THE MOST AWESOME RELATIONSHIP
And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is… Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face… For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. —Deuteronomy 34:5-6, 10, 12
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. —Joshua 1:5
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:8-9
If my memory serves me right, Moses is the only one our Lord buried had a private burial for. Imagine the relationship that they had that our Lord would do this. Oh, Moses was not a perfect man and our Lord was upset with Him at times. The reason Moses died and was not able to enter the promised land was because of his disobedience before the people.
“On that same day the Lord told Moses, “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” —Deuteronomy 32:48-52
No, Moses was not a perfect servant, but he was a servant. Now, just as the Lord was with Moses, our Lord told Joshua that “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What an encouragement this had to be for Joshua. As Moses’ aide, he has seen what our Lord did in and through the life of Moses. Now our Lord said He would be with Joshua in the same way.
Joshua had a great responsibility and to fulfill it he must “keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:8-9). And as was stated to Moses by our Lord, so it is for us. We must—
- Keep His Word on our lips
- Meditate on His Word day and night
- Be careful to be obedient to His Word
- Be strong
- Be courageous
- Understand our Lord is always with us
Only then “Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Oh, that we would have a faithful relationship with our Lord as Moses and Joshua did. And may we also see our Lord to wonderful things in and through us as He did them. Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus who said that He would be with us until the end of the age to carry out the mission of making disciples in all the world! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKKybs7o2Q&list=RD1rKKybs7o2Q&start_radio=1