“To me belongs vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”
(Deuteronomy 32:35)
Deuteronomy 32 recounts the story of Israel’s early history and the eternal nature of God’s unfailing love and commitment to His chosen people. God chose Israel as His treasured possession from among all the nations, revealing Himself in miraculous ways to them on multiple occasions. Through a succession of extraordinary miracles, He freed them from the bondage of Egypt and guided them safely towards the Promised Land — “a land flowing with milk and honey” — a true testament of His faithfulness to His people.
Despite facing a number of challenges, Israel experienced God’s direct provision and guidance firsthand. He fed them with manna from heaven, gave them water from a rock, and led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. These acts of direct, observable intervention of His attention, provision, and protection were not just grand displays of the Almighty’s power but tender expressions of God’s heart for His people Israel.
This relationship between God and His people serves as a powerful example of His desire for a personal and intimate relationship with each of His children. He longs to be known by His children and to be their God. Israel’s story throughout Scripture demonstrates God’s patience and willingness to forgive and restore those who turn back to Him. Even when Israel strayed, God’s desire was for reconciliation and renewal. He sent prophets as heralds of hope, calling the people back to a relationship with Him based on trust, obedience, and faith.
This narrative encourages us to reflect on God’s unfailing love and His readiness to forgive. It reminds us that our foundation is secure when it is built on faith in God and obedience to His Word. The psalms resonate with this assurance, declaring God’s faithfulness and the strength we find in His presence (Ps. 26:1, 37:31). Our journey, much like Israel’s, is often marked by moments of uncertainty. But when we position our trust firmly in God, we find ourselves on solid ground where we will be shielded from falling.
Jonathan Edwards,[1] reflecting on the mercy and grace of God, reminds us that even in moments of divine justice, God’s ultimate desire is not to punish us but to bring His children back to Him. The narrative of Deuteronomy 32, as well as the whole of Scripture, invites us to embrace the mercy and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. In Him, we find a refuge, a solid and steady rock upon which we can securely stand, free from the fear of slipping.
Contemplations:
- Lord, I know you try my faith. You send trouble my way to see that I cling to your Word, that I embrace it until the blessing comes. Hold me fast in your strong arms, especially in the middle of these storms, to insure that I do not slip and fall.
- Many times I pray for promised blessing, and though you love me, Lord, sometimes it seems you fail to take notice of my need. You often humble me into the dust. Still help me find your will in your silence and see your grace in your rebukes. In short, keep me from slipping and sliding in such times and instead, help me show a deeper faith and trust in you.
- Job testifies, “Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him,” (Job 13:15). Such great faith supports us under the greatest pressures. For when you seem to deal with us like an enemy, even then we are to trust you implicitly as a friend.
- You try us often, to see whether we will cling to you when you seem to disregard our cries. It is not said, “In the way of thy mercies,” but rather, “In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee,” (Isa. 26:8).
- I pray that you would hold me up and not allow me to fall. Keep me from slipping and sliding. Help me, Lord, to realize my true allegiance so that I may value you for who you are and all the blessings promised in Christ Jesus.
Further References for Deut. 32:35:
Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30; Psalm 94:1; Nahum 1:2
[1] Jonathan Edwards, Sermons and Discourses, 1720–1723, ed. Wilson H. Kimnach and Harry S. Stout, vol. 10, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1992), 144–145.
