NOTES for Deu 32:26-52

In the song whose words are given to Moses and Joshua at the tabernacle, a sorrowful truth about the future is revealed to them. God’s people will inevitably fall prey to self-deception and pride in their successes. Almost every success will become for them a temptation to claim the laurels of victory for themselves (compare today’s MAIN NEWS). This “psychological” trait—which is actually sinful—is characteristic of almost everyone: in a moment of danger, God becomes our only salvation, but the instant we receive that salvation, we forget God. Moreover, we take pride in our talents and strength, cultivating our own personality. And when it is clearly impossible to attribute success to ourselves, we thank good fortune—which is already a pagan deity, the one the Romans called Fortuna. There is only one way to combat this paganism within ourselves: to acknowledge that all our successes and victories come from God, and therefore to give thanks.