Scroll down to see and play Audio.
Good Sunday morning to you dear friends.
Have you ever considered what Sunday is like for Jesus? From His vantage point in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes for the people of God, according to Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 1:3; what might it be like for Jesus to watch His global church worship today?
May I ask you another question? What do you suppose it’s like in heaven, when a Christian arrives there, having breathed their last here on earth? If, according to Luke 15:10, “…there is great rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents…” and we presume that ‘presence of the angels of God’ is heaven, then what is it like when a sinner saved by God’s grace arrives there, in the presence of God and all His angels, and all those who have preceded them there?
I ask that because today we bid farewell to Moses. His remarkable life here on earth ends in Deuteronomy 34. We’ve walked a long journey together with Moses, so let’s watch carefully as God leads him through his final days with dignity. What we read today my friends, will provide some important life ending lessons for all of us. May I remind us all…death is one experience every single one of us will share, no exceptions!
Let’s pick up this final story in Deuteronomy 32:44. Listen to Moses’ last challenge to the people he had led for so long. “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words, they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to posses.” Have you noticed how much we value the last words a person says?
What’s the lesson here with Moses? Be ready with your last words to cast a vision, a God honoring vision, for those who know and love you, and especially the generations which follow you. Give them wisdom to live by, not platitudes or worthless nonsense with your final words. Give them wisdom which they will want to pass on to generations born after you are gone. For Moses, that meant pointing them to God’s timeless Words.
Then Moses heard his final instructions from God. “Go up…to Mount Nebo…and view Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites…There on the mountain you will die... this is because you did not uphold My holiness among the Israelites…” I wonder what you hear? Punishment, disappointment, or do you hear mercy and God’s friendship with Moses?
You’ll recall Moses and God had met many times up Mount Sinai, and then later other mountains. From these high places, God often spoke powerful truths to Moses, about living a God honoring life, walking in the God honoring ways of God, thinking with a God honoring mind. Sometimes up those mountains God had to speak hard truths, heart breaking truths, about sin in the lives of His people. For Moses it must have been gratifying to know it would be in a mountain-top encounter with God, that he would end his earthly journey. Also, can you imagine the joy it must have brought to his heart to hear God say he would finally view that long anticipated promised land from that mountain top? God knows the deep desires of our hearts, my friends, even more than we do! I doubt God will tell you where and when you will depart, but He knows doesn’t He?
Deuteronomy 33 records Moses’ final blessings on the people. Then comes the epilogue. Many Bible scholars believe Joshua may have written Deuteronomy 34, the chapter about the death of Moses. Perhaps Joshua had made that last climb with Moses? We don’t know how long it lasted, but what a sweet departure from this earth. Do you remember the Apostle Paul several times uses the word “Departure” to describe what we often call death?
If they did go up together, can you imagine that conversation? What final words of leadership challenge and encouragement do you imagine Moses had for Joshua? Go ahead, tag along with them as they hike, they won’t mind if you listen in… what do you hear them saying to each other? What last questions might Joshua be asking? What final counsel is Moses giving?
Moses is a wonderful example of God honoring ‘departure’. With his last words to the people, he spoke of God and pointed the people to Godly living. Then he hiked up that mountain with one great purpose…to meet with God and leave this earth in the peace and worship. I’m sure he greatly anticipated the familiar mountaintop encounter with God’s Presence, as he had so many times before. But this time, Moses knew he would not walk down this mountain. What he didn’t know, was what exactly God had in mind for this final mountain top encounter.
“Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo…across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land… Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes…” (Deut. 34:1-4)
Do you remember how they first met… God and Moses, on Mount Sinai at the burning bush which spoke his name?
“Moses, Moses…do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob…I have indeed seen the misery of My people and I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned. I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians, and bring them up into a good and spacious land…” (Ex. 3:4-8). That was more than 40 years ago. I wonder if Moses took off those well worn sandals again, here on Mount Nebo, and bowed his head in worship…, then raised his hand to shield his 120 year old eyes, as he looked out over the entire land below… the land of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob? it would soon be the land of these Moses had led for so long! What will you and I look at friends, on the last days of our lives? What is the future into which we see our descendants going?
From that mountaintop vantage point, I suspect it didn’t take long and Moses was not looking forward, but rather back…as the memories of his 120 year life rolled through Moses’ mind. At times I would guess he was overcome with emotion and the tears rolled down his face, as he lifted his arms in praise to God. Other times he likely simply shook his head in amazement.
Moses was likely up there with God a long time, perhaps several days, as together they remembered and perhaps discussed Moses’ life journey… beginning with the story his mother had no doubt often told him of the little floating basket… then his memories of the years of being raised in the palace of the Pharaoh; the years as a shepherd in Midian; his return to Egypt and the palace, but this time to insist that the Pharaoh let God’s people go… and of course these last years of miracles and wanderings with the people. Oh my, what a life story!
And my friends, that’s like how it will be for you and me… very likely you will have plenty of time to remember and reflect on your life journey. Very few people die suddenly and unexpectedly. So what will those days, perhaps weeks of you and God reflecting on your life journey, be like for you? None of us can go back and change anything, we can only remember.
If Joshua had gone up Mount Nebo with Moses, we have no record of what took place in their last goodbye. I’m actually grateful to God that we don’t know. But at some point, Joshua turned to descend that mountain and take up the mantle of leadership, leaving Moses with God, looking out over the land that Joshua would lead the people into.
Here’s what he, or someone wrote… “And Moses, the servant of the LORD died there, as the LORD had said. He (God) buried him…but to this day no one knows where… Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.” God had sustained Moses with the physical and emotional strength he needed, all of his life, but especially for these remarkable 40 years of carrying the heavy load of serving and leading these 2 million runaway slaves and their children. Have you thanked God lately for how He has sustained you in your life long journey?
Deuteronomy 34:9 says “Now Joshua…was filled with the Spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hand on him…” Is that part of what happened up that mountain as they met with God and said goodbye? May I ask… how will we pass on the spiritual heritage we each have, to our children and grandchildren? God is the One who fills with His Holy Spirit, but will you and I spend some time, with our hands on each of our children and grandchildren, one at a time, praying over them, giving them wise words of spiritual counsel, urging them to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…” (Deut. 6:5)?
Then finally these closing words about this unique man of God, Moses..“Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt… For no one has ever shown the mighty power, or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (Deut. 34:10-12) And many years ago I wrote in the margin of my Bible alongside these verses…“why not”?
As we step into this Sunday, oh it’s my hope and prayer that we do so filled with the wonder of God and what He did in the life of Moses. But also filled with awe as you consider what God is doing in each of our lives today! It’s part of the story we’ll reflect on in those last days before our departure. It’s part of the heritage we’ll pass on to our family… so let’s expect a great day as we ‘walk with Jesus’ today my friends!
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.