This is the Bible Book Club, and we're in Deuteronomy.

Welcome to the club.

Last time on chapters 29 and 30, we completed Moses' third sermon to the new generation.

His hope is that they'll choose God and renew the covenant as a nation and also

individually in their hearts. Yet, he fears that they won't. And he warns them about what's

going to happen if they reject the covenant. He passionately commands them to choose God. Moses encourages

them that it is possible. It's within their reach. They can do it, but they just have to do it. And finally, Moses sets the choice before them with heaven. As his witness, the ball is in their court. They have to choose life or death, blessings or curses. Moses has made his case, and the only wise choice is to choose life so that they

and their children may live in the promised land forever. Well, not forever, but for their lives.

Hopefully. All right, here's the setup for this episode. With the completion of Moses's third

sermon, there are just four chapters left in the Torah, in this book of

Deuteronomy, and in the life of Moses. In chapter 31, it is time to return to the narrative

of this amazing man's life. A narrative that we left way back at the beginning of this book in chapter three.

Remember, in the first three chapters, the Israelites had just arrived at Moab. And Moses began to remind

them of their journey from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, to then the wilderness, to Moab. Moses ended chapter three with the news

that he will die in Moab and that Joshua is to succeed him. And that's where we're going to pick up.

Chapters 1 through 3 and 31 through 34 are the narrative bookending the heart of Deuteronomy chapters four through 30,

which are those three big sermons about obedience and choosing God that Heather just reminded us of. So we're going

back to the story, back to, hey, we're at Moab and Moses is about to die. These remaining four chapters

complete the narrative of his life. Now that Moses has given every instruction on the law

possible, what is left for Moses to do? How will he die? When we pick up in chapter 31,

Moses takes his first step down by relinquishing leadership.

Step one, Moses commissions Joshua to lead Israel, starting in chapter 31.

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