Deuteronomy 32:28 – 38 “Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them. If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies concede.
But their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; Their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.
“Have I not stored up these things, sealed up within My vaults? Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
For the LORD will vindicate His people and will have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!
In these verses from the Song of Moses, God is continuing to warn the Israelites what will happen if/when they refuse to obey Him. God predicts that no matter how many failures the Israelites experience, they will steadfastly refuse to acknowledge that their sins against Him are the root of their problems.
“How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies concede.” Heretofore, the Israelites have enjoyed unparalleled success in battle, largely due to the reputation their God enjoys among the surrounding pagan nations. These other tribes recognize the power of the God of Israel; however, the Israelites have come to take God for granted. The Israelites feel so entitled that they don’t realize they are on the brink of disaster.
“But their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; Their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras. “Have I not stored up these things, sealed up within My vaults? Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
These are interesting verses because they can be taken two ways. On the one hand, these verses may describe the faithless idol worshipers of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. On the other hand, these verses may also describe the pagan countries that will attack and carry most of the inhabitants of those two kingdoms into exile. The message is clear: No matter who is faithless, God is still watching and knows the time that He will bring punishment for faithlessness. At the same time, those who are used to bring that punishment will eventually also face the wrath of God because they steadfastly refuse to follow Him and persist in serving their idols.
“For the LORD will vindicate His people and will have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!” Eventually, God is going to clear His people of blame and justify them. There will always be a faithful remnant in Israel and God will deliver them. But those Israelites and pagans who have trusted in demons will be put to shame because they have served worthless deities.
APPLICATION: Ever meet someone who has a strong sense of entitlement? Dealing with such people can be frustrating beyond belief. No matter how bad circumstances may be, no matter how outrageously such individuals have behaved, they are SURE that they are untouchable and they can behave however they choose. I was raised in the State of Illinois, a state that has suffered for decades under the political machinations of those in Chicago. At one point, we had a governor who refused to live in the governor’s mansion in Springfield, the state capital. Instead, this man insisted on flying to and from Chicago daily at taxpayer expense because he felt entitled.
It is not only leaders who can feel entitled. Workers at any level can nourish self – pity. Self – pity can lead to an entitlement argument that runs, “I am so overworked and underpaid that I DESERVE to steal from my job, steal from clients, collect money on the side, etc. etc.”
The Israelites only listened to God when He was telling them what they wanted to hear. As soon as God gave the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were already trying to see if there were any ways around them. When God ordered them to put away all their idols they had brought from Egypt, there were undoubtedly many who felt that these “gods” had comforted them for years, so why get rid of them now? The Israelites felt entitled, even though God told them plainly that they had nothing to be proud of!
A feeling of entitlement encourages you to feel that you are really better than others and that God may judge others harshly, but He will allow you to keep your pet sins. But God is not in the pet sin business! To a holy God, all sins are equally damning. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.”
PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, our words, and our acts. We have judged others while excusing ourselves. Lord, open our eyes to see the darkness in our own hearts! Help us to realize that we only have two choices: accept Your Word about our sins and beg Your forgiveness or continue to fool ourselves and die in our sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins so that anyone who confesses their sins and who believes in Jesus will be delivered from themselves. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
January 25, 2022 at 6:45 pm
Really good prayer and as always, good sermon