My Life is Submitted as a Servant of God
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (NASB)
1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the territory in the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not go over there.” 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, in accordance with the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eyesight was not dim, nor had his vigor left him. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land— 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
SUMMARY
The book of Deuteronomy comes to an end with this last chapter which describes the death of Moses. Moses climbs up Mount Nebo where God shows him all of the Promised Land ahead, which God reaffirms he would not enter. After capturing the full vision of God’s promise ahead with his own eyes, Moses dies in Moab, and the Lord Himself buries Moses in a valley, which no one knows the exact location to this day. It is noted that though he was 120 years old, his eyesight was clear and he was physically strong. The Israelites mourned his death for 30 days, and Joshua, being full of the spirit of wisdom, took the place as their next leader.
Moses was a prophet whom the Lord knew intimately, “face to face”. The Lord performed miraculous signs and terrifying acts of His mighty power through his faithful and obedient servant, Moses.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Moses’ life was fully submitted to the Lord as a servant of God, and because he gave his entire life to serve the Lord faithfully, God performed the great miracles and wonders through his servant, Moses. After considering everything Moses experienced and witnessed through his life, all of the struggles, training periods of his life, and eventually performing the mighty wonders of God were possible because he continually humbled himself in front of the Lord, as the Lord’s worker and servant. God sustains and blesses His faithful servants to the very end. In Moses’ case he lived a fulfilled life until 120 and maintained his eyesight and physical strength. His death was mourned by all his people for 30 days, and he is recognized in God’s Word as a faithful and trusted servant of the Lord, whom no other prophet, before Jesus, knew the Lord so intimately. Although he was not able to physically enter the Promised Land, I believe at the end of Moses’ life, as he saw the Lord’s Promised Land before him, he profoundly realized the infinite greatness of the Lord and His promise. It must have filled him completely with comfort, hope, and true fulfillment in his last moments on earth, after he had dedicated all his life to God’s will and purpose. Moses also understood that God was infinitely greater than His servant, and the Lord’s work would continue to be fulfilled even after Moses’ death. I believe Moses had the fullness of assurance and heavenly peace as his physical body died to be eternally with the Lord.
APPLICATION
Through the entire time reading and meditating in Deuteronomy, God healed me and lifted me up from many ungodly habits and sins of my heart that came from me being a disobedient servant- I was listening, but not actively working. As I finish this book closing with the end of Moses’ life, I’m going to continue pressing on diligently in my actions and obedience. It will be with intimate prayer time and empowered by His Holy Spirit, just as a diligent servant of God. Before this season of studying this book, I would only take in the words of God, but not commit myself to fearfully and diligently obey His commands. I was the master of myself, easily giving in to my fleshly inclinations, and particularly giving in to my emotional reactions when I had bitterness towards others. I let it overtake my thoughts and did not actively obey God in my heart and in my actions toward others. Throughout reading this book, I had many precious, intimate quiet times with the Lord. I realized that as a servant of God, I must actively serve Him by carefully obeying his commands, denying myself as my master. The Lord is my master, and because of that, I am truly blessed.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your holy and precious word in this book of Deuteronomy. I desire to be a servant of God by releasing all of my will and sinfulness, and trading them all for the blessings of your direction. I truly do not want to be the master of life. I have experienced the darkness of giving into myself to lead my own life, but thank God that I have also experienced the blessings and true joy from humbly submitting to the Lord. You are the Almighty Lord of all, and you are also my tender hearted Abba Father. You will instruct me, raise me, and take the best care of me from my life to death. I simply long to be your good and faithful servant. Thank you God, for your Word. Help me to seek it, actively obey it, and pray to you all my life.
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