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Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’ Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day.Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigour had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:1-2)
Moses served, more or less faithfully, his appointment as pastor of First Church Gripers. It was a difficult charge to be fair with Moses. If you've read any of the Exodus story or heard sermons on it, it was a constant battle between these people, Moses, and God. We cannot fault Moses' actions at times, but the time came when God acted and the above passage reflects that which took place. There are many ways to assume the one action that Moses was guilty of that brought about his being able to see but not enter the Promised Land. Many point to Moses' striking the rock for water, when God simply said to speak to it. Many a person has been frustrated with people who should be cooperating, only to have them question or doubt decisions made by leadership; hitting rocks as a result seems innocent enough, but faithfulness and obedience was demanded by God.
One source I read this morning about this passage said several things that can be applied to this, starting with "no one is irreplaceable." The writer believed Moses got too comfy in his leadership and started to lean more on himself than on God. This is a foolish thing to do when working for God. The writer also said "there is no freelancing when in a position of authority." One must adhere to the scope and vision of the organization, and in this case, towards the end God was leading Israel. As we read above, Joshua had been groomed by Moses and the leadership, as well as his involvement in the community, to become the leader needed to carry forward that which God wanted. The people mourned Moses' death, but this is not the last appearance of this man in the Bible; at Jesus' transfiguration, Moses and Elijah make their appearance and are seen by Peter, James, and John. And, in a real sense, Moses went on to his reward. Though he may not have stepped foot on the promised land, Moses enters the heavenly realm.
As we reflect on our lives and where we find ourselves today; this much is true; we must stay connected with God. Through our spiritual disciplines, especially prayer and worship, we still have much to do. For those who have joined the church, vows of obedience were taken, and in the case of United Methodists, we have promised to serve the Lord and His church through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Our faithfulness in trying to live out all five blesses God and God's work. Our Promised Land is a better situation in which God is made real to all; life becomes more than existence, a life of abundance.
PRAYER: Loving God, may I be more faithful in serving You. Grant to me the strength, courage, and boldness to help bring about Your kingdom here on the earth. Thank You for the witness of Moses and others who have served to inspire us to be more like You. It is in Christ Jesus that we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be someone's special blessing today!
Eradio Valverde
