Deuteronomy 32:1-3

Witnesses Are Called On To Bear Witness To His Words (Deuteronomy 32:1).

Deuteronomy 32:1

“Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak;

And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

My teaching will drop like the rain;

My speech will distil like the dew,

As the raindrops on the fresh grass,

And as the showers on the vegetation.

For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh,

Ascribe you (ye) greatness to our God.”

First heaven and earth are called on to witness to what Moses will speak (compare Deuteronomy 30:19; Deuteronomy 31:28), such is the solemnity of his words. These are world fashioning events. Heaven and earth were in fact regular treaty witnesses among other nations (compare Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 30:19).

Then the nature of his teaching is described. It is like the rain and the dew falling and bringing forth lush vegetation, bringing life and fruitfulness. His words should come as words of refreshing to their hearts. And the reason that it is like this is because He is proclaiming the name of Yahweh. They are therefore to ascribe greatness to ‘our God'.

In this teaching we have the germ of the later teaching about God's word bringing forth new life and about the Holy Spirit as being like rain (Isaiah 55:10; Isaiah 44:3 compare Isaiah 45:8), and the basis of the teaching of John the Baptiser where he spoke of fruitfulness, and of the new birth of water and Spirit in the teaching of Jesus Himself. Here it is connected with ‘the name', that is with the nature of, Yahweh. Yahweh is the living God, the life-giver.

This last is the teaching that is available to us. But we must ask ourselves the question, are we open to His divine influence on us?

“Proclaim the name of Yahweh.” This may have in mind Deuteronomy 6:4, ‘Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one' and ‘Yahweh our God', His name as the covenant God.

“Ascribe you greatness to our God.” Compare Deuteronomy 3:24; Deuteronomy 5:21; Deuteronomy 9:26; Deuteronomy 11:2; Numbers 14:19; Psalms 79:11; Psalms 150:2). This word for God's ‘greatness' is mainly limited to the Pentateuch.