The second time
There are only a few occasions in the bible where heaven and earth are called as witnesses. This is one of these occurrences. You can find another couple here.
Moses calls upon the heavens and the earth to be witnesses
The prophet Moses calls upon the heavens and the earth to be witnesses to his speech before God’s people will enter the promised land. The second time that the words ‘live for ever’ are mentioned in the bible is when both the heavens and the earth are called as witnesses by the prophet Moses. He says,
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth …
Moses, just before his death, continues to address all of God’s chosen and reminds them that our God is a just God and one of truth. Moses reminds the people that God made and saved his people and led them through the wilderness despite the people being perverse and corrupt. God did so alone without any other gods beside him.
Yet the people rewarded God’s kindness by sacrificing their children unto devils and strange gods.
Moses then prophesises that God will punish the lawbreakers and those without faith and He will reward those that hate Him.
It is suggested that in the day of judgment those people call upon their gods for help and ask for their statues and images to rise up and help and protect them.
It is your life
Moses tells the people that their Maker is pretty peeved with the mediocre loyalty and faithfulness He receives in return for the fierce loyalty and protection He gives to his people always.
Moses finishes his speech and prophesy by saying that our life depends upon following God’s law and we are to tell our children to do the same.
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me:
I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal:
neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say,
Command your children to observe to do,
all the words of this law.
For it is not a vain thing for you;
because it is your life …
This is the second time in scripture that the words ‘live for ever’ are mentioned.
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