47 MOSES' DEATH

Death puts an end to the good that good people do as well as the bad that bad people do. This renowned witness for God had finished his testimony, taught the Israelites his song and given his blessing so he must go up to Mount Nebo and die. Orders were given to Moses that same day, that is the same day he had taught his song to Israel, as verse 48 says, “On that same day the Lord told Moses,” Now that he had done his work, why should he desire to live longer? He had indeed prayed earlier that he might go over Jordan, but now he is entirely satisfied, and, as God had told him ‘enough. No more of that.’ God here reminds him of the sin for which he was denied entry into Canaan possibly that he might the more patiently bear the rebuke because he had sinned as verse 51 says, “This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.” Now, perhaps, even Moses might renew his sorrow for the unadvised act of striking the rock. It is good for even the best of men to die humbly repentant of the sins they know about. God reminds him of the death of his brother Aaron, to comfort him and make his own death easier. “There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people” (50). It is a great encouragement to us, when we die, to think of our friends that have gone before us through that dark valley. Next, God sends Moses up to a high hill, there to take a view of the land of Canaan and then die. The remembrance of his sin might make Moses sad, but the sight God gave him of Canaan surely was a great comfort as it was a symbol of God being reconciled to him. The sight, of Canaan would be a plain indication to Moses that though his sin shut him out of the earthly Canaan, yet it would not deprive him of that better country which in this world can only be seen with an eye of faith. Those who have a well-grounded hope of eternal life beyond death may die with comfort and ease whenever God calls for them.

God told Moses he must not go over Jordan, and, though at first he prayed earnestly for the reversing of the sentence, yet God’s answer to his prayer satisfied him. Jesus too prayed that the cup might pass from Him yet submitted to the Father’s will. It may have been hard for Moses who when he had gone through all the tiring journey of the wilderness enduring the many complaints of the Israelites, must be prevented from enjoying the pleasures of Canaan, when he had borne the burden and heat of the day to resign the honor of finishing the work to another not his son but his servant. God will have it so, and he cheerfully submits. He is here called the servant of the Lord, not only as a good man, but as a useful man, eminently useful, who had served God’s counsels in bringing Israel out of Egypt and leading them through the wilderness.  Yet he dies. Neither his godliness nor his usefulness would exempt him from the stroke of death. God’s servants must die that they may rest from their labors, receive their reward and make room for others. When God’s servants are removed and must serve Him no longer on earth, they go to serve Him better, to serve Him day and night in His temple. Moses dies in the land of Moab, short of Canaan, while as yet he and his people were in an unsettled condition and had not entered into their rest. But in the heavenly Canaan there will be no more death. He dies “as the Lord had said.” This means he died in compliance with the will of God. The servants of the Lord, when they have done all their other work, must die at last in obedience to their Master and be freely willing to go home whenever He sends for them.

It is expressly said that he died and was buried. Yet he did appear years later on the Mount of Transfiguration along with Elias to honor Jesus at His transfiguration. God Himself buried him evidently by the ministry of Michael and possibly other angels, which made this funeral, though very private, yet very magnificent. God takes care of the dead bodies of His servants. Their death is precious. When Moses was dead, God buried him; when Christ was dead, God raised him. The law of Moses was to have an end, but there will be no end to the gospel of Christ. Moses was buried in a valley over against Beth-peor. How easily could the angels that buried him have carried him over Jordan and buried him with the patriarchs in the cave of Machpelah! But there may be a somewhat hidden lesson even in the unknown burial place of Moses, that the place of burial of a person’s body is not nearly as important as other considerations. If the soul be at rest with God, where the body rests is not important at all.

The particular place was not known for probably a good reason, lest the children of Israel, who were so prone to idolatry, would have enshrined and worshipped the dead body of Moses, the great founder and benefactor of their nation. In Jude 1:9 we read of a very interesting battle and time of contention between Michael the archangel and the devil. That battle might have taken place at the time we are looking at now. The devil would have liked to make the body and burial site of Moses a temptation for idolatry, but Michael, under orders from God, forbids that and Moses is buried successfully in an unknown, unmarked and secret place. Israel is therefore spared a temptation. Jude says, “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Samuel was disturbed by Saul and the Witch of Endor, but Moses would not be disturbed.

