An Unhappy Ending - Deuteronomy 34

Introduction

Have you ever seen a movie or read a book that left you hanging? Where the action just abruptly stops and there is no strong resolution? Such movies and books and shows leave you yearning for more. You get to the end and ask “Where’s the sequel? Where’s the next chapter in the story? This narrative thread has to be wrapped up!”

This is the feeling the author of Deuteronomy 34 is attempting to evoke in your mind as you read the conclusion to Moses’ story. It is not a satisfactory ending. It is not a happy ending. It leaves you wanting more.

So with that in mind, let’s examine the text.

The Promise of God

Verses 1-4 serve as the final interaction between Moses and God. Because of his sin Numbers 20, God told Moses that it would not be him who leads the people into Israel, that he would be kept from it as discipline for failing to obey the Lord and regard Him as holy.

We can make a few observations regarding this final interaction.

A meeting on a mountain. It seems only appropriate, given that Moses first met God on a mountain in the burning bush episode and received the law and beheld his glory on a mountain at Sinai, that we would find him on a mountain during his final meeting with God. This particular mountain, Mount Nebo, is about 10 miles east of the northeast shore of the Dead Sea, and about 15 miles from the inlet of the Jordan river into the Dead Sea, and about 20 miles from Jericho, where the Israelites would go and conquer just a short time after this.

A meeting with a map. The Lord uses this opportunity to show Moses the land. The author here uses some specific places and landmarks to bring us full circle from Dt 3:26-27 ““But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. ‘Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.” Geographically, Yahweh is repeating himself here. In chapter 3 he says lift up your eyes to the west. The western border of Israel is the Mediterranean Sea, often known Biblical simply as “the sea,” and here it’s described as the western sea. In chapter 3 he says lift up your eyes to the north. Gilead is the northernmost region of Israel, and Dan is the northernmost city, near the border of Ammon and Phoenicia. In chapter 3 He says lift up your eyes to the south. The Negev is the southernmost region in Israel, bordering the wilderness of Zin which leads to the Sinai peninsula and ultimately Egypt. Finally in chapter 3 He says lift up your eyes to the east. The cities of Jericho and Zoar are the two most major cities in the western part of Israel, near the border of Moab. And to top it all of, God doesn’t mention in chapter 3 to lift up your eyes to the center, but that is what happens as God also shows him the regions of Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh, which comprise the central part of the land of Israel. The significance of all this is that God gave Moses a gift of grace in allowing him to see the land at all, and more than just glance at it, he was able to see it in it’s entirety.

A meeting with a miracle. John Calvin observes that Moses’ ability to see all this land while on top of Mount Nebo could not have been accomplished apart from a divine miracle. Even on top of a very high mountain, it’s not possible to see all that the Lord showed Moses without divine help. The significance then is that even in his final moments on earth, God was still showing His glory, his majesty, his holiness, and his power to Moses, demonstrating to him that he remained the Great I Am.

A meeting with a memory. Yahweh’s words in verse 4 hearken back to Moses’ very first meeting with Yahweh 40 years earlier at the burning bush. The first words out of Yahweh’s mouth to His servant Moses were Ex 3:6 “He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” and so those same words are also the last out of Yahweh’s mouth to His servant Moses. What’s the significance? This phrase is used in Mosaic literature to remind the reader of the covenant God made with Abraham. That He is the one who made the promises. That He is the one who will keep them. And Moses can see here clearly that God was indeed faithful. He becomes the first eyewitness of God’s fulfillment of His promise to Abraham.

God takes Moses up on this mountain to show him that He is a God of His Word. A God who keeps promises. A God who is faithful to His covenant.

The implication for us is this: if God was faithful to Moses, He will be faithful to us. From the beginning of his walk with Yahweh, despite his stammering tongue, his anger issues, his lack of trust, God was faithful to Moses. Moses’ story is not so much a story about Moses himself, but rather it is a testimony to the work and worth of God. So also are our lives, our stories. We are beset by various trials, various sins, various failings. Yet the faithful God of Israel remains the faithful God of West Hills Church, and the faithful God of Moses remains the faithful God of each one of us here tonight. He held Moses fast, and He will hold you fast.

We see then that the promise of Moses’ death is both a promise reminded and a prayer answered. The promise reminded is that Israel will inherit the land according to what was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The prayer answered is that Moses would see it before his death, as Moses prayed all the way back in Dt3:24-29 “‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. ‘Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. ‘But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’

The Death of Moses

Now I want to take a few moments to zero in on verse 5, and make some observations about the death of Moses.

