The life of Moses Pt. 4
Whittier Foursquare Church
Pastor Chuck La Porte 02/25/2009
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Back in January I started the character study of Moses 1-He forfeited luxury for longing (left life as Egyptian royalty to be with his oppressed people)… He did God’s work in man’s way (killed the Egyptian in anger)… He stood on Holy Ground (he met the Lord in a burning bush, and received God’s calling)
2 – He asked Who am I and was comforted by the Great I AM (Moses did not think he had what it took to lead the Hebrew nation and God encouraged him with HIS Presents)… He carried and earthly staff with Heavenly powers (miracles performed by God using Moses the staff that was a token of authority from God)…He was a man of power in Words and in deeds (eventhough he was overwhelmed with the calling, he was called to do a job that is unique, only you can accomplish the work for which you have been called)
3- He experienced God’s deliverance and His banner (fight against the Amelikites saw God give victory as he lifted the staff in prayer)… He saw the glory of God and wanted more (even after he met with God on the Mountain, he still would pray, “show me your glory” once you’ve tasted you want more)… He was given 10 Commandments that God summarized in 2 (he lived out these commandments as he loved the lord his God and as he loved his neighbor…
Tonight we will look for the last time at the life of Moses… We will again see the bad things in his character as well as the good as to which we must be willing to learn from his mistakes and be willing to emulate his success…
We are going to sandwich the issue of the Promised land in his life around his willingness to be a great leader and friend… the reason he noever got to step into the promised land we will llok at first and we will end with the Supernatural view that God gave him of the land that the people would enter but not him…
First the reason…
1. Moses Sowed to the Flesh and reaped the Flesh
Numbers 20:1-13
How much of this unbelief would Moses have to put up with? these people were always complaining! hadn’t God proved Himself faithful?
Again they were murmuring about the lack of water. Hadn’t God provided water for them countless times before? this time Moses becomes angry and begins yelling at the Hebrews, calling them rebels, and in his anger he strikes the rock with his staff (once used to show Heavens authority Moses now uses it to display His Own Strength)
Immediately water comes gushing forth… then silence…
At once Moses knew that his flesh had overruled his spirit man, and now he would have to face the consequences. The Lord’s instruction was to simply speak to the rock… but in his anger and self-reliance he struck the rock, not just once but twice.
God had given Moses explicit instruction yet Moses decided he would do it his own way… Many Christians throughout the ages have struggled with God’s punishment as we rationalize “how bad was it really?”
Either way at the moment of sin, Moses knew what he had done, he had in fact, profaned the command of God by adding human adjustment to the divinely appointed task…
When God speaks He doesn’t need our input. He is the Master and we are His servants. He command to Moses was Holy and did not need any human adjustment as is His command to you and me…
Moses sowed to the flesh and reaped the flesh and so will we if we sow to our flesh as well...
Luke 18:9-14
Is there any area of your life where you are sowing to the flesh and doing things your own way? Confess and seek God’s forgiveness…
even though Moses struggled with anger does not me we can give into it as well and lean on our own understanding lets learn from his mistakes and even his good points as well…
2. Moses was a Great INTERCESSOR
Exodus 32:30-35
Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. “O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes,” he said, “then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
Exodus 34:8-9
the people had build a golden calf to worship (with the gold that God had given them from the Egyptians when they left the land) (using God’s provision to bring glory to something man made… we still do this) these people were so stubborn and stiff-necked, how could they do such a thing? They had failed God before, but to actually fashion a golden calf and begin to worship it, how could they?
Moses knew that he was called by God to intercede for this congregation that he had been given charge over… His heart was broken over the grievous sin, but he loved his people; yes, they had again broken the command of Jehovah, but they needed someone to plead their case before the Almighty. that someone was Moses.
May times during the wilderness journey Moses would find himself in that position, extending one hand toward his fallen comrades and another toward heaven asking for forgiveness…
Often-times he (being their Pastor to God/ and leader of their vision) would find himself running the gamut of emotions; from anger, to pity, to compassion, to divine love. But always the result would be the same; he would fall on his face before God and ask that their sin would not be held against them. He was indeed a great intercessor.
How often in our Christian journey do we find ourselves in the same position as Moses, interceding for a sinful city, community, family… and seeking God’s forgiveness on behalf of ourselves and others…
In every generation, god is looking for someone to stand in the gap for their world, and in this generation that someone is you.. you are the one He has called to intercede for your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers… community, city…
The ministry of intrercessory is a high calling. wont you answer the call?
I (the Lord) looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.
Ezekiel 22:30
You know what you must do… go ahead and intercede for your family, friends, neighbors and neighborhood, co-workers, your city and nation.
Moses had been to the Mountain…
3. Moses SAW but would never ENTER Dueteronomy 34:1-12
Moses was nearing the end of his life, and he knew it as he walked up Mount Nebo… it’s amazing the things you think of in the hours before you die; the memories that flood over your mind and heart. He could almost taste the salt air from the shores of the Red Sea nd he could almost hear the peals of thunder from Mt. Sinai…
before he knew it he had arrived and reached the summit of Mt. Nebo, and the view was breathtaking… as he looked the view went from natural to supernatural as Moses was able to see from Dan to Beersheba, from the northern most border of the promised land to the southern most border, and his heart exploded with excitement…
This was the land flowing with milk and honey (where grapes clusters were dripping with juice and oil flowed like rivers) his eyes were intoxicated with wonderment, but his hands would never handle the fruit, and his feet would never touch the rich soil.
Moses could only see the promised land, while Christians today can actually enter into the land flowing with milk and honey… the promised land for the believer today is not Heaven but it is MATURITY IN CHRIST
Hebrews 11:13-16 expound
In what is commonly known as the Lord’s prayer we are told to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven…this is the Promised land for the believer… not only can we behold the land but we can also enter!!!
Luke 11:39-41 expound
is there any part of the land of heaven on earth that you are not enjoying? Rid yourself of any barriers that may be preventing your complete entrance….
