Deuteronomy 32:20
And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
To hide His face means to withdraw His favor and leave a stubborn, rebellious and untrusting people to their own course while watching what their end shall be, letting their choices bring them to their consequences. He spoke this after they forsook God who made and formed them, lightly esteemed the Rock of salvation, and provoked Him to jealousy and anger with strange gods, vanities, abominations and sacrifices to devils and new gods their fathers did not fear, so that He abhorred His sons and daughters and would move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. It is a plain prophecy that swift calamity with no remedy would follow such persistent rebellion, revealing both His love for His people and His abhorrence of sin and displeasure at rebellion. It belongs to the sacred song He commanded Moses to form from His dealings with ancient Israel, to preserve that history as waymarks and to teach their children His providential care, deliverance, goodness and mercy by often repeating His wonderful works. That description of a faithless generation still applies to leaders who seek guidance from deceptive spirits instead of trusting God, and to a world in rebellion that neglects the Bible, rejects truth and His law, and despises His love, mercies and warnings.
Words and Historical Setting
To hide His face means to withdraw favor and leave the people to their own course while still watching to see what their end shall be, letting their choices bring them to their consequences. A very froward generation, children in whom is no faith, means a stubborn, rebellious and untrusting generation whose lack of faith is itself part of its rebellion, with unfaithfulness following rebellion against His law. The faithless and stubborn course is thus left to run to its end, and its outcome is left to be seen.
The declaration follows Israel forsaking God who made them, lightly esteeming the Rock of salvation, and forgetting God who formed them. They provoked Him to jealousy and anger with strange gods, abominations, vanities, and sacrifices to devils and to new gods whom their fathers did not fear, so that the Lord abhorred His sons and daughters for their provoking and was moved to jealousy with that which is not God. In return He would move them to jealousy with those which are not a people and provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
As a warning to ancient Israel, their abandonment of God through idolatry and disobedience in the wilderness meant that generation would not enter the promised rest, except for the two who wholly followed God.
Judgment, Character and Prophecy
It is a plain prophecy of judgment against the disobedient, meaning that swift calamity with no remedy will follow persistent rebellion. Together with the rest of Moses' summary of God's dealings with Israel and events of the future, it reveals God's love for His people and at the same time His abhorrence of sin. It shows His displeasure at rebellion, with unfaithfulness following rebellion against His law. It pictured conditions existing in Judah that made Josiah tremble for the future outcome of continued apostasy.
As part of a sacred song recounting God's past dealings with His people and foreshadowing future events, it points forward to the faithful's final victory when Christ comes again in power and glory.
Preservation and Present Application
The verse belongs to the song Christ commanded Moses to frame out of the events of His dealings with ancient Israel. That song was set as waymarks to preserve the history of the past lest it be forgotten. It recounts God's past dealings with His people and foreshadows future events to the faithful's final victory when Christ comes again in power and glory.
It was given so parents could teach it to their children and keep in mind His providential care and deliverance. Memorials were to be gathered up and laid up in sight with special pains to preserve them, so that when children inquire the whole story of His providential dealings and marked goodness and mercy in care and deliverance might be repeated. That gives the pattern for this generation to often repeat and recount His goodness and wonderful works for His people.
Leaders who seek guidance from deceptive spirits instead of trusting the God of Israel act as that faithless generation and cannot expect Him to prosper them. The faithless, stubborn generation described is the world in rebellion against God. There people neglect the Bible, reject truth and God's law, despise His love, and disregard His mercies and warnings.