“AND THE LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day (that is, the day he sang that wonderful song), saying: Get thee up into this mountain... and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel... and die in the mount whither thou goest up... Because ye trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh... Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither.”
Moses had failed at the waters of Meribah (or strife), for there he lost his patience with the rebellious people and so did not sanctify God in the midst of Israel. God had told him to take Aaron’s rod that budded (beautiful type of Christ in resurrection and priestly grace) and simply speak to the rock, but in his anger Moses took his own rod (the rod of judgment) and smote the rock twice. God did not hold back the blessing for the waters gushed out, but Moses had spoiled one of the sweetest types of Scripture, and Moses’ loss of Canaan was the penalty for that one fault. God could not pass over it.
Moses thus became in his own self an example of the condemning power of the law which He himself gave to Israel. “For all have sinned,” we read in Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23), “and come short of the glory of God.” Moses came short of the requirement of the glory of leading the people into the land. Nevertheless his submission to the will of God is very beautiful and he holds back nothing in transferring his office and dignity to Joshua.
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,” so we read in John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17). God must chasten Moses for his failure, but He does not fail in His grace to His precious servant, for He makes all things work together for good to those that love Him (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)). If Moses lost in one way, he gained immensely more in another. He did not lose anything in nearness to the Lord, for God Himself took him up to the top of Pisgah and showed him all that beautiful land, its breadth and length.
Then too he was spared the grief of seeing the unfaithfulness of the people, their sin and idolatry, after they had entered in and possessed the land.
Who can doubt that Moses must have felt on Mount Pisgah away from the people’s murmurings and strife that God meant more to Him there than all the land of Canaan, or the privilege of leading Israel into it. In a later day the thief on the cross said to the Saviour beside him, “Lord, remember me, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom"; but the Lord said to him, as it were, “I have something better for you than that. ‘Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:42, 4342And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42‑43)). The kingdom and its glories are surely coming by and by, but what can compare to being forever at the side of the dear Saviour Himself.
ML-06/13/1976