1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount
Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho.
And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as
Dan,
2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all
the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the
city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.
4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of
which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying,
'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you
to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land
of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab,
opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.
Deuteronomy 34:1-6
(NKJV)
When we read this account, we may feel bad for Moses, the leader of Israel forbidden to go into the promised land with the people, and we may feel God treated him harshly. But God is always right in what He does.
Earlier, we’re told the reason why Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the land: the Lord said Moses “trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:51, NKJV) This reminds us that sin has consequences.
Yet despite Moses’
disobedience and punishment, God was so gracious towards him. He let Moses see
the land that He was giving to the children of Israel, visible proof of His
great promise. And what love and tenderness is shown in that God Himself buried
Moses when he died. In addition, Moses eventually did get to the promised
land where he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 17:1-3)
God has also dealt
with me and rightly so. The consequences of certain of my sins are still
evident and remain a heartache to me after many years. Yet the Lord has
tenderly comforted me and dried my tears on many occasions, and I’m grateful
that my brokenness is in His hands.
If you’ve experienced a
Mount Pisgah in your life, I hope this example from Moses helps and encourages
you.
