Transition from Moses to Joshua

Transcript

GRS 2-37
8/18/2006
Transition from Moses to Joshua
Deuteronomy 29-34
Gil Rugh

For those of you who are a regular part of Sunday evening you are aware that we have been going through the Books of the Old Testament that move the history along. And if you have recently joined us, we have done the Book of Genesis and we did the first portion of the Book of Exodus up to the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Then we jump to the Book of Numbers because the last part of the Book of Exodus didn’t move the history along, was just giving details relating to the construction of the Tabernacle and so on. The Book of Numbers did move Israel’s history along. Then we are going to skip the Book of Deuteronomy, because it does not move the history along and will pick up with the Book of Joshua. Now when we skip Books like this we are not saying, because they don’t move the history along, they are not important. So why don’t we just study it now. Well, because we want to study the Books that move the history along, but the Book of Deuteronomy just referred to over 80 times in the New Testament. So it becomes one of the key Books in the Old Testament that the New Testament writers in the early Church drew from, but it does not move the history along.

Turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 1. We are going to look at the closing Chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy as preparation for the Book of Joshua. So let’s know where when we are and we come to Deuteronomy. Really where you leave off at the end of the Book of Numbers is where you are at the Book of Deuteronomy. Israel doesn’t change its place. It’s basically where it’s going to reside now and they are on the brink of moving over into Canaan with the conquest under Joshua. I do want to draw your attention to the striking comments of beginning of the Deuteronomy.

Look at Chapter 1 verse 2. It is eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. Basically from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, where Israel will cross over into Canaan is eleven days. Then verse 3, a startling contrast, “in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel. In my Bible I underlined eleven days and fortieth year. It has taken Israel forty years to make an eleven-day trip. It’s only eleven days on a normal trip to go from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, eleven days. They had taken forty years. You talk about a waste of time and we know why, sin and they had spent forty years wandering around going no place. It is just a death march. Because the whole purpose of this forty years is the wait for a whole generation to die because of their rebellion against the Lord and it’s just wandering, wandering, wandering. Now they are at the place where they can cross over into the land. They could have come here in eleven days, cross over into the land, but has taken forty years.

Come over to the last part of Deuteronomy, Chapter 29, there is a reiteration of the covenant that God has with Israel establishing them as his people and only with the people that are living on this occasion, but with their descendants. Down in Chapter 29 verse 14, we refer some of these passages in this portion of the Book of Deuteronomy, when we look into what God said about the nation Israel in history and in prophecy recently. Not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, verse 14, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of Lord our God and with those who are not here today and he reiterates from Egypt and so on. And on these closing days of Moses, I wonder in my heart what was Moses thinking. He is a man that is greatly used of God. He is 120 years old. He has spent the last forty years leading this people, who have been rebellious people, a complaining people, a cranky people and now he is ready.

The Lord has told him he can’t go into the Promised Land for his act of sin. He is ready to turn the leadership of the people over to Joshua, and you know what God says? “They are not going to obey me; it’s not going to go well. They are going to disobey; I am going to have to punish them. And do you think why? If you look that humanly Moses could go to his grave thinking what have I accomplished, I am a failure, poured my life into these people and God’s last words through me to them will be you are going to rebel. I am going to have to discipline you. And there is a warning of that in the rest of Chapter 29 with the Lord’s anger that will be poured out.

Verse 22, “Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a different land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it, will say, All its land is brimstone and salt, it has been overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah in the anger or the Lord. They will say why has the Lord done this. Verse 25, Men will say because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went and served other Gods. Therefore Verse 27, the anger of the Lord burned against that Land. He uprooted them from their land, he has scattered them, what is known as the Diaspora.

You come to Chapter 30 and remember the promised restoration of the nation Israel that he will judge them and part of the judgment will be they will be carried out of the land and we looked at the different deportations onto the Assyrians and to the Babylonians. Then as result of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD and then finally in 135 AD and 1800 years of wandering until 1948 when they were brought back to land, but they are assembled as dry bones, no spiritual life as Ezekiel 37 talked about. The God promises restoration in Chapter 30 when all these things have come up on them, the blessings and curses.

