Deuteronomy 32:37

GOD'S RESPONSE (Deuteronomy 32:37-43)

"And he will say, Where are their gods,

The rock in which they took refuge;

Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices,

And drank the wine of their drink-offering?

Let them rise up and help you,

Let them be your protection.

See now that I, even I, am he,

And there is no god with me:

I kill, and I make alive;

I wound, and I heal;

And there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

For I lift up my hand to heaven,

And say, As I live forever,

If I whet my glittering sword,

And my hand take hold on judgment;

I will render vengeance to mine adversaries,

And will recompense them that hate me.

I will make mine arrows drunk with blood,

And my sword shall devour flesh;

With the blood of the slain and the captives,

From the head of the leaders of the enemy.

Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people:

For he will avenge the blood of his servants,

And will render vengeance to his adversaries,

And will make expiation for his land, for his people."

When it is considered that this song was to be memorized and sung by the Hebrew people, it becomes apparent that this was the very best possible way to preserve in the minds of the children of Israel the knowledge of their true God. Even today, many a child of God has found relief from temptation by the songs of the church found repeatedly upon his lips, as an ever present reminder of the great verities of the faith.

"Where are their gods ..." (Deuteronomy 32:37). Keil reminds us that these are the false gods worshipped by the Israelites instead of the true God whom they have forsaken.[20] The Creator is here represented as taunting the foolish Israelites, "Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your protection" (Deuteronomy 32:38). Cook's comment on this great passage is thus:

"In this profound passage, there is shadowed forth the purpose of God to overrule: (1) the unbelief of the Jews to the bringing in of the Gentiles; and (2) the mercy shown to the Gentiles to the eventual restoration of the Jews." (Romans 11:25ff)[21]

We cannot believe that the "eventual restoration of the Jews" mentioned by Cook in his comment should be understood as God's promise to restore "the sinful kingdom" and to pour out His blessings again upon the secular claimants of being the "sons of Abraham." Christ flatly declared that if such persons were indeed Abraham's sons, "they would believe in Jesus." (John 8). What then is meant? "Any Jew throughout history who desires God's salvation is welcome in the spiritual body of Christ, where alone salvation is available for any person whomsoever. Millions of Jews have already been saved in Christ, along with the holy apostles and prophets of the N.T., who were almost exclusively of the Jewish race. That alone is meant. (See a full investigation of this whole question, developed over a hundred pages in our N.T. series in the commentary on Romans in Romans 9-12.) The current secular Israel cannot possibly be identified with the "Israel" spoken of in the Bible!