Deuteronomy 34:1-8
When a great person dies, we usually hear about. It’s on the radio, on the news, in the social
media. Whether the Queen of England, who
reigned the longest, or some famous singer whose music you really loved, or a
comedian or actor. People say nice
things about the person who died, and ponder their significance. Articles are written. Maybe the funeral is even televised.
Today we come to the death of Moses, one of the towering
figures of the Old Testament. We can’t
cover all the mighty deeds God accomplished through Moses, but let this summary
suffice: Moses stood up to Pharaoh, “Let
my people go”. He saw the plagues. He saw the Passover. He saw the parting of the Red Sea. He led the people to Mt. Sinai, where he met
God at the top of the mountain. He
received the 10 commandments and the entire sacrificial system. They built the Tabernacle. They ate the daily manna God provided. And
all the while Moses led the people, serving as a sort of a prophet, priest and
king – a Christ figure. The one through
whom God had chosen to save his people. Moses even wrote the first 5 books of
the Bible, the Torah, the “Law of Moses”.
But Moses also sinned.
In Number 20 we read about the incident at the waters of Meribah. When it came to the water pouring forth from
the rock, Moses disobeyed God’s word.
Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it with his staff. And what
might seem like a minor mis-step to us drew a harsh reaction from God. Perhaps because here Moses seemed to be
taking credit for God’s work, rather than letting God be God. The punishment for Moses was this: “Because you did not believe in me, to
uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not
bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
Well here we come today to the death of Moses, and to the
second stop on our Advent journey through the Old Testament mountains. Mount Nebo was here God told Moses to go at
the end of his life. Moses would not go
into the promised land. But there on the
mountain, God gave him a wonderful view of the land. From Nebo, a summit in the Pisgah range,
Moses could look across the Dead Sea from the east, and see Jericho and onward
– the whole land of Israel that was promised to Abraham, and which the people
of Israel would soon inherit. I’ve seen
that view myself from the other side – from Herod’s mountaintop fortress by the
Dead Sea. It’s a view to remember.
Some have interpreted that what God showed Moses there was
much more than he could naturally see, even with a mountaintop view. That he showed him the “whole land” in some
mystical sense, and even perhaps across both space and time. Whether God did that or not, spiritually
speaking that was in a way the point of this exercise. God was reminding Moses of the fulfillment of
his promises. Soon Moses would be gone,
and Joshua would lead the people across the Jordan and take that first city –
Jericho. One by one the Canaanite
nations would fall to the true heirs of this land, as God drove them out. And the land flowing with milk and honey
would come into the possession of the children of this promise, the Israelites.
But the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob didn’t stop at
just the land. He promised many
descendants. Moses had already seen that
begin to come to fruition, as he led the mighty nation of Israel out of
Egypt. He, himself, was one of them –
part of this fulfillment. But the
descendants of Abraham would be far more than those who could trace ancestry
down their family tree. The children of
Abraham are all those with the faith of Abraham in the God of Abraham, heirs to
the same promise of righteousness credited from faith.
And of course, of course, the promises to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, indeed the promises to Adam, and to Moses and David and all the other
Old Testament people – are fulfilled not just in land and descendants, but most
fully and perfectly in Jesus Christ. He
is the one through whom all nations are blessed. He is the reason God built a nation and
planted them on a land – to bring forth the fulness of his grace in the
incarnation of his Son. Without Christ,
the land of Israel and the nation of Israel would be nothing more than another
collection of dirt and cadre of people. Insignificant
in time or place, heritage or history.
But in Christ, they are of the promise, because Christ fulfills all of
God’s promises.
My friends, I think we can relate to Old Moses. Some of us, perhaps more than others. Though none of us as reached the age of 120, but
we are all creeping closer. Perhaps our
eyes are not so undimmed and our strength is not so unfailing. Some of us, perhaps more than others, feel
the time of our lives running short, and we can imagine standing with Moses,
looking back on our journey with all its ups and downs. Seeing God’s hand in the good, and yet also regretting
our own times of failure and unfaithfulness.
And perhaps as death draws nearer to us, we, like Moses,
peer out on the broad vista before us and consider the future. What do the days ahead hold for our family,
our nation, our world? Will God continue
to bless? Will he bring repentance? When the Son of Man comes will he find faith
upon the earth?
While Moses was denied entry into the promised land, he was
welcomed into the greater promised land of heaven. And while God doesn’t always answer your
earthly requests with a yes, your heavenly destiny is just as sure as that of
Moses. You may not have all the good
things you want in this life, but if you are in Christ, great is your reward in
heaven. God may not heal you of this disease,
it may even lead to death, but whoever believes in Jesus lives even though he
dies. And unless Christ returns first,
all of us will one day join Moses in the grave.
And yet our eyes of faith can see the vista of a better country that yet
awaits.
We can see then how God cared for Moses’ body, burying it
himself – though no one knew where. And
this one of Scripture’s great mysteries.
Perhaps God did this so that no one would be tempted to come to his
grave and worship Moses. Perhaps also a reminder that God cares for the body,
and even in death, the body is to be treated with dignity – for this same body
will be resurrected to glory at the last day.
Oh, and one more connection to make. Though Moses didn’t set foot in the promised
land before his death, he did…. one day…. make an appearance there, on yet
another mountain. In the
Transfiguration. There, he, along with
that other towering Old Testament figure, Elijah, appeared and spoke with the transfigured
Christ. We are told the content of that
conversation – that they spoke about Jesus’ own exodus (that is, to say, his
“going out”, his upcoming death on the cross).
Peter was so impressed with Moses and Elijah he wanted to build little
tabernacles for them. But when the cloud
broke and the voice from Heaven spoke, “This is my Son, Listen to him” they
were left with only Jesus. And only
Jesus is all they needed, and all we need.
Moses did make it, finally to the promised land, but only
with Jesus. And we can never hope to
have a share in God’s promises without Jesus.
He is the greater Moses. He comes
not to give the Law, but to fulfill it on our behalf. He comes not to set up a sacrificial system,
but to be the once-and-for-all sacrifice for sin. Jesus comes, not to dwell among us in a tent,
but to tabernacle in the flesh, truly incarnate God taking on our very nature –
not just to die, but also to rise and live forever as the God-man who saves
us.
Moses died with his life-long mission just out of reach
because of his own sin. Not even a great
man like Moses could do it on his own.
But Christ dies, accomplishing his mission fully and defeating all
sin. It is finished, in Christ. And Jesus doesn’t go alone into that promised
land, committing his spirit to the Father.
He brings others with him – to paradise, and eventually to
resurrection. So Moses is not without
hope. Even the thief on the cross is not
without hope. You, Christian, are
certainly not without hope.
Through Christ we enter all the promises of God, are
incorporated into the New Israel, his church, and lay claim to our own
inheritance – all the riches of heaven.
A land flowing with much more than milk and honey – for there in our
eternal home is even the tree of life, and the water of the river of life. There the dwelling of God is with man. There no sun or lamp is needed for God will
be our light. And there, he himself will
wipe every tear from our eyes.
My friends, Christ is coming. We stand at the summit and see the view, the
broad expanse of God’s promises. Christ
is coming, and coming soon. Like a
thief, unexpectedly. As a king, in
glory. Triumphant and having salvation,
our king is coming and coming to save us.
And when he comes, he will take us to be with him in that great and
heavenly kingdom, that final promised land, the mansions of heaven, the place
he’s been preparing for us. We soon
celebrate his first coming. We soon will
celebrate his second.
Take in the view with your eyes of faith. Look back.
Look forward. Look always to Jesus
Christ our Advent Lord. Amen
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