Verse 2, and you return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart, soul, and mind that the Lord will restore you from the captivity, have compassion on you. And Verse 4, if your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from their Lord your God will gather you. The Lord, your God will bring you into the land, which you fathers possessed, you will possess it. Verse6, remember the new covenant. The ultimate restoration of Israel and this finally will not occur until the end of the seven year tribulation. As a result of that devastation, two thirds of Israel will be destroyed in one third, will experience the salvation. Moreover, the Lord you God will circumcise your heart, the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul so that you may leave and the Lord will bring judgment on all your enemies.

God is so gracious, so patient, so long suffering. I mean we can even ask, if you have been a believer of very long as he should begin to take the grace of God in your life for granted. We manifest that as I could not do that, poorly manifest why we can’t understand how God can be patient, so patient, so long suffering with all the sin that has gone on world. Why doesn’t he destroy them? Isn’t amazing. I just can understand how God can be tolerate with those sinners. What about this one? Remember Paul had wrote to Titus and tell them remind them they were just like those dirty sinners. That they find so contemptible. We forget that what God says in encouraging Israel in Verse 11 and following is, “I have given you my word. Obey it. Verse 11, “this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, it’s not out of reach. You don’t have to go to heaven to try to find out what I have said; you don’t have to cross the sea to find out what I have said.”

Verse 14, “the word is very near you, in your mouth and in you heart that you may observe it.” Paul quotes this passage in Romans Chapter 10. We have to go on and search here is the word of God. He has given it, obey it, and let me say oh, if I only know, all if I, you know, God would only speak from heaven. Here it is. Israel don’t make the mistake as they had to go on and search for the word of God is what I have given you? And here we have it even in a form that the Israel did not have because of progress of revelation and thanks to the grace of God in providing things like the printing press. Most of you are carrying a Bible. I can just turn you what did God say, let me just find out what he has said and read it. But Israel will not.

Verse 15, see I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity. I have told you what will bring your life a blessing; I have told you what will bring you adversity in death. In that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that you may live and multiply that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them; I declared to you that you shall surely perish.

Verse 19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live: you and your descents by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, by holing fast to him for this your life. The length of your day is that you may live in the land, which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Wouldn’t you like all those blessings? Oh yes, but here we are. Moses has been gone almost 3500 years. Israel has forfeited those blessings all this time. We talk about the forty years of wilderness wandering because of their rebellion. They still await the fulfillment ultimately of these promises.

Now Chapter 31 through Chapter 34, these chapters center on the death of Moses and the transfer of authority and power to Joshua. So Chapter 31 will give Moses closing challenge and then the transfer of power to Joshua as his successor. Chapter 32 will be a song of warning for the children of Israel. It’s the song that Israel is to learn to sing so that they are under the judgment of God they will be reminded of why. Then chapter 33 will be Moses’ blessing on each of the twelve tribes and then chapter 34 will give the death of Moses. So let’s just look into these chapters on highlight for the next few moments some of the matters here.

Moses went and spoke these words to all the Israel and he said them, “I am 120 years old. That’s odd. That was even odd here. Moses is 120. I am no longer able to come and go. I mean he failed these years. Now, it’s true, will be told in chapter 34. Just want to jump over there to go to the head of the story. Chapter 34:7. Although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated. He is a remarkably healthy 120. He does have some limitations, but the problem of his not going into the land has nothing to do with age, and has to do with disobedience. Remember, when he struck the rock twice, when God said strike it once didn’t seem as we saw, that should be such a major issue to God, then said, “You didn’t treat me as holy. You don’t obey my word. You don’t treat me as holy.” That makes all disobedience very, very serious. So Moses won’t be leading them into the land. Verse 3, God gives his promise, “It’s the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you. Moses here giving his challenge to the people of Israel through these first six verses. It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you.

