Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- When did you last climb a mountain?
- A beautiful place to go
- Something compelling about being in a high place above everything else
- There are many stories in the Bible featuring mountains
- People encounter God in a special way
- Why?
- In a quiet place
- Being along with God
- Example of Mount Moriah, Sinai, Carmel; Jesus’ transfiguration Jerusalem
- One encounter from Deuteronomy – the final encounter of Moses with God
- Deuteronomy – "these are the words" (of God)
- Moses’ last words to the people before he dies
- A transition from wandering to settled, Moses to Joshua, looking ahead to the fulfilment
- Moses would not see the promised land
- Deut 1:37
- Deut 3:23-27
- Numbers 20 – the reason why
- Reading Deut 32:48-52 and 34:1-12
- Overview:
- How good is the God who keeps His word
- How good is the God who continues His work
- How good is the God who shepherds His people
How good is the God who keeps His word
- God is faithful to all His word
- Blessing and glory or judgment and discipline
- There is no favouritism but utter faithfulness
- Geography recap
- Moses climbs Mount Nebo in the range of the Pisgah mountains
- Moses looks in each direction and see all the places God will give to His people (34:4)
- Think of the promise given to Abraham and how this often looked impossible
- Example of Ps 106
- God keeps His promise to Abraham
- God’s plans are never derailed
- God keeps His word to Moses and Aaron
- (However, both are not permitted to see the promised land)
- Both in blessing but also in discipline
- We are often thankful for His power
- We are not often thankful for His discipline
- We must feast upon God’s word, to make it our heart’s desire, not to pick and choose
- Strong words ought to be sobering to us and remind us of the judgment for sin
How good is the God who continues His work
- A transition point – God’s work goes on and does not end with Moses
- Example of Queen Elizabeth II’s death
- Moses death – very modest (34:5)
- The fellowship of God in life is matched in death
- God buried Moses (34:6)
- Who else in Scripture was buried by God?
- Moses stopped his work – not because he was weak or feeble (34:7)
- But because of the judgment of God
- God had graciously provided another leader to carry on the work – Joshua
- Full of the spirit of wisdom (34:9)
- An encouragement – what we do is not wasted
- Even if we never see the final outcome
- We are not indispensable – the work does not reside within us
- God can carry out the work without us
- Yet God will see His work through to completion
- We are called to be faithful in serving Him
- Moses is known as the ‘servant of the Lord’
How good is the God who shepherds His people
- Moses’ eulogy highlights his unique place in leading God’s people
- Reading 34:10-12
- There has not arisen another prophet like Moses
- Who knew God face-to-face
- He was able to do signs and wonders
- Not for his glory but God’s glory
- Reading Numbers 27:12-18
- God is the one who shepherds His people
- This was Moses’ prayer
- What Moses had started, Joshua continued
- We see past Joshua to Jesus Christ
- The Great Shepherd of His people
- We see past Moses to Jesus Christ
- Reading Hebrews 3:1-6
- Verses that honour Moses but point past Him to Jesus
- Jesus goes before us to prepare a place
- We hold firmly to the hope and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ
- He is greater than Moses
Closing Remarks
- He is faithful to His word
- He continues His work
- He Shepherds His people
- He has done all things well
- His love endures forever