Bible Verse: And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Deuteronomy 34:5-6
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
All good things must come to an end.
I’ve never heard who originally said that (and I’m not looking it up…seems better not to know).
So it was with Moses’ leadership. The man who was saved from infanticide, raised in a palace, became a murderer, defied a Pharaoh, led a nation, and spoke to God, would not see the inside of the Promised Land.
Moses, pushed over the edge of his patience by the ingratitude and grumbling of the Israelites, had lost his temper and failed to follow God. Subsequently, he had failed to lead well (see Numbers 20:1-13).
He was left in his role but forfeited the promise given to the Israelites. He would not eat the grapes or honey or drink the flowing milk of the Promised Land. For all the work he had done, all the service he had rendered, all the forgiving and longsuffering from God, Moses was denied the one thing all his effort had been pushing toward.
It is an ending to a story that leaves us unsatisfied. But it is an ending fitting of the end of the first five books of the Bible.
At this point in God’s story, we do not know what will come. We have not yet heard the fulfillment of all the promises that have been made; the descendant of Eve who will rescue humanity has not appeared.
And Moses (at that time the best contender for that role) has failed in his service to God and been barred from entering the Promised Land. And though remembered and mourned, he was not given a memorial but buried by the hand of God in a place no one else knew.
But the end of Deuteronomy is not the end of the story.
We have seen God call people to faithful response to His choosing and faithfulness. We have heard the call to lead and pass on our faith to the next generations. And we have faced the reality that our choices matter; each and every choice reflects our allegiances.
So, it is fitting that the book of Deuteronomy ends unresolved. Our own journeys are unresolved as well. We, too, wait for our entry into the promised rest. Thank God that it does not depend on us but on His own faithfulness.
Prayer: God, thank You for the gift of Scripture, the recording of Your actions in our history. The story is not yet finished, and though we have found our Deliverer in Jesus, we still await our rest. Help me wait patiently and rest in You until Your story is finished. Amen.
Reflection: What services are you performing for God’s Kingdom and His people? Are you serving faithfully?
Copyright © 2024 Impactus. All rights reserved.
About
