Faith is genuinely experiencing what you have not actually seen. At the end of Moses’ life, God told him, for you shall see the land at a distance but you shall not go there into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel, even though Moses spent 80 of his years leading a difficult people through myriad difficulties:

He led them through countless battles, he tolerated their rebellion, he endured their grumbling, he interceded for them in spite of their indifference.

When Moses broke faith with God at the waters of Mariba-Kadesh, it seemed he lost everything he'd lived for. He would be forbidden to enter the land of Canaan. To us, and most likely the children of Israel, it seemed an unbearable penalty.

Interestingly, there is no utterance of complaint or plea-bargaining from the lips of Moses. I think the discipline of Moses received from the hand of God was not so devastating. I think Moses knew something of the ways of God, and was living in the land of promise the whole trip (a perfect picture of New Testament faith).

Sure, his foot never touched the physical soil, but Canaan's mud was so real to Moses he probably heard a squoosh with each step and felt it oozing 'twixt his toes. How else could a man lead, tolerate, endure and intercede for such a stiff-necked and calloused group for 80 years? His eyes and heart and spirit had another vision. The whole company of Israel strove to plant their dusty feet on the same ground in which Moses had already cultivated faithfulness and was now bearing orchards of fruit. His staple diet was grade AA milk and Sue Bee honey.

So God sent Moses to the top of Mount Nebo and told him to die on the mountain, where you ascend, and be gathered to your people. No one knows where Moses’ bones are. The Bible does not say that they took his carcass over to Canaan so he could really be there. He lived there most of his life.

Death does not bring us to the promised land. Faith does.

(circa Sept. 1985)