You know, this is in the context; Moses will not cross ahead of them. Your mind are shocked as this is for children of Israel. I mean he is the leader they have known for these forty years. He was the one who came into Egypt and display the power of God that brought about the deliverance of the nation from the Egyptian bondage after 400 years. For forty years, he has been God’s instrument. Now you are going across to conquer the land. I am not going ahead of you. The end of verse 1 and verse 2. God has said to me you shall not cross this Jordan. Verse 3, “It is the Lord your God, who will cross ahead of you.” So this is not the great tragedy for Israel. Moses will be gone, but God will not.

Reading a biography of Augustus Toplady, the hymn writer, wrote some of our well known hymns I believe “Just as I am” “Rock of Ages” and on his death wedge some came in because of how God did use him. They were despairing what will happen. He reminded them, don’t even talk like that. I mean I have just been a servant. God continues present with these people to do his work. That’s what Moses said, “I am not crossing this Jordan. But the Lord your God will cross ahead of you.” We will miss Moses, but God is going ahead of us. He will destroy these nations before you. You shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you just as the Lord has spoken. God does have a human leader to represent in, that will be Joshua. Joshua is not Moses. See that as we move along, there won’t be another Moses, but that does not matter. They don’t need another Moses. They have the same God.

Joshua is the man that God will use to lead Israel through their next phase. Doesn’t matter that he is not a Moses. Doesn’t matter that he will have the same kind of relationship with God that Moses has. He won’t sit down face to face with God as Moses did. He won’t come away with a face glowing like Moses did, but it would be sin for God’s people to sit down here and say, ooh what will do without Moses. Joshua is no Moses. Joshua is the man of God’s appointment. So we are preparing the way and the Lord will destroy them just like he has destroyed the past enemies the God to deal with them. He can do with the future enemies. So he gives a couple of examples, Sihon and Og. Verse 5, the Lord will deliver them up before you, you shall do to. Verse 5 the Lord will deliver them up before you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them for the Lord your God is one, who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

You know what’s all about. Be strong and courageous because you can do it. You have to have confidence in yourself. Let’s note the point, be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid. The Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not favor you. He will not forsake you. This is all about the confidence I have in my God, not in myself that becomes a repeated theme here. Be strong and courageous. Let’s see it as we move down through the Chapter here. Then he gives the challenge to Joshua with the challenges to the people of Israel. Then in Verses 7 and 8, he gives the charge to Joshua and he really repeats what he has said to the people to Joshua personally, but he does this before all the people so that there is a clear transfer of power that is going on here, a clear transfer of authority. Moses has been God’s representative leader of the people. Now Moses is making clear to the people now God has transferred the leadership authority to Joshua.

Verse 7, then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel be strong and courageous, same thing he said to the people. Verse 6 “be strong and courageous. Joshua you be strong and courageous for you shall go with this people into land, which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give to them and you shall give it to them as in inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you, do not fear or be dismayed.

Now back into Number 27 Joshua had already been set apart the command of the Lord, to be Moses’ successor. Now we are preparing for the final transfer of authority with Moses’ death. To be afraid in the face of the enemy doesn’t say anything about the enemy. Say something about my faith. Is anything too hard for the Lord, I mean you know we have got a variety of nations and tribes and so on in the land of Canaan? This could be intimidating. Don’t have anything to do. We went through this remember forty earlier. When as the spies went up and spied out the land and they say, “Oh, they are like giants. They are well armed. Oh what are we going to do?

And we note that that was all probably true. But it had nothing to do with whether Israel could conquer them because God is their God. And I have to remind myself that’s why I like read in The Old Testament that I can see that Israel so clearly won’t have anything to fear. And I think of Jesus promises to me I will never leave you or forsake you; I am not to be afraid. It’s a little different. What’s the difference? My God is the unchanging God. We are going to see here in a little bit he is called The Rock.” So they can have full confidence in him and Joshua can and into you are sure Joshua has spent these last forty years with Moses. He knows what an awesome task is ahead of him. But now Moses goes onto address the priest and give them a charge. They are responsible for keeping the law that God has given for Israel. They are the guardians of the law, the teachers of the law in Israel.

