Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:12–24; 31:14–23
But God’s covenant was the free covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the covenant of his grace, the covenant of his free love, whereby he was able to reach them in Egypt, upon the cry of the seed in them ... this covenant of love was God’s covenant. —Isaac Penington
Questions: Have you experienced times when a leadership transition occurred with grace and blessing? What made it work well? What do you imagine it would be like for Moses and Joshua as they experienced this transfer of leadership on the cusp of entering the Promised Land? Do you have strategies for navigating the future with hope, while holding awareness of the realistic possibility of failure? What are your strategies?
If you look closely, you can imagine an unprogrammed Quaker meeting happening in Deuteronomy 31. Moses and Joshua gather at the Tent of Meeting to listen to God together. Perhaps we can imagine this as waiting worship, where Friends gather expecting to hear from God, believing and knowing God to be present. Moses and Joshua hear from God in ways that speak to their unique condition, as well as to the immediate context of their community’s experience.
What Moses hears is not an encouraging message to send him off to his eternal rest. He learns that the Israelites will betray God, breaking the covenant by worshiping false gods and idols, and by becoming so comfortable in the land of milk and honey that they think they no longer need God. Even at the end of his life, Moses calls his people back to faithfulness, teaching the Israelites a song that will “confront them as a witness,” reminding them to turn back to God.
While Deuteronomy is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and the blessings of the covenant the Israelites have made with God, it is a bittersweet text. It recounts the amazing works God has done in the space of Moses’ lifetime, and invites the Israelites into a community set apart uniquely to serve God—but it also foreshadows the many ways the Israelites have and will continue to fall away from God. It joyfully passes the leadership role to Joshua as the people await their longed-for entrance into the Promised Land, while recognizing that this is not a happily-ever-after ending. When we look at this story as a metaphor for our own lives and communities, perhaps we can look with empathy upon this generation of wilderness wanderers and hope-filled people.
Maybe we can savor the moment with Moses and Joshua, the moment between the wilderness and the fulfillment of the promise, that moment of intense presence and relationship with God across generations. Maybe we can see ourselves in them, both our successes and our shortcomings, our hopes and long-standing beliefs in the promises of God, and our all too human waywardness as we have collectively sought after gods that do not satisfy.
God promises: “Be strong and bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you” (v. 23). May our own times of waiting worship be filled with prophetic power and exuberant hope.
–Cherice Bock in “Friendly Perspective” from Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Following God Together