Deuteronomy 32
Read Deuteronomy 32
Helpful Background Information:
The majority of Deuteronomy 32 consists of the Song of Moses. This prophetic, poetic song has as its central theme Israel’s apostasy (or walking away from God), which brings God’s certain judgment. The song begins with a short introduction emphasizing the steadfastly righteous God and the unfaithful nation (v. 1-6). The song describes God’s election of Israel (v. 8-9), and His care for them from the time of the wilderness to their possession and initial joy of the Promised Land (v. 8-12). However, Israel’s neglect of God’s goodness and her unfaithfulness (v. 15-18) would bring God’s future outpouring of wrath on His people (v. 19-27) and Israel’s continuing blindness in the face of God’s wrath (v. 28-33). Ultimately, God’s vengeance would strip Israel of all power and turn the nation from idolatry (v 34-38). Then God would bring His judgment upon the nations, both His enemies and Israel’s (v. 39-42). The song ends with a call to the nations to rejoice with Israel because God would punish his enemies and spiritually heal both Israel and her land. (v. 43).
For our purposes today, two verses from this song stand out. Verse 5, where Moses says, “His people have acted corruptly toward him; this is their defect—they are not his children but a devious and crooked generation.” And likewise verse 20, where he quotes God - “I will hide my face from them; I will see what will become of them, for they are a perverse generation— unfaithful children.
Going back to our sermon passage, we see Jesus pronounce the same verdict on the crowd as God and Moses did on the unbelieving Israelites: “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you?” (Mark 9:19). Just as the Israelites in Moses’ day were unfaithful and hard in heart, so too were the Jews in Jesus’s day. Just as the Israelites rebelled against God in the wilderness, thus forfeiting the blessing to enter the Promised Land, so too did the unbelief of the crowd initially forfeit the healing of the boy. However, just as God preserved a faithful remnant out of that generation in his great patience, so too did Jesus save people out of that unbelieving generation in his great patience and brought healing to the boy by the faith of his father.
On a separate note, the doubts and disbelief of the crowd do not determine Jesus’ willingness or ability to act, however. On the contrary, the authority of Jesus’ mission and person exerts sovereign influence in human affairs; “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom 3:4). Even if people doubt Jesus, their disbelief doesn’t weaken who He is or what He can do. In the Gospels, there are moments when Jesus performs miracles despite widespread doubt (such as calming the storm while the disciples panic, raising Lazarus even when others despair). At other times, He chooses not to act—not because He’s unable but because of a divine purpose tied to faith or timing. The emphasis is: their disbelief doesn’t set the boundary; His sovereign will does.
Reflection Questions:
How does Jesus’ response mirror God’s reaction to Israel’s unbelief in Moses’ day? What other connections do you see between these two passages?
How does remembering God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, and holiness encourage you to grow in your walk and avoid unfaithfulness?
What does it mean to be part of a “crooked and perverse generation” (Deut. 32:5, 20), and how does that speak to our world today?