So verse 9, Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priest, the sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the Covenant the Lord and all the elders of Israel and he commanded them and he gives them instruction. At the end of the seven years of remission at the time of Feast of Booths, what are those time when they read the law. Verse 11, in front of Israel. Think about it. You know the challenge we have is we work through the portion like the first five Books of our Bible and Israel didn’t have their own copies. They comes and stand before the Lord in the presence of the priest and the priest would read it to them on these special occasions. And they had to take it in and then live it up and they are accountable to God for their obedience.

Think of us, who are given much greater blessings and what excuse that we have I mean, we are carrying around, we probably in our home have multiple copies of God’s word. How blessed we are, we know we will come together on Sunday and hear it. Monday morning we can pick up our own copies. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays always and copies of reduced size so you can put it in the pocket or purse have it. Here Israel is going to come together that’s where priest’s major responsibilities in leading the worship of Israel is to instruct Israel in the law and see that they are living it out.

You come down to verse 14 and God now is going to give his charges to Moses and Joshua. Verse 14 the Lord said to Moses behold, the time for you to die is near. Call Joshua present yourselves at the tent of meeting that I make commission him. So now you have the formal final commissioning of Joshua that he assumes authority and we will be ready for the death of Moses. I think through all of these, you know what we would like to know is what is Moses’ wife thinking? What about his children? What about his grand Children? I mean he is going to die. Those relationships are not what are most important here. We don’t have any of that in the closing days either unfolded here. Moses’ life is all about his service for the Lord. We talked about that this morning. That passion and commitment that doesn’t mean I don’t have responsibilities to family and Moses did too. Better understand the focus of Moses’ life here; it’s tall about his death. You just not now go and weep with your wife and your children and your grand children and moreover this they will be weeping and mourning at the death of Moses by those who loved him of course. What really matters here is the task that God has committed to him. So you come up and I give instructions. So Moses and Joshua when presented themselves at the tent of the meeting, the Lord appears there.

The Lord said to Moses, verse 16, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land in which they are going, they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made. How would you like to hear that it is the first words the Lord has to say? All right, we are ready for the commissioning service for your successor and the first thing God says to Moses is you are going to die. You will lie down in the grave with your fathers and these people are going to play the harlot. I would like to be Joshua sitting here listening to this. I mean you think that’s not we want to hear, want to hear something uplifting, encouraging. It will be a downer to have Moses die and I mean there is another downs here us, but this is the way it is. “Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will forsake them, hide my face from them. And they will be consumed many evils and troubles will come upon them. Now say is enough because of our God is not among us, these evils have come. I will hide my face from them because of their sin.

Then Moses verse 19 instructed to write a song just what you feel like doing and after getting this stumped on, you now write a song. Write this song for yourselves, teach it to the sons of Israel, put it on their lips. So it will be the song may be a witness for me against the sons of Israel. You teach this song to them for your God. Remember, they don’t all carry around the copy of the law with them everywhere they go, but they are going to learn a song. They are going to sing this song and that’s what they are going to sing and that will bring to their mind what I have told them. And we remind you when they are under my judgment why. For when I bring, verse 20, them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I which I swear to their fathers, they have eaten and they are satisfied become prosperous. Then they will turn to other Gods and serve them, spurn me and break my covenant.

I share with you, 30 years ago when I was studying in a school, we were looking at churches and the pattern of way church’s wealth is, one of the worse things for the church is its prosperity and success, very difficult for us as believers to live with a passionate focus on our service for God will more prosper him so much. We have so much to enjoy, I mean another so many things I have to do if I have been in another countries and believers, who have not a fraction of what we have to allow much sharper focus, much clearer lifestyle on the goal. Now Israel have same problem, you know, you are going to have, we are getting into the land of bigger enemies, you have to sit back. The land is going to be fruitful. You are going to prosper you know what. Your prosperity is going to carry you away and you will abandon me.

Then troubles will come and you know the Lord said at the end of the verse 21 I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore, you know what there are ready thinking things like this that will result in they are being carried away. It’s what prosperity you know I find myself what am I thinking, what I think about the more prosperous, then I have to think about. I am reading a retirement magazine. When we retire, look at this man, hoo hoo wow, ho ho, here we go, that’s what I am doing, what am I doing, I am going to glory. It’s not my life is about. Now, what Israel, they really have that underlying. I know their intent which they are developing today before I have brought them into the land, which I spoke. Everyone cross the Jordan, they are ready of the track in their thinking as God had wiped them out. We will just skip the Jordan, but he doesn’t do that why, because his glory is at stake, never he committed himself. That’s why he will fulfill his word. He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun be strong and courageous. There it is again.

God is not looking for wimpy people, who just are afraid to take the next up, be strong and courageous why because you have developed self confidence. No because you have learned to trust me because you have full confidence in me as the sovereign God. You shall bring the sons of Israel into the land, which I swore to them I will be with you. Joshua keep this focus on this and settles everything up. Doesn’t matter how many problems there are, doesn’t matter Israel is going to be disobedient, doesn’t matter that the enemy will be strong. My God is great. I can be strong and courageous. He will have to deal with the rebellious people. He will give me the wisdom. He will have to deal with the enemy. He will give me the strength and Moses finishes writing in the Book.

Jump down to Chapter 32, the song that Moses wrote. You know we have to be careful in the writing of our song to be good theologians. I mentioned I have been reading the biography of Augustus, a brief biography of Augustus Toplady because we don’t have much biography on him. You know that what he while he was, he was an outstanding theologist. He was a great hymn writer, but he was first a formalist and outstanding theologian in fact. One of the characteristic of Augustus Toplady’s life was he was probably too harsh. I read you some of the things he wrote about his enemies, you think, I can’t believe you what even say that. Hey he was a fearest theologian if you will. He cut no slack even to those who might be he say that would be a friend when they had theological error and he wrote some songs that we appreciate for their good theology as well as religious singing of them. One thing about the song of Moses is not a moseying. This is a song with theology; this is the song to teach Israel, this is a song when Israel rehearses that in their mind. They will know God’s truth and so the song of Moses and you keep in mind we are not going to go through the whole song you have to read this. It’s a long song and I think that is what something that Israel was to learn and saying so they can learn with God warning for them.

Go on look at Verse 3. I proclaim the name of the Lord describe greatness to our God the rock. His work is perfect. All his ways are just a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and uprights is he, the rock. God is a Rock, that speaks of his unchanging character. Down in Verse 15, he will be referred to again as the rock. Verse 18, he is referred to as the rock. Down in verse 30, he is referred to as the rock. Verse 31, the rock. We have in the song the rock about the salvation and so on, the rock of ages. He is the rock. He is the unchanging God. As the Book of Hebrew says, “Jesus Christ is the saint yesterday, today, and forever and his character attributes he is the unchanging God. So Israel should know that their God is their security their permanence, and their ability.

Yet Verse 5, we deal with the crooked and perverse generation. They have acted corruptly toward him. They are not his children because of their defect with their progressing crooked generation. Do you thus repay the Lord of foolish and unwise people? Is he not your father, who is brought you he has made you and established you? Remember the days of all I mean what a song, this is a prophetic song. This is a song that Moses to teach Israel so that they can learn it. So when they are in their rebellion, they will remember and through this song it will be brought to their mind how God chose them when he gave the nations their inheritance Verse 8. He sets the boundary in Israel is his people. How we found him and he was noting and all he has done for him. The songs go on. The song goes on, but then verse 15, Jeshurun, what it means, the upright word; it’s the name for Israel.

I chose the few other times in the Old Testament grew fat and thick; you have grown fat, thick, and slick, marks of prosperity. You know what not like we see on the new some places in the world where they try to get enough food to survive; we have to watch our wait. Israel, that is the picture here. They are going to get in the land. They are going to prosper. They are going to be enjoying the good life. Then he forsook God, who made him and scorn the rock of his salvation, what a tragedy that the overwhelming blessings of God use. Then he is excuse to abandon, I just don’t have time I am so busy. I mean Israel just God caught up in the good life and God gets progressively move more to periphery. My life is no longer a passionate consuming. Commitment deserves him. I mean I have to enjoy my blessings and my blessings come to replace my God. They made him jealous. They provoked him to anger.

Verse 16, they sacrificed the demons you were not were coming to this in first Corinthians chapter 10, which posing to draw on this passage clearly alike the expression. The end verse 17, “new Gods who came lately.” We have the expression Johnny come lately. Here is the new Gods who came lately. I mean you forsake the rock, the only true God for the Johnny come lately Gods. Then the new Gods on the scene, you neglected the rock who begods you, you forgot the God, who gave you birth. That brings the judgment of God. He hides his face from them. Verse 21, they made me jealous, they provoked me to anger.

Verse 22, for a fire is kindled in my anger and burns the lowest part of Sheol. You know God is a God of an infinite love, but he is a God of infinite anger. We don’t want to hear about anger, he is a God of infinite anger, don’t want to say #. A fire is kindled in my anger; it burns the lowest parts of Sheol. You take the time go to Revelation 14. When people are sentenced to hell, there you have the anger of God, it says unmixed with mercy. Pure anger and infinite anger. We talked about infinite love and he is a God of infinite love, immeasurable love. Refer to the end of Roman 8 in the baptism. You can’t measure the love of God. The song let declares that you understand he is not a God to be proved because his anger is like his love. It knows no bounds it is infinite. It burns to the lowest Sheol, but Israel is being to destroyed. When it looks like destruction is to overwhelm them. Take it; this will be one of the passages that will be going to. Now we remind it. They are under the judgment of God. We have done this to ourselves. They are not ready for that today to the end of the tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel they will. Wording to Zechariah that’s when they turn and call up on the Lord.

Verse 27 tells you why God is going to rescue Israel had I not feel the provocation by the enemy that their adversaries would misjudge. They would say our hand is triumph and the Lord has not done all this. Remember, we saw we have studied Israel got to say, I am doing it for my name, I am doing it for my honor, my holiness. He has to rescue Israel, his name on the line. Remember he signed the covenant. If Israel is not saved then the nations can say God has failed. They are nation lacking in council, there is no understanding in them on it goes. Down it verse 35, vengeance is mine and retribution coded in the New Testament a couple of times. And verse 39 See now that I am He! There is no god besides me. It is I, who put to death and give life, I have wounded and it is I who heal. There is no one who can deliver from my hand.

The end of Verse 41 I will render vengeance on my adversaries I will repay those who hate me. And verse 43 praise the Lord the song ends on a positive note of restoration of Israel, rejoice our nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; and will render vengeance on his adversaries and will atone for his land and his people. That is the song that Moses is to teach Israel so that they can sing this song so they can hear it and be reminded that they have brought the ray of the God upon themselves by their rebellion and their only hope is to caste themselves on the mercy of God and cry out for his salvation. It will take the judgments of the tribulation and bring Israel to his knee. It will take the death of two thirds of the nation for this happen. You can read the closing chapters of Zechariah.

Chapter 13 for when that will occur and the events so that you have future. Moses writes his song for them. This is their future, this is what they are to learn so that when these thing happen. They have experienced the judgments, the Assyrian captivity, the Babylonian captivity, the dispersion under the Romans. They still have not learnt the lesson of this song. They are still a nation in rebellion against their God, the worst is yet to come, but the best is yet to come after the worst, that is yet to come and the song ends on that note.

Then Moses came, Verse 44 spoke, all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. He was Joshua, the son of Nun. When he has finished speaking these words to all Israelites said to them. Take to your heart all the word which I am warning you today, which you shall command you sons to observe carefully even all the words of this law for it is not an idol word for you indeed an issue of your life. By this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to posses. Then God tells Moses it’s time to go up to the mountain. Moses as is the practice in the Old Testament, the father passing. He gives his blessing and here as the leader of the nation he bestows his blessings on each of the tribe. So he blesses each of the twelve tribes. In chapter 33 says a word about them some of his blessing is more full than for other tribes. We won’t go through that. Remind your God hasn’t last the 12 tribes, they are not the last 12 tribes. In God’s sake, we get to revelation chapter 7 when we get into the 70th week of Daniel, God will see you 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to preserve them as his witnesses. So here Moses gives blessings to the 12 tribes.

