*Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Moses dies at the age of 120 on Mount Nebo after seeing the Promised Land he cannot enter.
- Moses’ Final Journey:
- Moses ascends Mount Nebo, overlooking the land of Canaan, as instructed by the Lord.
- From this vantage point, the Lord shows Moses the entire land, from the northern region of Dan to the southernmost area of Naphtali, as well as the land of Ephraim and Manasseh.
- Promise to Moses:
- The Lord reassures Moses that He has given the land to the Israelites, as He promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- However, the Lord informs Moses that he will not enter the land himself due to his disobedience at the waters of Meribah.
- Moses’ Death:
- Moses dies on Mount Nebo, as the Lord had foretold, at the age of 120 years.
- The text notes that Moses’s eyes were undimmed, and his vigor had not diminished before his death.
- Mourning for Moses:
- The Israelites mourn for Moses for thirty days in the plains of Moab, demonstrating the depth of their respect and affection for their leader.
- Joshua, son of Nun, who had been appointed by Moses as his successor, is filled with the spirit of wisdom, as Moses had laid his hands on him.
- Legacy of Moses:
- The passage acknowledges that there has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, with whom the Lord spoke face to face, performing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
- It highlights Moses’s unique relationship with God and his role as the deliverer of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
- Conclusion of the Book of Deuteronomy:
- The passage concludes the book of Deuteronomy, which recounts Moses’s farewell speeches and the covenant renewal with the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land.
- It marks the end of Moses’s leadership and the beginning of Joshua’s leadership as they prepare to cross the Jordan River and possess the land God had promised to them.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12 teaches us that God’s plans are bigger than our own, and even if we don’t see the full picture, He is still faithful. Moses led the Israelites for many years, but he didn’t enter the promised land—yet God honored him and raised up a new leader. This reminds us that our role in God’s plan is important, even if we don’t see all the results. It encourages us to trust God, serve Him faithfully, and know that He will carry out His promises in His perfect way.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (WEB)
34:1 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is opposite Jericho. The LORD showed him all the land of Gilead to Dan, 2 and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, to the Western Sea, 3 and the south, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar. 4 The LORD said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the LORD’s word. 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor, but no man knows where his tomb is to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his strength gone. 8 The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended. 9 Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. The children of Israel listened to him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. 10 Since then, there has not arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, 12 and in all the mighty hand, and in all the awesome deeds, which Moses did in the sight of all Israel.