Jump Start # 3926
Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.”
Our verse today brings the end to three major pinnacles in the O.T. First, it is the end of the book of Deuteronomy. The few sentences following tell of the burial and mourning of Moses and the transition to Joshua’s leadership. Second, this ends the section that we call “The Law.” Following this chapter we immediately move into the “History” section of the O.T. And, it is the end of Moses’ journey here.
There are three unique things about the death of Moses. First, the way that he died. He wasn’t sickly, frail and bedridden. The text tells us that Moses climbed to the “top of Pisgah.” The summit of Mt. Pisgah reaches 4,500 feet. I doubt I could have made that. God took Moses’ life. It was time. Second, it is interesting what happened after he died. Jude 9 says that the devil and Michael argued about the body of Moses. Jude’s readers likely knew more about this than we do. Moses was not allowed to go into the promise land. The devil must have thought that God killed him in disobedience. And, if that happened, then he ought to belong to the devil. Yet, Hebrews 11 tells us that Moses and the host named in that chapter gained approval because of their faith. Third, God buried Moses. No one knows exactly where. It seems that Moses died on the mountain and God buried him in the valley.
What a grand and important role Moses played in God’s story. Moses is named almost 800 times in our Bibles. The law is often referred to as “The Law of Moses,” even though technically, it is God’s law.
There are three lessons to be found here:
First, often we must climb the mountain of faith in order to see the promises of God. Can you imagine Moses having taken pictures of what all he had experienced: the burning bush; Aaron’s staff becoming a snake; the ten plagues; the parting of the Red Sea; his hand made suddenly leprous and then restored; the back side of God as He passed by and now the land that was promised long ago to Abraham.
Some never see the promises of God. Some live in the valley and fail to see the blessings of God in their lives. The answer to prayers, the forgiveness of sins, the daily care and blessings from Heaven, the joy of fellowship, the power of God’s word—so many blessings in our lives. And, there are promises still to come. The promise of life in Heaven. The promise of the resurrection. The promise of the Lord’s return.
We may have to climb our Pisgah in order to see the wonderful promises of God.
Second, we learn that sin comes with a terrible price. God allowed Moses to see the promise land but declared, “You shall not go there”. Moses’ disobedience, by striking the rock came with grave consequences. We might think if anyone was given an exception, it ought to have been Moses. If God looked the other way, surely Moses, for all the good that he did, ought to be allowed a second chance. And, this is just how some live. They have a faith, not founded upon Scriptures, but the feelings within their heart. Give Moses a pass, some would declare. He struck the rock because of his anger towards faithless Israel. He wasn’t leading a rebellion away from God.
Do you think standing on that mountain top and looking into that land that God promised, Moses felt good about striking the rock? He saw something that he would never have. He saw a promised that he would not receive. He saw a work that he would not complete and a finish that came short.
Sin kept Moses out of the promise land. What do you think your sin will do to you? There is a pain greater than any disease. There is a failure greater than divorce. There is a shame worse than jail. There is a loneliness greater than death. It is being eternally separated from the Lord.
Third, there was a greater promise land than the valley that Moses saw. It is Heaven. Through faith, by God’s grace, Moses gained approval. Not allowed to go to the promise land, he was granted the approval of God. The Lord knew the heart of Moses. The Lord knows your heart. There may be some blessings that you do not get here on earth. Because of circumstances, you may not be able to serve as one of God’s shepherds in your congregation. You may have to work hard to win back the trust and confidence that brethren once had in you. Yet, that does not mean you cannot continue to mold your heart, step closer to the Lord and find your way to God’s eternal home one day.
Don’t be content with living in the valley. Climb the mountain of faith and see what is on the other side. Once you witness what God has promised, you’ll never call this place home again.
Live as if you have one foot already in Heaven.
The death of a giant. We can learn so much.
Roger