As I read through the end Deuteronomy I
came upon the story of the death of Moses. Anyone who knows much
about Old Testament history knows the story. Moses, having angered
God in a moment of rebellion, was not allowed to enter the Promised
Land after leading the Israelites to the edge of the territory. God
allowed him to see it, but he died having never stepped foot across
its boarders.
I have known the story for most of my
life, but reading it in full context beginning with him in the basket
on the Nile I have to admit this time around something about it
bothered me. Moses was a faithful man, constantly seeking after God's
heart, and yet with one mistake he brings down a punishment the likes
of which would never be written into a movie script out of Hollywood.
It's almost anti-climactic in a way: he
steps in to keep God from destroying the Israelites because of their
rebellion, and yet after leading them all this way he dies right
before crossing in. The hero of the story does not complete the
mission and has to pass the torch on to Joshua.
What particularly bothered me about all
this was that Moses' infraction seemed to me very minor. If God
hadn't made an issue out of his rebellion at the rock from which
sprang the spring I doubt I would even remember much about the event.
It isn't given all that much weight when it takes place, only later
do the scriptures talk about the error Moses made.
Why, after all of his years of faithful
service, was this seemingly minor mistake worth such a hefty
punishment? Doesn't it seem unfair? Now, I trust God to be god and
know infinitely more about what's going on than I do. There are
surely a multitude of reasons for this, many of which man can't
comprehend. I'm not even going to bother speculating; use your
imagination.
What did finally strike me, though, was
the example this event sets for us. Moses was a man who had about as
close to a face-to-face relationship with God as you can possibly
have on this mortal plane. According to Deuteronomy God himself
buried Moses. No one since, aside from Christ himself, had the kind
of relationship with God that Moses had. Perhaps a few of the
prophets came close, but even they aren't said to have had the kinds
of experiences Moses had.
God used him to lay down the law for an
entire nation, a law that is still examined by Jews and by Christians
today. He lived a life so righteous that few have ever come close to
reaching the same level. If a guy like that can't get it right what
hope do you and I have?
As good as he was, as close to God as
he was, Moses could not live a perfect life. In his greatness and in
his failure we see the need for savior. By Christ living a perfect
life and paying the wage of death that he did not owe he made it
possible for those of us who pale in comparison to Moses find favor
with God.
