Moses Died Today
Today is a sad day for me. Moses died. Well, he's been dead, but in my Bible reading today, after following him through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & now Deuteronomy, Moses is gone. What a man he was though. He died with "his eye undimmed, and his vigor unabated" (Deut 34:7) - at 120 years old. I want to die with my vigor unabated.
Moses gives me hope. Reluctant to speak or lead. A murderer. Prone to a temper or a pity-party at times. And yet the Lord knew him face to face. Moses was a shepherd of God's chosen people. How many times I read of him in anguish casting himself before the Lord on behalf of mercy or pardon for his stubborn flock. He is ever communing with God. He almost always is immediately obedient to YHWH. When he wasn't, it cost him. Persistent, persevering, prayeful, powerful - that's Moses - I pray to be a tenth of the man of God he was.
As I am in the 3rd NT Gospel this year, I begin to see why I have fallen in love with Moses. His life was a shadow of the Christ to come. No one is quoted more in the NT from the OT than Moses. Moses escapes the sword of Pharaoh like Jesus escapes the sword of Herod at birth. Moses is with Jesus at the Transfiguration in all 3 Gospel accounts of the story. Moses was given manna to give his people whereas later, God provided the manna, the "Bread of Life," Jesus, to feed His people forever. Moses lifted up the serpent for the Israelites to look on & be healed, Jesus lifted Himself up in His death & resurrection for people to look to and be healed/redeemed. When Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness every rebuke to the devil given by Christ came from the book of Deuteronomy, believed to be authored by Moses.
Moses died today. Thank God that God sent Christ, or even a "good man" like Moses would be justly in his sin and suffering the wrath of God. Moses died, but he didn't raise from the dead. Thank God Christ died and rose, something the greatest of the prophets could not, so that we could have peace with God and glorify Him. Remember!
Moses gives me hope. Reluctant to speak or lead. A murderer. Prone to a temper or a pity-party at times. And yet the Lord knew him face to face. Moses was a shepherd of God's chosen people. How many times I read of him in anguish casting himself before the Lord on behalf of mercy or pardon for his stubborn flock. He is ever communing with God. He almost always is immediately obedient to YHWH. When he wasn't, it cost him. Persistent, persevering, prayeful, powerful - that's Moses - I pray to be a tenth of the man of God he was.
As I am in the 3rd NT Gospel this year, I begin to see why I have fallen in love with Moses. His life was a shadow of the Christ to come. No one is quoted more in the NT from the OT than Moses. Moses escapes the sword of Pharaoh like Jesus escapes the sword of Herod at birth. Moses is with Jesus at the Transfiguration in all 3 Gospel accounts of the story. Moses was given manna to give his people whereas later, God provided the manna, the "Bread of Life," Jesus, to feed His people forever. Moses lifted up the serpent for the Israelites to look on & be healed, Jesus lifted Himself up in His death & resurrection for people to look to and be healed/redeemed. When Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness every rebuke to the devil given by Christ came from the book of Deuteronomy, believed to be authored by Moses.
Moses died today. Thank God that God sent Christ, or even a "good man" like Moses would be justly in his sin and suffering the wrath of God. Moses died, but he didn't raise from the dead. Thank God Christ died and rose, something the greatest of the prophets could not, so that we could have peace with God and glorify Him. Remember!
