By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Carthage
Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:4-7
One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Lamentations 3:21-23, which says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” I love this passage because it reminds me that our Heavenly Father is always faithful. When we fail, sin and are unfaithful to Him, He is never unfaithful to us.
As a follower of Christ, we always have hope. Even though we live in a broken world, and we struggle with an old sin nature, God is always the same and always faithful to His own. Even when we face death, God is faithful to us. David recorded for us these words, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).” In this week’s lesson, we are reminded that believers can find hope in God’s promises and presence when facing death.
In Deuteronomy 32:48-52 and 34:4-7, Moses has come to the end of his life. He has been faithful to his call and delivered the children of Israel to the edge of the Promised Land. The Lord speaks to Moses again and gives him instructions. He is to go up to the top of Mt. Nebo where he can view the Promised Land.
Yet, he would also die on that mountain. Can you imagine how Moses must have felt in those moments as he climbed Mt. Nebo, reflecting back over his life? Can you imagine how he must have thrilled at looking over into the Promised Land? He had run his race and now he was at the finish line.
Our lives are not lived without sin, failure and mistakes. Moses, although one of the greatest leaders that has ever lived, was not without sin. Yet, God is faithful to us. David Jeremiah writes, “Moses may have begun tenuously — killing a man in Egypt, fleeing in fear, living 40 years in anonymity in the desert, and arguing with God about doing His will — but he arrived at the end of his life in faithfulness, having accomplished what God gave him to do.”
It is touching to me that the Scripture says that Moses died in the land of Moab, according to the Word of the Lord (Deuteronomy 34:5), and that the Lord buried him (v. 6). God watched over Moses every step of his life. He showed mercy to him. Although, there were consequences to Moses disobeying God at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, the final summation of Moses life was that he was “the servant of the Lord” (34:5). He is remembered throughout Scripture for his faithful service. (see Exodus 33:11, Numbers 12:6-8, Hebrews 3:1-6, and 11:23-29).
God is faithful and He always keeps His promises. He said to Moses, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … (Deuteronomy 34:4)” He then said, “I will give it to your descendants. I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there (v. 4).”
God kept His promise to His people. He is still the same God today. Just as He was faithful to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the children of Israel and Moses, He is faithful to us. We can find hope in God’s promises and know that He is present with us even when facing death.
