But Moses was frustrated and exhausted. He was angry with the people for quarreling with him about the lack of water. He was offended that they'd accused him and his brother Aaron of having brought them into the wilderness to perish. He lost his cool and, as I pointed out when we studied Numbers 20, in his place I'd have lost my cool long before he did. Moses wasn't a perfect man but most of the time he has set a good example for us. But on that particular day, in that particular place, under those particular circumstances, Moses gave in to the strain he was under. He was thirsty too. He was tired too. Like the people he led, he probably would have liked something to eat other than manna. Like the people under his care, he too was weary of wandering in the wilderness. He let his emotions get the better of him at Meribah and lost his temper and failed to display the attitude of the Lord. He also didn't give credit to the Lord for the water that sprang forth, saying instead, "Must we (meaning himself and Aaron) bring you water out of this rock?"
The Lord told Moses and Aaron that due to their failure to honor Him in the sight of the people, He would not allow them to lead the people into the promised land. When we studied the passage of the Bible where the Lord appoints Joshua as Moses' successor, we talked about how all this fit into the Lord's plan. Moses was the best man to bring Israel out of Egypt and to lead Israel in the wilderness but he was not the best man to command Israel's army in the takeover of the promised land. The Lord always knew, even before Moses or Joshua was born, which man He had chosen to perform which part of the work. Moses and Aaron represent the old generation: the generation of people aged twenty and up who came out of Egypt. But by the time Israel crosses the Jordan, everyone aged twenty and up who came out of Egypt will be dead, except Joshua and Caleb. No one will be left who believed the report of the ten faithless spies who said Canaan could not be conquered. The new generation needs a new leader, and since the new generation will be fighting battles for the land the Lord promised them, they need a leader capable of being a military general. That man is Joshua, not Moses.
In our text today Moses recounts his conversation with the Lord regarding the Lord's decision that he would not cross the Jordan. But first he reminds the people that his successor, Joshua, has already been chosen by the Lord and that the Lord commanded him to encourage Joshua for the work ahead. Moses could have sulked and pouted and wallowed in his disappointment over not being allowed to take the people into the land he longed to set his feet on, but instead he obeyed the Lord. Moses loved the Lord and he loved the Lord's people Israel. Like the Lord, Moses wanted the best for Israel, so after Israel defeated the powerful armies of King Sihon and King Og, Moses spoke these words to Joshua: "At that time I commanded Joshua: 'You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you." (Deuteronomy 3:21-22) Moses said, "You saw the Lord's great power with your own eyes. What He has done before He will do again. No matter who or what comes against you in the promised land, your God is bigger. Your God is stronger. Don't give fear the time of day. Charge forward in faith knowing that the Lord wields His mighty sword ahead of you."
Moses obeyed the Lord by encouraging Joshua and then he pleaded with the Lord to let him enter the promised land. He knew he would not be leading Israel in battle but he wanted to at least see the people in the land the Lord promised long ago to Abraham's descendants. Moses believes the Lord will keep this promise, but after leading Israel in the wilderness for forty years, Moses wants to see the promise fulfilled with his very own eyes. He's so close to the land that he can almost smell the flowers. He can almost taste the abundant fruit. It's a bitter pill for him to swallow that, by his own actions, he's lost the privilege of being able to stand in Canaan on his own two feet while viewing it with his own two eyes. Knowing the Lord is a merciful God, he begged the Lord to change His mind. "At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 'Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show to Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan---that fine hill country and Lebanon.'" (Deuteronomy 3:23-25)
My heart hurts for Moses when I read his prayer. I can almost feel how fiercely he longs to see the land. There have been several times in my life when I've longed fiercely for certain situations to turn out in specific ways and sometimes the Lord said yes and sometimes the Lord said no. The things I longed for weren't sinful in themselves, just as it isn't sinful for Moses to want to see the promised land, but those things weren't in the Lord's will for my life, just as entering the promised land isn't the Lord's will for Moses' life. In addition, it isn't the Lord's will for Israel for Moses to go into the promised land with the people. Israel needs one leader to get behind wholeheartedly and I think even if Moses clearly handed the reins of leadership over to Joshua before the entire community crossed the Jordan River, there might have been a division of loyalty among the people. If some of the people were displeased with a plan of Joshua's they might have stirred up strife by insisting Joshua be deposed and Moses reinstalled in his place. I think the leadership of Israel must be abundantly clear to one and all as the people cross the Jordan and I believe that if Moses had still been alive there might have been a lack of trust in Joshua. When Joshua issued an order, I think there would have been some who would have wanted to get Moses' opinion before obeying Joshua. Israel can't take over the promised land if her citizens are fighting among themselves. Suppose half the nation still wanted Moses as leader but half the nation would rather have Joshua as leader. How could Israel have presented a united front to her enemies? How could all of Israel's soldiers have fought together if they were fighting with each other? I do not believe the promised land could have been taken if the Lord had allowed both Moses and Joshua to cross the Jordan.
