Last Days of Moses
Introduction: Moses had a unique relationship with the LORD God from the time he was chosen to lead the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Numbers 12 records that the LORD rebuked Miriam and Aaron for challenging Moses, saying “With him I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Yahweh’s form.” Near the end of forty years, Moses became angry at the waters of Meribah and did not follow the instructions in the manner as Yahweh had told him, therefore he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land.
NOTE: All scripture is from the World English Bible. (Yahweh is the same as LORD in other translations.)
A — Yahweh Provided Water from the Rock on Two Separate Occasions
Exodus 17 “5 Yahweh said to Moses, Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
Numbers 20 “8 Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water. 10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring you water out of this rock for you? 11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly. 12 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Comments: The children of Israel had seen Pharaoh’s pursuing army destroyed in the waters of the Red Sea, which same waters they had miraculously passed through on dry ground. Within just three days they complained for lack of water to drink. The first time Yahweh gave water from the rock it had been less than two months since the children of Israel had been brought out from being slaves in Egypt. Yahweh had instructed Moses to strike the rock using the same rod which he had used at the Nile, and Moses followed the details of those instructions. The second time Yahweh would provide water from the rock, Moses allowed his human weakness to dishonor Yahweh when he in anger struck the rock rather than speaking as Yahweh had instructed, and acted as though he and Aaron were providing the water.
B — Aaron Died and His Son Eleazar Was Given the Position of Priest
Numbers 20 “24 Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be taken, and shall die there. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain.”
Comments: Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron and said Aaron would die in Mount Hor and not enter the land because they had rebelled against His word at the waters of Meribah. Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar went up into Mount Hor. Eleazar was given the garments and position of priest in place of his father Aaron, then Aaron died. When Moses and Eleazar came down from Mount Hor the whole congregation mourned for thirty days. Aaron was 123 years old when he died in Mount Hor in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of Egypt.
C — Yahweh Appointed Joshua to Lead Israel Before Moses Died
Deuteronomy 31 “14 Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, your days approach that you must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him. 23 He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them: and I will be with you.”
Comments: Yahweh told Moses that the time was drawing near for him to sleep with his fathers and He would commission Joshua to replace Moses as leader of the people. Yahweh said when the people entered the land they would act like prostitutes by breaking their covenant with Yahweh to worship strange gods. Therefore, when Yahweh turned his back to them, they would experience many disasters. Moses wrote the song as instructed by Yahweh which was to be passed down through the generations to be a witness against them for their rebellion. Moses said he knew how rebellious they had been against Yahweh while he was alive, and they would be even more so after his death!
D — Yahweh Allowed Moses to See the Promised Land Before He Died
Deuteronomy 34 “1 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. Yahweh showed him all the land… 4 Yahweh said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed. I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there. 5 So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Yahweh. 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab… but no man knows of his tomb to this day. 10 There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face.”
Comments: Yahweh showed Moses all the land beyond the Jordan that He had sworn to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses died and Yahweh buried him in Moab, but no one knows that location. Although Moses was 120 years of age, he was in excellent health when he died. There were no other prophets quite like Moses with his special closeness to Yahweh, and all the signs and wonders Yahweh had sent him to do in the sight of all Israel.
E — Jesus Is the Prophet Moses Wrote About as Promised by Yahweh
Deuteronomy 18 “18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. 19 It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”
Luke 9 “30 Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Luke 20 “37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
Comments: Jesus told the religious leaders at Jerusalem that the Scriptures told of His coming, but they would not believe and come to Him to have eternal life. In Luke 9 when Jesus took Peter, John, and James up the mountain with him, Moses and Elijah appeared with the transfigured Jesus — because they are indeed alive in glory. In Luke 20 Jesus said that resurrection is real: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him. After the resurrection of Christ, His disciples gave witness about Him without regard to any danger, affirming that Jesus is the prophet like Moses promised by Yahweh, but more so as the Son of God He is able to give the gift of eternal life for those who believe on His name.
Reflections in Prayer
LORD, I wanted to look more carefully at the final days of Moses because it is very clear from the Scriptures that even as the leader you chose for the children of Israel during forty years in the wilderness, he experienced much rebellion against you, which was directed toward him. I want to remember that finally his only recorded trespass was in anger at the waters of Meribah, openly before the people as he was not instructed that time to strike the rock. It makes me realize how much grace and mercy I have been given in my wavering walk over the years since I asked Christ Jesus to be my Savior. It was a unique blessing as you enabled Moses to see with his own eyes the land which he would not be permitted to enter; then to be buried by your hand, LORD, in a place known only to you. The appearance of Moses and Elijah at the Mount of Transfiguration with you, Jesus, is a beautiful witness that those men were used in a mighty way by you. I thank you, LORD, that you are not the God of the dead, but of the living, who are promised resurrection by your mercy and grace at the appointed time. Hallelujah, Amen!
Published 31 October 2018