A. The duties of Israel's future leaders 31:1-29

"Israel was not to be a nation of anarchists or even of strong human leaders. It was a theocratic community with the Lord as King and with his covenant revelation as fundamental constitution and law. The theme of this section is the enshrinement of that law, the proper role of Mosaic succession, and the ultimate authority of covenant mandate over human institutions."³²⁹

 1. The presentation of Joshua 31:1-8

Moses presented Joshua to the nation as God's chosen leader who would take over the leadership of Israel very soon. He charged the people (v. 6) and then Joshua (vv. 7-8) to be strong and courageous as they entered the land in view of God's promises, presence, and power.

"Courage is only fear soaked in prayer."³³⁰

"Commissioning of the community's leader(s), therefore, as encountered in this model, is to a task, not to a position. Authority and standing are dependent upon the nature of the task, not vice versa."³³¹

We observe this too in the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas to their missionary task (Acts. 13:2-3).

 2. The seventh year covenant renewal ceremony 31:9-13

"Moses assigned the priests and elders the duty of regularly republishing the law of the covenant. The effect of this was to associate the priests and elders with Joshua in the responsibility of rule and in the esteem of Israel. More important, all the covenant people, together with all human authorities in the covenant community, were placed under the lordship of the Giver of the law."³³²

Before he died, Moses left a written document with the leaders of the nation that the Israelites regarded as God's law (v. 9, cf. Josh. 1:8). This probably refers to Moses' exposition of the law (chs. 5-26), though the exact meaning of the "law"(vv. 9, 24) is not clear.

The national leaders were to read this law to the whole nation every seventh (sabbatical) year at the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles). This reading would remind and instruct God's people concerning His gracious will for them. It was common in other ancient Near Eastern countries for the priests to assemble the people periodically and read them the king's covenant (cf. 16:13-17).

 3. The commissioning of Joshua 31:14-23

Whereas previously Moses had presented Joshua to the people (vv. 1-8) now God officially commissioned him to his new responsibility as Moses' successor. He did this at the tabernacle, the appropriate place for this official ceremony.

The bulk of this section concerns God's revelation to Moses concerning Israel's future apostasy (vv. 16-22). Hiding the Lord's face (vv. 17-18; 32:20) is the opposite of making His face shine on His people and turning His face toward them in blessing (cf. Num. 6:25-26). To discourage this departure God gave Moses a song that he was to write down and teach the people to remind them of God's faithfulness. As a song the people would have repeated these words frequently and remembered them easily. The singing of it would haunt them with how much they had lost for disobeying Yahweh.

 4. The preservation of God's words 31:24-29

Moses charged the priests with the care and keeping of the law he had written (vv. 25-26), perhaps the whole Book of Deuteronomy.³³³It was normal for priests to bear this responsibility in the ancient Near East.³³⁴They kept this document beside, not in, the ark (v. 26; cf. 2 Kings 22:8). Only the Ten Commandments were in the ark (Exod. 25:16; cf. Exod. 16:33-34; Num. 17:10-11). The Levites who carried the ark were Kohathites. The song (vv. 15-16) and the scroll were two witnesses to the people's obedience and disobedience. Moses also warned the priests of Israel's future apostasy as God had revealed this to him (vv. 27-29). It was important that these spiritual leaders be ready for what was coming.

"What appears to be in view is a miniature preenactment of the ceremony that the whole nation was to engage in at Ebal and Gerizim once Canaan had been overcome and occupied (cf. 27:1-14)."³³⁵