We will see momentarily that the Lord firmly told Moses to stop asking Him to change His mind. It's not in the best interests of Israel for the Lord to change His mind. It's not in Moses' best interests either; Moses needs to accept the Lord's decision so he can feel peace in his heart about it. The Lord was angry with Moses when He made His decision but Moses has repented of His behavior and has been forgiven. When Moses says what he says next, he's not telling us that the Lord is still angry with him or that the Lord hasn't accepted his prayer of repentance. The Lord loves Moses and has extended mercy to him but Moses must still deal with the natural consequences of his actions.
Have you ever made a bad choice and still had to deal with the consequences that ensued, even though you had repented to the Lord and He had forgiven you? We can make things right with the Lord but still have to endure the unpleasant result of our actions. I believe Moses made things right with the Lord but the Lord's decision still stands. Moses will not cross over the Jordan and Moses will feel better if he stops agonizing over his past behavior, which cannot be changed. Moses will feel better if he accepts the Lord's will in this matter, for the Lord knows best, and though the promised land would be a wondrous sight, heaven will be an even more wondrous sight---and heaven is where Moses is going. Moses will soon be in the very presence of the Lord he has so faithfully served. The glories of the promised land pale in comparison to the glories of eternity with the Lord. Moses wouldn't return to earth and enter the promised land if he could, not after seeing heaven and not after meeting his Creator face to face.
Moses says, "But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. 'That is enough,' the Lord said. 'Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.' So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor." (Deuteronomy 3:26-29)
After being told he would not cross the Jordan, Moses is to focus on preparing his successor to take his place. Moses commanded Joshua, upon the authority of the Lord, not to be afraid. We won't study the death of Moses til we get to the end of the book of Deuteronomy, but the book of Joshua begins by telling us what the Lord said to Joshua right after Moses' death. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) When did Joshua receive this command? He received it first through Moses! Moses obeyed the Lord and commanded Joshua not to be afraid. When Moses dies and the heavy mantle of leadership is laid on Joshua's shoulders, the Lord reminds him of His command through Moses not to be afraid. The Lord also repeats this command to Joshua without an intermediary. The Lord speaks the words, "Do not be afraid," directly to Joshua. Nothing could have demonstrated more clearly that a new administration is in place. The Lord will interact with Joshua in the same way He interacted with Moses. The Lord will be with Joshua in the same way He was with Moses. But suppose Moses had stubbed up and refused to encourage Joshua or to relay the Lord's command to Joshua to not be afraid? I think Joshua might have had a harder time moving forward. If Moses had not already been assuring him the Lord was with him, I think Joshua might have had more difficulty not being afraid when the Lord Himself commands him not to be afraid. But Joshua trusted Moses and this helped him to trust the God from whom Moses received his orders. This will enable Joshua to obey the Lord's orders.
Moses messed up at Meribah and it cost him the promised land. But, by and large, Moses was a wonderful example of godly living, not only for Israel but for us today. Difficult as it was for him, he accepted the Lord's will and he harbored no jealousy or bitterness toward his successor. Instead he did everything he could to set Joshua up for success. We won't get everything we want in this life. Sometimes the Lord says no to things that look pretty good to us. But there's nothing to be gained by wallowing in bitterness and self pity. Moses could have spent his final days on earth feeling sorry for himself and feeling envious of Joshua. But that wouldn't have benefited Moses or anyone else, so he obeyed the Lord and spent his final days preparing Joshua and all Israel for the glorious future ahead of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment