Moses is now one hundred and twenty years old and he knows he can not enter the promised land, so he tells the people that he can no longer lead them. Interestingly, one hundred and twenty is the age previously given as man's maximum life expectancy. Moses may have died before he reached the promised land, but it wasn't because he died early, it was because they arrived late. And they arrived late because they couldn't get there until Moses was dead. His mistake not only cost him the chance to enter the land he had been dreaming of, but it also set the entire nation of Israel back. Our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves, but for those around us.
He's not dead yet, though. There are a few loose ends to tie up first. He has already named Joshua as his successor, so know he hands responsibility over to him in front of the entire community. He tells the people that not to be afraid because God will go before them and destroy the nations just as He did the Amorites. I have already expressed some doubts over whether or not God really was responsible for or complicit in the Israelites wars, so I won't go into that again now. At any rate, the main point here is that the people can be confident because God will go before them and stand beside. Whether or not God fought their battles for them, that much was true. And it still is true. As Moses says to Joshua,"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Now Moses writes down the law and gives it to the Levites, telling them to read it aloud to to the people one every seven years, in the year for cancelling debts, at the Feast of Tabernacles. It can be really easy to take the basics for granted and forget that we probably don't know them as well as we should, and some people don't know them at all. In our studying and in our teaching, it's really important that we keep going back to the building blocks of our faith, because only if the foundations are strong can everything else stay up.
God calls Moses and Joshua to the Tent of Meeting. He commands Joshua to be strong and courageous and promises to be with him, and once again He predicts the failure and rebellion of the Israelite people, this time through the medium of song. This song tells of the greatness of God and the ingratitude of His people, as they turn away from He who protected and provided for them. It tells also of the trials they will suffer as a result of their disobedience, but it ends with a declaration of God's might and the promise of deliverance for those who remain His people. Moses teaches this song to the people and tells them to learn it because they are not just "idle words" - they are their life. And they're our life too. Our story has not changed that much. We stray and we screw up, but we are saved.
Now Moses praises God and blesses each of the tribes. Each blessing is different, but each is like a prayer. Most of us will pray for others when things are rough or there is a particular need, and that's fantastic, but how often do we pray in the in-between times? How often do we pray for someone just to wish them well? I know I don't do it often enough. As I was writing this the song, "I Say A Little Prayer For You" came to mind. I'd never really thought much about the lyrics before - it was just the song they sang in the restaurant in My Best Friend's Wedding - but it really is a beautiful idea. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every time we thought of someone, we prayed for them?
At long last, Moses climbs Mount Nebo and God shows him the whole of the promised land. I don't think this is God being cruel, teasing Moses with a glimpse of what he could have had. I think this is God giving him a gift. Moses can't enter the land because he screwed up and the old covenant demanded punishment as well as atonement, but still God shows Him this one last kindness and lets him see the land he has spent most of his life walking towards. That's the kind of God we follow.
I'd love to leave it there, with Moses and God sat on the mountain looking out together at the land they have brought the Israelites too, but I really should finish the story. So, Moses dies on the mountain and is buried there, and the people mourn him for thirty days. Joshua receives the spirit of wisdom, and the people listen to him as they had been commanded by Moses. Finally, the book ends with the declaration that since that time, there has been no prophet like Moses, who knew God face to face.
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