From Pisgah's Lofty Height: The Death of Moses
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Moses was an old man of 120 years of age. Yet even to the time of his death, he maintained his youth. He was still vigorous and could see clearly. Yet all have an appointment with death, even the great Moses. It is the LORD who has measured our lives. what had done Moses in was his striking the rock in anger at Meribah. He was frustrated with the people of Israel and acted in anger rather than simply obeying God by speaking to the rock. Some have been horrified at such a death sentence for such a good man. It seems trivial to some, even to Christians who think obeying God to be a trivial matter. Good people or bad people, we have an appointment with death. Today we look at the death of Moses.
Moses had led the children of Israel for forty years through their wilderness wanderings. His entire generation, his brother and sister, and all the grown men who had come up out of Egypt had already died, save Joshua and Caleb. Moses would be the last. He would not be able to lead Israel into the Promised Land. He could only go as far as the brink of Jordan. Joshua would bring the people into the land of Canaan.
The LORD told Moses to go up into the mountains of Nebo on the other side of the river from Jericho. He went to the highest peak in that range, Mt. Pisgah. From there, the entire land which God had promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It had been more than four hundred years since the LORD had made that promise. In spite of the numerous rebellions of the Children of Israel, they were still going to enter that land. They would remain there, so long as they remained faithful to the LORD. The remaining in that land was conditional. They were promised to abide there for ever so long as they were obedient.
Moses then was given the opportunity to survey this land from Gilead on the east of Jordan unto the Mediterranean Sea. The LORD reminded Moses of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses was also reminded that he would not be included in that number because of his sin. Then he dies, and the text says the LORD buried Moses in a valley in Moab over against Beth Peor. the text also say that no one knows the place of his burial.
A couple of things must be said. The first is that Moses died. Joshua 1:2 also affirms the death of Moses. there are some who think that Moses did not actually die. But the plain meaning of the text says that he joshuadied like all men die. The second is whether Moses was recording his own death or whether a later scribe added this information. We commonly call the Torah as the authorship of Moses, which is true in part. But we must also realize that it is truly the Holy Spirit who is the author of Scripture. So if a later scribe, possibly Joshua, adds this last chapter of Deuteronomy does not affect the inspiration of this text. It is God-breathed as is the rest of Scripture.
The Children of Israel mourned the death of Moses for thirty days. Then Joshua, the son of Nun, who had the spirit of wisdom which Moses had took Moses’ place. Moses had laid his hands upon him which showed Moses’ approval of Joshua, a man who had remained continuously within the Tabernacle of Meeting outside the camp where the LORD had met with Moses. The idea of laying on of hands upon people the LORD had also chosen is a practice of ordinates to the ministry today. The people had confidence in Joshua who showed courage with Caleb when they provided the minority report of the spies. Both Caleb and Joshua believed that the LORD was both able and willing to bring Israel into the Land, despite the might of the people who lived there.
The Book of Deuteronomy and the Torah ends with a final postscript on Moses. It says at the time of writing that the LORD had not raised up any prophet like Moses who had performed wonders before the Children of Israel. This is a fitting tribute to the greatness of Moses. But even Moses said that the LORD would send a prophet like him at a later time (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). Another prophet who would deliver Israel was coming.
Joshua, the son of Nun would not be that prophet. He indeed was a great man through whom the LORD performed many mighty deeds. He led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan. The Book of Judges says that the people were faithful to the LORD for all the days of Joshua and all the elders who outlived Joshua. It was indeed an accomplishment to have led such a people and to keep the LORD in mind for so long. The rest of the Book of Judges, unfortunately, tells us the rest of the story.
Joshua would have the opportunity to meet the Captain of the LORD’s army who encouraged him in his battle against Jericho. Who was this “captain”? Could this have been an Old Testament appearance of Jesus who returns to earth at the head of the LORD’s host (army)? Let us consider that the Hebrew name of both Joshua, the son of Nun, and Jesus the Son of God is both “Yeshua.” Moses led Israel to Jordan’s stormy banks. But is was Yeshua who brought them into the Land.
What else might Moses have seen from Pisgah’s lofty heights? We know that Abraham was shown a city far greater that any city in Canaan. He looked for that city which has foundations, whose builder and maker was God (Hebrews 11:10). Abraham had been shown the entirety of Canaan land just as Moses. Yet he desired a greater and heavenly city. Was Moses also shown this greater Canaan from Pisgah’s lofty height? Notice that in Deuteronomy 34:4 that this land would be given to the descendants of Moses. The LORD says “thy seed” not the “children of Israel. Moses was a Levite. Like all Levites, they were not given any inheritance in the Land of Canaan. They were given cities to dwell in as pilgrims among Israel. But their inheritance was the LORD, not a piece of land in Canaan. Whatever the LORD was giving to the descendants of Moses must be some other place.
We do know that Moses did indeed come to a greater vision. He appears in glory alongside Elijah at the Transfiguration of Jesus. This Moses who had died ad was buried like the common lot of man was no longer dead. He was basking in the glory of Christ. Indeed, the land in which he now inhabits is indeed greater than any earthly possession.
So, what does this mean for us? We can learn that as great a Man as Moses was and the infallibility of the Torah, these are insufficient for us to attain until eternal salvation. Moses can only take us so far. We need Yeshua to bring us into the Land, a land of promise and provided entirely by His grace. It is He who has conquered our greatest enemy, death and judgment, by His death on the cross. His resurrection and ascension back to the Father proves that He is able to bring us into the greater Canaan, the City of God. He has fought the battle in our behalf and won. He only asks us to believe on Him.
In the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” we are reminded of Pisgah’s lofty height as we prepare to wing our flight to worlds unknown. We are like Moses given a glimpse of glory land from afar. It is not like a secular song asserts: “Blue heaven is a place on earth.” No matter how green the valleys are and alabaster the cities are, these are nothing in comparison to what the LORD has promised us. We will always be strangers and pilgrims on this earth. We dwell like the Levites in the cities and villages in performing our gospel ministry. But our inheritance is reserved in heave for us. If the Lord who is not willing any should perish and patiently bears with the world that some might be snatched out of eternal hellfire should delay, then we, too, like Moses will die. But like Moses, we shall also be raised and enter into the LORD’s glory. It is the LORD who is our true inheritance. And if the Lord returns to earth within the span of our earthly existence, we shall be transformed and meet Him. Either way, the result is that we shall ever be with the Lord.
It is important for us to keep this truth in mind. It is good that we are given a glimpse of the age to come in Scripture and affirmed by the Holy Spirit. We don’t even have to be on Pisgah’s lofty height. We also can feel His presence in the valley of the shadow of death. In life and in death, he abides with us by the Holy Spirit. When we die, it will be the LORD who pronounces the eulogy. What people say at our funeral does not matter much. The Christian lives his existence in the hope of hearing the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” and “enter thou into the joy of the Lord.” Nothing else matters. Let us live with this singular purpose in mind. Let us be homesick for a land we have never seen before, even as we live here. Homecoming is not to return to a place we were before. Our homecoming is set before us.
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