Numbers 27:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain… and see the land I have given the Israelites.”
Sometimes, when my sweet husband plucks my last nerve, I have to remind myself that he is not a mean-spirited person, that what I am perceiving as an intentional slight is not what it seems, that my feelings cannot be trusted. This situation feels similar in that on the surface, it almost seems like God is taunting Moses, saying, “Haha! See the Promised Land? YOU will never set foot there!” But that is not who God is. Not at all.
Numbers 27:13 “After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was….”
Rather, it almost feels like God is reassuring Moses. “See the Promised Land? It’s right there. The Israelites WILL make it, thanks in part to your faithfulness.” And Moses, who has developed such a servant’s heart, only wants to be sure they are not left without a shepherd.
Numbers 27:14 “…for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.”…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Who You are and Whose we are. Thank You for the humble, obedient heart that Moses developed. Thank You for the ability to move past the trap of our feelings into the truth of Your character. Draw us closer, Lord. Amen.
Numbers 27:15-17 Moses said to the LORD, “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community…so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.