Who do you want to be with you when you pass from this life into the next? Maybe I’m a bit weird about the idea of dying alone, but I’ve always thought it would be comforting to have someone who has loved you and “put up” with you for many years to be with you when you take your final breath in this world.
My older brother and I were with our mom when she transitioned from this life into the presence of Jesus in 2008, and that was a sad but sweet and comforting experience for me. The last time we spoke, she said, “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay,” to which I said, ” I know, Mom,” as I bent over to kiss her. I’m glad I got to be with her, and I hope she knew of the deep respect and love that had brought me to share in her final hours.
Today, we take another look at Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and what it tells us about Moses’ final hours. This is a remarkable story in many ways. Let me explain why it is so extraordinary.
God told him when and how he would die. Not many of us get to know the time and place of our death, but Moses did. https://www.cosdavis.com/moses-at-mirabah-continued/ provides details on why Moses would die before the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land. Joshua 34:1-3 tells us that he was on Mount Nebo overlooking the land of promise, just as God had told him. Moses would not die of a plague or physical illness, as many of the Israelites had died. He worked for God until his final breath: “Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor was his vigor abated.” Deuteronomy 34:7. Moses was a strong, vigorous man when he died. He didn’t have cataracts or serious physical ailments; he died simply because God told him it was time.
God, Moses’ best friend, was with him when he died. I believe God is with every believer spiritually when he or she dies, but God was literally with Moses when he took his last breath. Moses and God had spoken “face to face” for forty years. This was an intimate relationship, one that only a few people have experienced, and the Lord honored Moses by His Presence when he died. Do you wonder what it was like for God to be with Moses when he died? Was He sad? Did He cry or mourn? Do you think Psalm 116:15 tells us how God experienced Moses’ death? ” Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” As humans, we tend to see the death of a loved one as a great loss, but God has an eternal perspective and sees the death of a believer as a special event; they have completed their work, and He welcomes them into the future He has prepared for them and for all who love Him. I think that’s something I felt when Mom died.
Moses and God celebrated before Moses died. What we used to call a “funeral service” is often referred to as a “celebration of life” service nowadays. Photos and videos are used to remind those in attendance of things to celebrate about the life of the deceased. Family members and friends often tell stories about their loved one that evoke laughter and tears. The person’s life of faithful service to God and others is “celebrated” as an example of a life well-lived. I have attended services like this and have felt thankful to have known this person, and inspired to pay better attention to how I live and the reputation I leave behind.
I’m certain there must have been a big celebration “in heaven” after Moses died, but I think there was another big one just before he died also. Did you notice the beautiful, gracious thing Moses’ friend did for him before he died? “And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ” I will give to your descendants:” I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not go over there.’ Numbers 34:1-4.
God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and to this place over forty years ago. With all the struggles, challenges, and anxieties behind him, Moses is allowed to see the Promised Land that he had been so instrumental in preparing the Israelites to enter. Moses’ work was over, but he would take his last breath celebrating what God had allowed him to do for the people he so dearly loved.
Is there someone whose life and work you need to celebrate while they are still with you?