Death records bear some significance in the Old Testament, particularly in the writings of Moses. We have at least 7 “death certificates,” as it were, recorded for us in the Pentateuch prior to the death of Moses. We have the records of the deaths of Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Miriam, and Aaron.

Now all these death certificate passages follow a pattern. We typically see at least three features: where they died, when they died, and where they were buried. We also see in the records of all but Miriam and Aaron that their age at death is recorded as well. Additionally, we are often given details about who was present and who completed the burial process.

Why all these details? For ancient near eastern peoples, much as for us today, the passing of a loved one or an important figure is an event of great significance. These details provide a few key things to those left behind after the passing of these figures.

A record of the person’s age, and occasionally their state upon their death provides a memorial of their life. Abraham in Genesis 25 is described as 175 years old, and old man who had lived life to the fullest, to use the vernacular.

The place of their death and a record of their burial provide closure for the grieving family and loved ones who remain. Abraham again is described as being buried in the cave of Macpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre. Incidentally this is the place where all the patriarchs were buried, as this plot of land was essentially purchased by Abraham as a cemetery. We know that Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were all buried here, and the logical assumption is that Rachel is buried there as well.

Those who were present at the death or burial provides an opportunity for the legacy of the deceased to be passed on to the next generation. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham, Jacob and Esau buried Isaac, and the entire family was present for the funeral of Jacob.

All these details serve a specific purpose both in the narrative and in the lives of the figures in the narrative.

But what’s interesting is that Moses’ death narrative diverts significantly from the pattern set by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

First, we observe that Moses is described as the servant of the Lord. No other figure is described like this upon their death. This indicates the close intimacy with which Moses walked with the Lord. Last week we observed that Moses was described as the man of God, and that description goes hand in hand with what we see here. Moses was a unique figure in Jewish and indeed in world history. No one quite like him existed before or after.

Second, we observe that Moses died in the land of Moab. The author is careful to distinguish that Moses did not make it to the promised land of Canaan. He died outside in the land of the nation of Moab.

Thirdly, we see that Moses died according to the word of the Lord. This can be understood two ways. First, we can say that Moses died in Moab according to the Word of the Lord. In other words, the location of Moses’ death was determined by what God had said, namely that he would not be allowed to “go over there” into the promised land. Secondly, we say that Moses’ death in and of itself was according to the word of the Lord. We can corroborate this with verse 6, which indicates that God Himself is the one who buried Moses, as well as in verse 7, that Moses’ eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. In other words, naturally speaking, Moses was not necessarily ready to die. He was still clearly full of life, and perhaps may have lived yet another 40 years. But this phrase according to the word of the Lord seems to indicate that God Himself was somehow supernaturally involved in the passing of Moses, perhaps in a similar manner to the passing of Enoch and the passing of Elijah.

Fourth, we see that Moses died at 120 years of age, despite his unabated natural vigor and general liveliness. This is where we really begin to see Moses’ death record divert from that of the patriarchs. The patriarchs are described as old men, ripe, having completed their lives. We know that Isaac was blind and Jacob was bedridden at the end of their respective lives. So it ought to come to us as a surprise that Moses is still not only alive, but alive and well.

Fifth, we see that Moses was buried by God, and that no man knows his burial place. This is another departure from the pattern set by the patriarchs. We would expect Moses’ sons to be present here, Gershom and Eliezer, to bury their father as the sons of the patriarchs did, or at the very least his disciple and heir apparent, Joshua. But that is not the case. Only God is present with Moses at his death, and God is the one who buries him. This also ought to surprise us. The lack of a funeral ceremony or formal interment prevents the nation of Israel from having any type of closure. Psychological scientists who study the science of grief often discuss the importance of the formal ceremony in the grief process. That privilege is not afforded to Israel here, nor even to Moses’ surviving family. John Calvin argues that this is to prevent superstition regarding the burial place of Moses amongst the Israelites, but as I we will see, I think there is something more profound at play here.