Moses was 120 years old when he died. Though far short of the years of the patriarchs, yet he lived longer that most of his contemporaries. The years of the life of Moses were three forties. The first forty he lived as a prince in Egypt, at ease and in honor in Pharaoh’s court; the second forty he lived a poor desolate shepherd in Midian; the third forty he lived with a heavy responsibility, encumbered with a great deal of care and toil, yet with honor and power. The world we live in is so changeable. Moses lived to a good old age. His eyes were not weak as Isaac’s and Jacob’s, nor his strength gone. There was no decay either of the strength of his body or of the vigor and activity of his mind, but he could still speak, write and walk as well as ever. His understanding was as clear and his memory as strong as ever. This was perhaps the general reward of his services as well as a qualification for the rigors of being always on the road. Perhaps it is a hint of the strength God gives us to complete our tasks for Him.

What lesson can we draw from the solemn mourning with with Moses was honored recorded in verse 8? “The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.” Only God knows the thought of the hearts of mourners. For some it shows their love and respect for the deceased and the values held by the deceased person. For others it may be just going through the motions of doing what would appear to be appropriate. For all mourners it is an opportunity to examine one’s own life and perhaps make decisions about the future, now that a vacancy has developed. Some of the mourners had even wanted once to stone him. Joshua evidently was sobered by this event and we see that in Joshua 1:1 and 2, God had to arouse Joshua to move forward in his thinking, and not dwell on the past. “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.’” Yet for everyone, the ending of the days of weeping and mourning for Moses is a lesson that no matter how great our losses have been we must not abandon ourselves to perpetual grief. We must allow the wound to heal up in time. If we hope to go to heaven rejoicing, why should we resolve to go to the grave mourning?

At the same time Joshua is appreciated, Moses is also praised for the good reasons mentioned in verses 10 through 12, “10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 who did all those 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.” Moses was indeed a very great man. Moses had an intimate relationship with God. God knew him face to face and so he knew God. He saw more of the glory of God than any of the Old-Testament saints ever did. He had more free and frequent access to God, and was not spoken to in dreams and visions while asleep on the bed, but when he was awake and completely alert. Other prophets, when God appeared and spoke to them, were struck with terror. This verse about Daniel’s experience might be a sample of that. “I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves” (Daniel 10:7). But Moses, whenever he received a divine revelation, preserved his composure. The miracles of judgment he performed in Egypt before Pharaoh and the miracles of mercy he brought about in the wilderness with Israel, serve to demonstrate that Moses was a particular favorite of Heaven, and had an extra-ordinary commission to act as he did on earth. Never was there any man whom Israel had more reason to love, or whom the enemies of Israel had more reason to fear than Moses. The one who recorded this part of Deuteronomy calls the miracles Moses did signs and wonders, done with a mighty hand and great terror, which may refer to the terrors of Mount Sinai, by which God fully confirmed Moses’s commission and demonstrated it beyond question to be from God. Moses was greater than any other of the prophets of the Old Testament. Though they were men of great interest in heaven and great influence on earth, yet none of them were to be compared with this great man. None of them gave as much evidence of his connection with the God of heaven as Moses did. It is possible that these few final words describing Moses were written long after his death, yet until that time there still had not arisen any prophet like Moses. And neither did there arise any like him between his own time and the end of long series of godly prophets. By Moses God gave the law and moulded and formed the Jewish congregation. By the other prophets God only sent particular reproofs, directions, and predictions. The last of the prophets concludes with a charge to remember Moses as Malachi 4:4 says, “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.” Jesus Himself often appealed to the writings of Moses, and considered him a witness, as one that saw Jesus’ day at a distance and spoke of Him. However, as far as the other prophets came short of Moses, our Lord Jesus went beyond him. His doctrine was more excellent, His miracles were more illustrious, and His communion with his Father was more intimate and by Him God speaks to us in these last days. Moses was faithful as a servant, but Christ as a Son. The history of Moses leaves him buried in a valley in Moab and concludes with the period of his government; but the history of our Savior leaves Him sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and we are assured that of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. The mere fact that Jesus is compared with Moses, even though Jesus is greater, shows us that Moses had to have been great in order for the comparison to have meant anything. 

With this lesson we complete the lessons for Christian leaders from the life of Moses. May the Lord grant that in our generation many men and women of God will be challenged by the fine example of the godly Moses the great example of an intercessor and rise up to set captives of this generation free from slavery to the glory of God.