5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy34:1-12
The passage has been long so here are just a few thoughts:
* By letting Moses see the promised land, God gives him a sense of closure.
* Notice the tenderness of the moment with God Himself burying Moses.
* Notice Moses' vigour and strength - is this the result of a life of purpose?
* There is a period of grief - it is formal and unhurried. It allows closure and transition.
* We are introduced to Joshua and reminded of the baton that has been passed on.
* Look at the tribute the text gives of Moses: Someone who knew the Lord intimately and as a result, did great wonders.
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This brings us to the end of the "Moses Meditations."
I hope you have enjoyed reading these eDevs as much as I enjoyed writing them.
It has been very humbling to see how much Moses cared for the Israelites, how passionate he was about God, how he learned to trust God, and how teachable he was.
We will start a new series on Tuesday. Any suggestions?
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
