Moses and Deuteronomy

A new generation of Israelites that didn't witness God's miraculous delivery of their fathers from the hand of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, were born during the wilderness wanderings. Their God gave them laws that, if they obeyed would make them His peculiar people. This new generation had to be reminded of these laws which were righteous. Moses had to rehearse them to these young people. God presented to them blessings if they obeyed and kept the commandments and curses if they didn't. How sad and downcast Moses was that he wouldn’t be able to enter this land of Canaan. His repeated mentioning of the incident in Deut. chapters 1:37, 3:23-27, and 4:21-22 confirms this.

Moses toil, anguish and efforts to lead this stiff-necked people to the promised land had not materialised. This people that he had cared for caused him to forget to follow the instructions of the Lord concerning speaking to the rock to produce water. What a pity! His plea to God to let him enter the land was refused. Why? 'To whom much is given, much is required’ The people were looking up to him to guide them in their walk with God. He was their leader.

A big lesson for us! Ecclesial leaders, and in fact everybody else, must be careful how they conduct their lives. All should be geared toward giving glory to God's name. Hear the apostle Paul himself in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27. I have heard scornful comments from people in this form: 'See he who calls himself a christian'. We are the light of the world and we must show this by living exemplary lives so that God's Name will be glorified always. What a pity it would be if we preach and convert others and they inherit the Kingdom but we ourselves are thrust out. Let the case of Moses teach us a lesson.

Bro Elijah Okorie (Togo)