We will be looking at Moshe’s account of his own sin. It begins as a relatively standard speech of Moshe in Devarim about doing mitzvot in the Promised Land. But then 

we encounter a surprise- Moshe says "God became angry at me on your behalf- and said hat I would not cross Jordan into the Land." Is he really assigning blame to the people? Why would he do something that seems so strange? When we examine the story of Mei Meriva in Bemidbar, we are further perplexed- how can he blame the people? What is the function and purpose in Devarim for doing so?

A historical mizmor in Tehillim sheds some light on what is happening. Moshe gives reproof for the sins of Bnei Yisrael. The purpose is to say"look at what we have lost!" to deter them from sinning in the future, and so that they will better appreciate what the stakes are.