Title: God Who Promises
Contents
Today's text begins with the story of the death of Moses, the servant of Yahweh. Few things have been reported in the Bible in such detail and ferocity as the death of Moses. The page just before today's text is Deuteronomy 34, and the entire 34 chapter details the final scenes of Moses' life. In the words of Chapter 34, we can feel the warm love and affection of Yahweh God for sending Moses, a faithful servant but a great human hero. Moses, who accomplished the great deeds of the Exodus, is now old and nearing his deathbed. Before he died, Moses went up to the peak of Bisgah, Mount Nebo, in the wilderness of Moab, to see the land God had promised him. To this Moses, God himself shows Moses the land he had promised. As a human being, we have no choice but to die when we grow old, and therefore, looking at Moses, who cannot enter the promised land, Yahweh God is showing the promised land.
“And Moses went up from the wilderness of Moab to the peak of Pizgah, Mount Nebo, opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land. Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Judah as far as the western sea; He showed the Negev and the palm city of Jericho as far as Zoar, and the LORD said to him, 'This is the land I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give to their descendants'" (Deuteronomy 34:1-4). .
This was the last sign of God's love for Moses. It is said that Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. However, among the words in Deuteronomy 34, there is a very impressive statement that when Moses died at the age of one hundred and twenty, there was still spirit in his eyes, and his energy did not decline. Oh, it is a phenomenon that occurs in people who are full of promises and hopes. A person like Moses who is full of promises and full of hope means that no matter how old he is physically, he will not lose his spirit and energy. Life expectancy is getting longer these days. In the past, people said that 60 is old age and longevity, but these days, 60 is youth and 60 is old age. So, it is said that you are a little old now, around 80. From now on, 70 will be said to be still young, and 90 will be said to be old.
As in the text, we sent Moses as if we were in 1998. Now we are about to welcome 1999 with Joshua. Joshua was inferior to Moses in every way.