“See now that I Myself am He! There is no God beside Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV)
Moses was delivering last words to the Israelites. They were still at the edge of the Promised Land, only he wouldn’t go in because he was dying. What’s more, God had warned him that His people would stray. He said they’d step into Canaan and begin to give themselves over to foreign gods: gods they hadn’t known, gods that had recently appeared, gods that their ancestors did not fear (Deuteronomy. 32:17).
My heart breaks for Moses; first that the Promised Land was only footsteps away and still entirely out of reach and second, to receive and repeat such crushing report with the last of his strength. It reminds me that sometimes God appoints us to walk through hard and heavy things. Sometimes the end seems entirely unfair.
Then this scripture – wowsers – it’s a tough one to swallow, isn’t it? This sort of absolute sovereignty doesn’t set well with our carefully constructed, New Testament “God is love” worldview. When we stick to the second half of the book, we lose sight of the truth that God doesn’t change. The Old Testament Yaweh is the New Testament Father. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Can we wrap our minds around the fact that He is God? Alone. He doesn’t need our help or our approval. He’s moving forward on a plan that is all His. That means He appoints life and death. He wounds and He heals. He delivers as He sees fit.
It’s uncomfortable, but it all resonates with my own experiences. God loves us far too much to leave us where He finds us: lost in our sin, flat-out in worship before false gods. He loves us enough to issue consequences for our actions; for blatant immorality and self-centered lifestyles. He gives us ample opportunity to repent and course-correct. He sends His Son to bleed and cover up our transgressions. But, ultimately, the choice to honor God is ours alone.
We are sorely disappointed to end this epic journey with Moses on such a sad note. We cannot forget, though, our last breath is not the end. No, it is the first indicator of our full transition to our true Home.
“There on that mountain you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount How and was gathered to his people.” (Deuteronomy 32:50 NIV)
If all our hope is in this life then our low places will feel quite low. We will battle disappointment and life will likely feel unjust. But if we can lift our eyes just a bit higher, we’ll recall that there is an eternity God invites His followers to partake. That realm with Him is free from sin, sorrow and pain. It’s our true life, the one we were created for and have spent every hour hoping for. All of this below is only a precursor, the preface to the story we truly long to live in. And God, in His love and grace and mercy, opens the door to those that choose Him here and now.
Lord, help us to see You as You truly are. Connect the dots between Old Testament and New; construct a more accurate picture of You. We are realizing You are sovereign over our narrative. We surrender to Your agenda and pledge our lives to Your service. Even if it means we die on a mountain with our greatest hopes still off in the distance, we trust in You. We believe with all our hearts that this life is not the last of our story, You have a future far greater than our finite imagination allows for. May we move forward in fullest pursuit of that truth. Amen.