12 Verses That Summarize The Most One Could Hope For Having Lived As A Mortal -- Deuteronomy 34

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Moses Views Promised Land, Dies, Is Replaced, and Is Extolled -- Deuteronomy 34

We have come to the last chapter of Deuteronomy. It's only twelve verses long. Let's go through the highlights:

1. Moses obeys God's request that he climb up Mount Nebo. Matthew Henry says that it was as if Moses in climbing the mountain, was climbing up towards heaven, indicating his willingness to die. And in return for his obedience, God "showed him all the land". I've noticed throughout Scripture that there seems to be a correlation between obeying God and getting our heart's desire. It may not alway be our first choice, but God's choice for us will always ultimately lead to greater true joy and life, than our choices -- even if at first we will have to go through some very challenging and almost impossible times, or have to go to the point of losing our lives. But having obeyed God, it's what comes afterwards, or at the end of it all, that really counts. That is a very hard lesson for each of us to learn.

Common sense would require that we agree that Moses as the author of this book ends here at the very latest and that Joshua takes over from here on in.

5. Moses dies as "the servant of the Lord". He dies "according to word of the Lord". That's how I want to die. I want to die as "a servant" of the Lord's. And I want to die accepting God's appointed time for me to die and the way I would die. No regrets.

6. Moses is buried in the valley in the land of Moab. But notice who buried him. The text says, "He (God) buried him". And the actual location of his burial spot is not known to man, even to this day.

Now we should point out here as Chuck Smith reminds all those that are interested in knowing all references to Moses' death that we are told in the book of Jude (verse 9) that Satan and the angel Michael had a dispute over the body of Moses. God buried him, but not before there was a dispute over his body.

Matthew Henry explains what the fight over his burial might have been all about when he says,

"The devil would make the place known that it might be a snare to the people, and Michael would not let him. Those therefore who are for giving divine honours to the relics of departed saints side with the devil against Michael our prince."  Henry just had to get that dig in, but he's right.

I had never noticed the fact that it was God who buried Moses. That should tell us a lot about their relationship. Can you imagine how God felt at that moment in history? One of his greatest servants had been asked to die for the cause of Israel and he did.  And God had to bury him. Can you think of a parallel?  Many years later God's greatest Servant also had to die for the cause of mankind and He did. And while God allowed Him to be buried by others, He took Him out of the tomb, resurrected Him, and then took Him back to Himself.

7. Now get this -- even at age 120 when he died, the Scripture tells us that Moses' vision was very good and so was his vigor.

This is in contrast to the eyes of Isaac, Gen. 27:1, and Jacob, Gen. 48:10. I'm 73 and I'm told I soon will be a candidate for cataracts. And my vigor? Well, let's put it this way -- the four miles a day my wife and I were doing for years up to a couple of months ago in one hour, now takes us up to an hour and a quarter. And my guess is things will only get worse. But not for Moses. He lived almost half a century (47 years) more than I am now and his vision did not dim, nor his vigor wane. God needed him to be like that until his appointed time to die.

David Guzik says this about his death:

"Moses' epitaph - the line on his tombstone - was simple.

- It was not "Moses, Prince of Egypt."

- It was not "Moses, Murderer of an Egyptian."

- It was not "Moses, Shepherd in the Wilderness."

- It was not "Moses, Spokesman for a Nation."

- It was not "Moses, Miracle Worker."

- It was not "Moses, Prophet."

- It was not "Moses, the Man Who Saw a Piece of God's Glory."

- It was not "Moses, Who Never Entered the Promised Land."

- At the end of it all, the title was simple: Moses the servant of the LORD."

8. Israel mourned him for thirty days in the plains of Moab.

I am sure you have witnessed the passing of many people in your life time.  Some were very close to you -- perhaps a parent or a child; some were acquaintances from work; and some were famous leaders. But I will venture to argue that accept for those that were intimately close with the deceased, no one else mourned their passing for thirty days and stayed near the burial location while doing so. In Moses' case, the entire nation of Israel did just that. I think God was trying to get a message across to them because He loved them and He was saying, "what this Prophet told you, this Moses that you are mourning so much, you must heed his words because he was My servant and the words he spoke were My words." 

9. Joshua who was "filled with the spirit of wisdom" because Moses had laid his hands on him, was now being listened to by the sons of Israel. And Joshua did as the Lord had commanded Moses to tell him to do.

Joshua was ready to take over Moses' responsibilities. God had selected him and had arranged for his training under the guidance of Moses for all these years. He had proven himself in the earlier tasks he had been given. But more than that, he was "filled with the spirit of wisdom" because Moses had blessed him. That gave him credibility and he was to be listened to by the people. But for his part, Joshua was not to stray from what he had been commanded to do in leading the people.

I often wonder how many mature Christian leaders are ever in such a relationship with God that they can bless a younger leader to the point of his/her being "filled with the spirit of wisdom" so that others listen to them and so that they themselves stay true to the words of God?

10-12. The text says that since that time no greater prophet had risen in Israel like Moses which God knew "face to face". What made him so was also all the signs and wonders God had sent him to perform, and all the mighty power he was given, and all the great terror which Moses performed "in the sight" of Israel.

In these last three verses of the entire book of Deuteronomy we get a summary of Moses' special privilege and his special life. God knew him "face to face". And God had allowed him to be used mightily in God's service.

David Guzik does make an interesting comment about the "face to face" phrase:

"The term face to face does not literally mean "physical face to physical face," but it has the idea of free and unhindered communication. Moses had a remarkably intimate relationship with God."  You choose the meaning.

I am not suggesting that we could all be like Moses. I'm not suggesting that we could all know God face to face. Or that we might have the powers that Moses had. But I am suggesting that each of us could know God more than we know Him today. And I am suggesting that each of us, by walking closer with God (and without expectations), be used more by God.

Both of those things are my desire. I pray they are yours. 

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