Moses’ Obituary

Deuteronomy 34

            As we come to the end of Deuteronomy, we read about Moses’ death and the succession of Joshua. The first thing we should account for is that Moses pretty obviously didn’t write this last chapter. I mean, it is just possible that the Lord dictated Moses’ death to him right before he died, but that seems pretty macabre. To say that Moses is the author of the first five books of the Bible doesn’t mean some later writer couldn’t have added a few editorial editions here or there (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course!)

            Aside from the technical issue of authorship, several other things bear comment. First, the Lord showed Moses the whole land. The description of what he saw tells us that this was a divine vision more than just standing on a high mountain. (I googled Mt. Nebo, and the first answer was twelve thousand feet, but I quickly realized that’s a mountain in Utah. Mt. Nebo in modern day Jordan is only 2,300 feet!) Even in His judgment, the Lord often shows His grace, and that’s the case with Moses: he can’t go in, but the Lord gives him a vision of it.

            Second, there’s the Lord’s statement that this is the land He swore on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We first read that promise way back in the beginning of January, 17 weeks ago. Historically, Deuteronomy 34 is about 700 years after Genesis 12. I’ve said often on this blog, “The Lord keeps His promises.” But it is good to be reminded of something Moses said that we haven’t read yet: in Psalm 90 Moses tells us that with the Lord, “A thousand years in [His] sight are like a day gone by.” The Lord keeps His promises, but His scale is so much broader than ours!

            Third, there are comments here about Moses. For example, that he was still a strong man with sharp eyes, even at the age of 120. The Lord had kept him through all the rigors of life in Pharoah’s court, his exile to Midian, and his time leading God’s people. Also, note the statement about Moses’ uniqueness, that no prophet has arisen like him, who saw the Lord face to face. That statement stood until the coming of Jesus, widely acclaimed by His contemporaries as a prophet, and who not only saw God face to face but was God Himself.

            Finally, a note about Joshua who was filled with the spirit of wisdom by the laying on of hands. The name Joshua is a Hebrew word that means “the Lord saves,” and Jesus is its Greek variant. Moses looks forward to Jesus in a number of ways: a prophet, the one who brings God’s people out of slavery, the one who intercedes for them. But Joshua looks forward to Jesus in a significant way, too. He is the one who lead God’s people into their promised land, just as Jesus opens the way of everlasting life for us and leads us in by His resurrection.