Back when I was in high school, I spent a couple summers working at a day care. And I was amazed at how some of the children – even the little ones, at only two years old – were relentless in their quest to know every single thing we were planning to do that day. Every. Single. Thing. All. Day. Long.
Of course, years later, as a mother, I got to view this up close and personal every moment of every day for years with my own daughter. But at the time, as a high schooler, I was perplexed by their constant questions: “What will we do after this? What will we do after that? And what happens after that?”
I couldn’t figure out why these adorable little sweethearts couldn’t just enjoy their time on the playground. Why should it matter to them what came next? They weren’t in charge. They didn’t really need to know. They weren’t going to be leading anything or responsible for any part of the day. They could just relax and follow us teachers around. Sounded like a fun day to me!
Yet they had this burning desire to know what to expect. And in this, I could relate. Those of us who are planners like to know what’s coming next so we can mentally and sometimes physically plan for it. We don’t really like surprises. We like to feel like we’re in control, that we are ready for what is coming.
That’s why, in reading through Deuteronomy recently, I was so intrigued by God’s prepping Moses for his death. He just seems so methodical about it, as we read through the last few chapters of Deuteronomy. Moses mentions several times how God has told him that he will die soon.
The first instance we’re looking at is:
So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan’” (31:1-2).
Then there’s the second:
And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting (31:14).
And third:
And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers” (31:16).
Finally:
That very day the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people” (32:48-50).
For some reason, this fascinates me. I know not everyone gets told and reminded so many times about exactly when they are going to die. Sometimes it comes unexpectedly and we aren’t prepared at all.
But with Moses, God is so clearly directing his every move, and I wonder if that’s the reason for all of these mentions of Moses’ impending death. If we read the verses following those I’ve shared above, we can see that God does have specific tasks for Moses to accomplish following each of these pronouncements about Moses’ days winding down.
From addressing the people to presenting himself and Joshua to the Lord to writing a song about the requirements of the covenant to sharing his song with the people to blessing the tribes of Israel, God took Moses through step by step to make sure he accomplished all that God had purposed for him to do before his death.
This is so incredible in light of Moses’ entire story, if we look back to the unusual circumstances of his birth and being raised in the palace and murdering an Egyptian and fleeing to the desert and then being called by God from a burning bush to be the one to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians.
We can look back on the plagues and the wanderings and the complaining people and the miracles of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and the manna and the quail. And yes, to Moses’ mistake of striking the rock for water instead of speaking to it, as God commanded. He’s had his ups and downs, his victories and defeats, but look how God has led him through it all!
He had plans for Moses before Moses even knew what a plan was, and He had an overall purpose for Moses, plus a whole bunch of specific purposes along the way. He had jobs for Moses to do at each stage and at every step, and this excites me because God must have those kinds of plans for us too.
No, we will not be Moses. And we are not called to be Moses. But we can be who we are meant to be – both with an overall goal of bringing God glory but also with more specific, step-by-step goals all along the way. Because some of us really want to know what to expect, it’s comforting to know that we can expect God to use us at each stage of life, and we can expect Him to lead us along the way as well.
I cannot help but think of the lyrics to Fanny Crosby’s hymn, All the Way My Savior Leads Me:
All the way my Savior leads me; What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whatever befall me, Jesus doeth all things well,
For I know, whatever befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me; Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial, Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter, And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! a spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! a spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me; Oh, the fullness of His grace!
Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father’s blest embrace.
When my spirit, clothed immortal, Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way,
This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.
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