Deuteronomy Finale
We have reached the end of Deuteronomy and Moses’ life. All that remains is the finale for him. To see the land of promise, and to be gathered home.
After 120 years, Moses hasn’t lost a step. He is not sickly, weak or in any way infirm. But it is his time to die. His job is done. He has to hand the reigns over to Joshua. As much as Moses asked for a little more time, God said no. Moses would not go into the Promised Land. He would be allowed to see it through, and to see it through the Lord’s eyes. Let’s rejoin Moses for his last day on earth.
♥ ♦ ♥
Moses has just finished teaching Israel’s leaders the song the Lord gave him, and blessing them as a father would. He spent days refreshing them on the Laws of God. He is spent. He has no more to give them. He retires to his tent and waits. He doesn’t have long to wait. No sooner than his body found its resting place, the Lord speaks to him.
“Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:49-52)
Moses is resigned to dying in this land. “But did You HAVE to remind me of my failings” Moses silently asks the Lord. Moses KNOWS he failed the Lord. It is the biggest regret of his life. Even more than killing the Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. Moses doesn’t argue though. He simply gets to his feet and goes where the Lord has directed him.
Joshua sees Moses as he leaves his tent. He quickly falls in beside him. “Where are you going my master?”
“The Lord has called me home today, my son. I am going up on the mountain to see the land. Then He will take me home.”
“May I go with you?”
“No. This is my journey alone. I will not be coming back down. You are to lead the people from now on. They will need you to be strong and to remain close to the Lord at ALL times.”
“I will, my Abba.”
Moses smiles at Joshua’s term of endearment. Joshua has been more than a son to Moses; better than his own sons. He gives Joshua an affectionate squeeze on his shoulder and continues on to his final destination.”
Several people see Moses as he walks through the camp. Some attempt to follow, but he waves them away. This is not a time for spectators, or company.
Moses climbs Mt. Nebo with ease. He doesn’t rush the journey, but neither does he draw it out. He is excited to see the land, but is also enjoying the beauty of this last climb. It is almost as if everything is radiating love to him as he ascends the mountain. He can feel the presence of the Lord as he moves up the mountain.
Moses finally reaches the top of the mountain. There is a large boulder that he chooses for his seat. He looked out at the land before him. It was lush with green grasses for the animals to feed on. There were cities with great walls and plenty of people coming and going in them. He could see vineyards and orchards from his vantage point. It looked AMAZING. He sat looking out, wondering what he was supposed to do now.
While Moses was looking out and wondering, God began to speak to him. It is as if the Lord is actually pointing His finger to the places He wants Moses to note.
“Over there is where Dan will make his home; in the region of Gilead. And over here is where Naphtali will be, and there for Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh. Judah will inhabit there, in the middle. And in the middle of Judah will be Simeon…”
“Wow! This is AMAZING Lord. Thank You for showing it to me.”
“This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” (Deuteronomy 33:4)
“I know. I’m grateful that You allowed me to see it though. And, once again Lord, I’m SO sorry for the way I acted. It was a disgrace. You have every right to still be angry with me.”
“I’m not angry with you, my child. But the consequences of your actions have to be meted out. I have forgiven you, and I welcome you into My presence this day.”
Moses eyes shone with love for his Lord as he uttered his final prayer. “Watch over them Lord.”
“Always, my child.”
With that, Moses closed his eyes. He thought it would be for just a moment, but it wasn’t. Moses simply fell asleep in the Lord’s arms on the rock overlooking the land. God held Moses for a moment while the life drained from his body and his spirit stepped free. Moses then stepped into the Lord’s arms in a new form.
The Lord lovingly carved out a small channel in the earth and lay Moses’ body to rest in the opening. He then covered him over with the dust of the earth and caused green grasses and trees to sprout up around it.
The people of Israel had been watching down below. They couldn’t see Moses at the time of his death. They were afraid, however, to count him as gone. Remembering well the sin they got into when they thought Moses wasn’t coming back so long ago.
Joshua goes to the Tabernacle and sees Eleazar preparing the evening sacrifice. He watches, as Moses had done so many times. When the sacrifice is burning, Joshua approaches Eleazar.
“We need to summon the camp.”
“As you wish” Eleazar said. He went and retrieved the silver trumpets and a second Levite to blow the second one.
As the call is sounded, the people begin to turn away from the mountain and make their way to the entrance of the Tabernacle. Some glance back over their shoulders as they go, but most simply walked on. When everyone was assembled, Joshua stepped into Moses’ traditional place and addressed the crowd.
“Moses has gone to be with the Lord. He told us several times that he would not be going with us into the Promised Land, but would die in this land. The Lord has called him to Himself today.”
Joshua waited to see if there were any questions.
“Will we go up and retrieve his body for burial?”
“No. We will leave that in the Lord’s hands.”
“Then how do we know that he is dead?”
“Because the Lord Himself called Moses today to be with Him. Moses told me this as he left.”
Eyes began to fill with tears and spill over throughout the congregation. Joshua’s did as well.
“We will mourn for Moses here in the camp for 30 days.” Joshua started to say more, but his throat was choked up. He simply nodded to the crowd.
As was the custom of the people, they began to wail and mourn for Moses. His loss was keenly felt. But the fact that he was with the Lord gave the people comfort. And they knew that they were another step closer to going into the Promised Land. That knowledge buoyed them as they mourned his loss.
(to be continued)
I have never lost anyone whom I was truly close to. The closest loss I have suffered is my ex-husband’s death. Since we hadn’t even spoken in more than 20 years, his death didn’t hit too hard. What did hit was that he hadn’t spoken to his children in more than that too. There was no more chance for reconciliation. Not that I really ever expected that to happen. But the finality of it still hurt.
I don’t know how the people handled the loss of the man who had been their leader, nearly all their lives. Maybe they thought the strict leadership would ease up. Did they worry about Joshua being able to lead them as well as Moses did? Were they focused on what Moses’ death meant; they were going into the Promised Land? Talk about a mixed bag of emotions! God brought them through it anyway. Just as he did for me; and as I expect He will when time comes for me to lose someone who is close to me.
Thank You Father God for being my strength at ALL times. A death isn’t the only time I need Your strength. Daily living I need it too. Some days MUCH more than others. THANK YOU for supplying it each and every time. And even in the days when I don’t think I need it. You are ALWAYS there. I pray my passing could be like Moses. You just calling me to find a spot where I can snuggle up on Your lap, close my eyes and wake up with You in glory. And, NO, I DO NOT want to live to be 120! Just the not infirm part.