Chapter 34 is the death of Moses. He goes up of Mount Nebo in the plains of Moab, regions that we have as the Jordan today, the county of Jordan. The Lord lets him look over and see all the Promised Land and Moses has felt what is almost like teasing him or penalizing. No Moses gets the see, in that sense the fulfillment what God promised, the land is like he said, the land flowing with milk and honey, the prosperous land. It is the land God is good to his word and in spite of the judgments that I have had to tell them are well be coming. In spite of the fact God told me they are rebellion that is in their in land. Ultimately, there we redeemed and be in the land. Verse 7 although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated. I remind that Moses didn’t die old age. He didn’t die of natural causes. You expect the man of 120 to die that’s not to surprise, but remind that’s not why Moses died.

Verse 5 puts it simply, “Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. He buried him in the valley of the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor: no man knows his burial place to this date. God behold Moses buried that could get the Book of Jude were told that there was a battle between Michael and the devil over the body of Moses, at this occasion. Not talk about here what Jude tells about. Why you don’t know, we are not told. Moses’ family didn’t buried him. God does. Again the purposes of God right up to the end are watch to proceed everything. And so now we are ready for Joshua to assume his responsibility and so Joshua chapter one begins now came about after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. The Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun. Moses serve it sang. Moses my servant is dead, therefore arise cross to Jordan.

Assume the leadership and he will be reminded to be strong and very courageous for this task. What a great god we have. His sovereign purposes were, his servants come and go. The greatest of his servants come and go. Our God is sovereign and in control. I mean you turn on the news, you watch it; you say what will be the end of it all. The end of it all will be the purposes of God will be realized. The word is coming apart of the scenes. Look at this, what is going happen next. You get one guy who called and said well, world war III. Not yet, I mean just nothing.

You don’t know how bad is going to get. We think who are our are our kids going to do? What are my grandkids going to do? What’s this world going to be like? Be strong and very courageous. Our God is all Rock. God is not up there bringing his hands thinking oh now, another mislead into Israel. What are we going to do here? Now the Koreans are out of hand. Boy, we got more. We are almost more on our plate, don’t we? You say do you want to talk about like that. Why? He is the rock. I mean the amazing thing is to me it can look like everything is coming up and God is sovereignly in control. The amazing Israel is Kadesh-barnea. They are going to cross the Jordan. 40 years of wilderness wandering haven’t changed anything as far as the realization of God’s plan. It has been time of discipline and judgment on Israel. The God is sovereign.

So we go to sleep and sleep well at night. We get up in the morning, another day, praise the Lord. May be a day when the world in turmoil, they may blow up portions of our country. That would be sad. We grieve our hearts. You know why, our God is Sovereign and our responsibility doesn’t in change. We are here to share the Gospels, to tell them that there is a savior, to tell them that there is a God, who has brought salvation to them by the death of his own sons. Becoming to a relationship with him you become his child, he becomes your security and you begin to enjoy his purposes that will continues through eternity.

Let’s pray together. Lord what a blessing it is to consider the history of your people, heaven we consider the beginning of this transition from Moses to Joshua as Israel moves into the land that you would promise to them, hundred of years earlier, your word is true. Your purposes are always accomplished. Thank you Lord that even in judgment you are working your purposes and for Israel, it will bring ultimate salvation as you bring a portion of that nation to their knees in faith before Christ, May that encourage our hearts that you the God of Israel. You are also our God, we belong to you. All your promises will be realized. Lord we can be strong and courageous, the midst of personal trials, difficult situations and circumstances, uncertainty in the world, our confidence is in our God, our courageous in you, our strength is in you, we look forward to the days of this week should Christ array. May we be bold for you in our service. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.