For a fire will be kindled by my wrath, one that burns down to the realm of the dead below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. “I will heap calamities on them and spend my arrows against them. (Deuteronomy 32:22-23 NIV)

In these verses, “them” is the Israelites. Not yet done telling the people what the Lord will do to them, Moses sings them a song describing it. I can’t decide who is worse: Moses or the Lord.

But maybe Moses is just crotchety because the Lord is punishing him because he once questioned Him. He knows that he’s about to die, since the Israelites are about to enter Canaan.

However, the Lord did not scatter Israel, not because He loves them, but because he doesn’t want to be embarrassed. He…

…dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed; the lord has not done all this.’” (Deuteronomy 32:27 NIV)

In the end, as promised, He brings Moses up a mountain so that he can see the promised land, and then kills him. What a Guy!

The last act of the book of Deuteronomy, Joshua is made leader.

Next: Joshua 1-4.