Commentary on Deuteronomy 31:1-8

We come to the last part of Deuteronomy which tells of the last days of Moses. Today’s reading deals with handing on the baton of leadership to Joshua.

Moses knows that his end is near. He tells the people that he is already 120 years old (probably not to be taken too literally) and no longer capable of being their leader. This is not a reference to any physical disability. The reason is that God has forbidden him (and Aaron) to lead the people into the Promised Land:

…the Lord has told me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ (Num 20:12)

We read about this in last Thursday’s First Reading (Num 20:1-13).

The people need not fear because Yahweh will be with them as they conquer the land:

The Lord your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them.

And he gives his encouragement to Joshua who will take his place as their leader:

Joshua also will cross over before you, as the Lord promised.

Yahweh will treat the resident peoples as he treated Sihon and Og the Amorite kings and their country—he wiped them out. He will put the resident peoples at the Israelites’ mercy and will deal with them exactly as laid down by the commandments he gave.

Moses passes on Yahweh’s message to the people:

Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

The Lord’s exhortation is often given through his servants to the people of Israel. So also to Joshua, to Solomon and to Hezekiah’s military officers. By trusting in the Lord and obeying him, his followers will be victorious in spite of great obstacles.

Then Moses summoned Joshua in the presence of all the people and told him also to “be strong and bold”. He would have the privilege of leading the people into the land which Yahweh long ago had sworn to his ancestors he would give to his people. And he has no need to worry because Yahweh will show the way, will be together with his people and not let them down. Moses tells them:

Do not fear or be dismayed.

Reading this account, it is difficult sometimes not to feel that we have here, to some extent, a rationalisation of their entering someone else’s territory and taking it by force from its legitimate inhabitants, pagans though they may have been. The same questions arise in the establishment of the State of Israel in the last century and even more so in the establishment of the Israel’s settlements beyond its internationally recognised borders.

The history of the Church also is not without examples of ‘God’s will’ being used to justify behaviour that later seems altogether unacceptable.