God Speaks
Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; 2 all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; 3 the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho—the city of palms—as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.”
5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. 6 The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. 8 The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. 12 With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 34:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is very tender in the discipline of His children–although He forbade Moses from leading the Israelites into the Promise Land, He miraculously showed it to him. Also, God Himself buried Moses.
2. People are prone to either worship or vilify great leaders like Moses, sometimes both.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 34?
Gracious Father God, would You please give me a glimpse of the future of Your kingdom, especially of those for whom I am responsible? May You be as tender in disciplining me as You were with Moses. I want to leave behind a legacy that points people to You as he did. May part of that legacy be training someone to carry through on tasks for Your kingdom I cannot complete. Until then please help me to be obedient to Your commands and love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Give me a heart to love Your people as Moses did. Grant me the privilege of seeing You use me in people’s lives even a small fraction of the way You worked through him. You promise in Your word that one day I will see and worship You face to face. Then all of Your adopted children will bring You glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 34? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will write letters of encouragement and gratitude to leaders in various areas of my life.
- I will pray for (and if possible, with) the leaders in various areas of my life.
- I will mentor a younger person, encouraging them and preparing them to carry on at least one of the roles I now fill.
- I will take action to increase the intimacy of my relationship with the LORD.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.