Day 80 —  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, we have established a “habit.” So CELEBRATE our habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the THIRD month so far! Praise God!

   Day 80 – Deuteronomy 30 – 31 (Repentance & hope, Choose life, Joshua commissioned, Command to read, a song written)

Moses’s life is winding down. He’s “mopping up” his leadership and readying himself and Joshua to pass the baton. Moses has been with these millions of people for over 40 years. He’s all the leader that some of them have ever know. What will it be like without him?

At 120 years old, Moses is ready to brush his hands of this people and “go home.”

In chapter 30, he tells the people he knows they will fail in all the commands and love toward God. He knows they will experience the really hard discipline of God, but  if/when they repent, return to the LORD, and obey his voice with all their heart and soul…. the gracious, long-suffering, and merciful LORD their God will have compassion on them and restore them.  And at that time, He will “circumcise their HEARTS so they will love him with heart and soul and LIVE.

Moses challenges them, saying, “But the word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you CAN do it!”  Moses sets before them life and death, blessing and curse. “Choose life, that you and your offspring may LIVE, loving the LORD your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to him…..for He IS your life.”

In Chapter 31, Moses calls aside Joshua and encourages him, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of THEM, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave or forsake you.” He then sets Joshua before the people and says the same thing.  This is your leader now. God will go before you and be with you and not forsake you.  Before all the people Moses officially commissions Joshua with the job, and the LORD, in a pillar of cloud, affirms it.

Moses finishes writing the words of the law in a book “to the very end.”  He commands that the Levites put it by the side of the ark of the covenant, and read the whole thing to the people every SEVEN YEARS, in the “year of release” when they all gather in the fall for the Festival of Booths/Harvest.

Then Moses (at God’s word) writes a song to teach to Israel, as a witness for God.  He wrote it in one day and taught it to the people of Israel.

(The song will be in tomorrow’s reading.)