to the return of Christ.  The Song is a strong statement of both God’s sovereignty and His faithfulness in keeping His word.