Deuteronomy 30:15-31:8
MOSES is nearing the end of his course and now he makes one more solemn appeal to his people.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you, he said, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore now chose life that you and your children may live, that you may love the Lord, and obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life, that you may dwell in the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Then having finished this discourse he said, “I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in.” Also the Lord had told him he should not go over Jordan. But they need not be afraid if he, their leader, should be taken away in death. For the Lord abides, and He would go before them and destroy all their enemies.
Joshua too would go over before them and be their new leader, as the Lord had said. Just as the Lord destroyed Sihon and Og, those great kings of the Amorites, so would He do to the nations of the land; “and the Lord shall give them up before your face.”
“Be strong and of good courage,” he said; “fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
There comes a time when those whom the Lord has used to guide and shepherd us, whom we have looked up to and leaned on, must leave us and go to be with Him.
How comforting it is when such can commend us to God’s care and keeping, and say like Moses, Fear not; God will be with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you.
Moses then called Joshua, and in the sight of all Israel he encouraged him personally saying, “Be strong and of a good courage,” for the Lord would be with him and under His good hand he should cause His people to inherit the land.
If we are to go on in that quiet confidence in God through the day, we need to walk with Him in secret. We need that daily reading of His Word and private prayer if we are to have spiritual power and courage before others. If we are faithful to the Lord in this He will be our strength and may use us to help and encourage others along their Christian pathway.
How lovely the spirit of Moses here as he turns over the reins to another whom the Lord had chosen to replace him. How he had patiently endured and yearned during those long forty years of wilderness wanderings to see that good land and to lead God’s people into it!
But it was not to be and Moses sweetly submits to the Lord’s will.
Emptied of self he can rejoice in seeing another so honored, and is happy in the thought that His people are soon to enter in and possess the land of their inheritance though he himself must remain outside.
This is the precious fruit of grace and we might well desire to know more of it in our own hearts.
Through all eternity to Thee
A joyful song I’ll raise;
But, oh, eternity’s too short
To utter all Thy praise.
ML-03/14/1976