Sixth, we see that there was weeping and mourning for Moses after his death by the nation of Israel. This is an understandable reaction, especially in light of the epilogue in verses 10 to 12. Moses was the first and arguably greatest leader Israel ever had. The Lord knew him face to face, he performed mighty and terrific acts in the face of great evil and great opposition. This is a nation who rose to their feet out of respect every time Moses walked through the camp. This is a nation who saw and understood Moses as a man of God and as a servant of the Lord. But this is also a point of divergence from other death narratives in the Old Testament. Only one other time do we hear of the mourning of the death of a significant figure in the Old Testament, and that is Joseph weeping over the death of Jacob, and then ironically, the Egyptians mourning his death for 70 days following. Nowhere else do we hear of a significant figure’s death yielding this response after their death. Not Abraham, not Isaac, not Joshua, not David, nor any of the kings, good or bad, throughout the records of Kings and Chronicles. Only Moses prompts this sorrow and anguish and mourning. We can deduce the following: Israel loved Moses, Israel understood Moses’ significance as a prophet and as a leader, and the author wants to emphasize the sadness of this ending to Moses’ life.

So in making these six observations of the record here of Moses’ death, we see that while utilizing some of the typical conventions of the death records of the patriarchs, this record varies significantly in the details, and to be frank, leaves you unsatisfied, as it likely left the nation unsatisfied. Moses did not seem ready to die, and when he did die, he had no one to attend him, and in the end the people mourn and weep for one month for his death.

Thus we are left with something of an unhappy ending to Moses’ story, or at the very least an unsatisfactory one, especially when considered against the backdrop of the records of the deaths of the patriarchs.

The Passing of the Baton

Verse 9 records for us a brief word on the successor to Moses, Joshua, the son of Nun. We can make 3 observations about Joshua and his ministry as it begins here upon the death of Moses.

Joshua is filled with the spirit of wisdom. Now there is some question as to what type of spirit this is, what the author intended when he used this phrase spirit of wisdom. Some argue that this is the Holy Spirit, acting in a special and isolated manner in the same way that He acts post-Pentecost under the new covenant. Other argue that this is simply “a” spirit of wisdom, and that Joshua just had a special sense about him for leadership and care of the nation. In either case, we see the Joshua was imbued with wisdom for leadership. We can further observe that this wisdom came as a direct result of laying on of hands by Moses. The laying on of hands signifies a blessing, which further reinforces all that we have seen about Moses: he has the authority to confer wisdom as a blessing to another, seemingly as a benefit of his face to face relationship with God.

The sons of Israel listened to Joshua. Because of the spirit of wisdom and the blessing of Moses, Israel respects Joshua’s leadership and listens to him.

The sons of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. As a result of Joshua’s Moses-endorsed, wise, and respected leadership, Israel walks in the Lord’s commands.

This is a fairly incredible sentence. It is also highly dissonant. Time and time again during his ministry, Moses prophesied of the coming apostasy of Israel and the curse that would result from that apostasy. Yet here we see a picture painted of Israel that doesn’t quite fit with those prophecies. And history corroborates that. The ministry and leadership of Joshua is a time of general prosperity and well-being for Israel. They are able to conquer the promised land in the name of the Lord and fulfill all that the Lord commanded. Remarkably, the end of Joshua’s ministry bears a similar testimony to what we see here at the beginning. Joshua 24:31 records that Israel was obedient under the leadership of Joshua: “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”

So we see that in the midst of the apparent unhappiness and lack of resolution surrounding Moses’ death, the one bright spot is the leader in whose hands the nation is left. Or at least it seems that it is a bright spot.

The Legacy of the Prophet

The final 3 verses of Deuteronomy form an epilogue to the book that puts a capstone on the thoroughly unsatisfying conclusion to the book. Moses is described as one of one, in a category all by himself. Since his day, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses.

Moses’ ministry is summarized by 4 statements here:

Moses knew the Lord face to face. This is an echo of Exodus 33:11, which says “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” Moses had a close and intimate relationship with God. This intimacy is the delineating factor beetween Moses and every other prophet who arose after him: none of them knew God face to face like Moses did.

Moses performed signs and wonders in the sight of Egypt. Moses bore witness to the power of God before a pagan people, and wielded that power in God’s name against Pharaoh, against Pharaoh’s servants, and against the land of Egypt.

Moses performed powerful and terrible acts in the sight of Israel. Not only did Moses bear witness to the power and holiness of God before Egypt, he also did so before Israel. This witness of God’s power and might is the same one spoken of at the end of Joshua’s life, when Joshua’s leadership team, his cabinet, the elders that served underneath him, were described as having known all the deeds which the Lord had done for Israel, which by this time would have increased due to the work of God on display throughout the conquest.

So this summary paints a picture of a man whose life was imbued with the might and power of God, to be put on display before a watching world, of both Jew and Gentile. Moses’ ministry was, in the final analysis, upon the occasion of his death, one of glorious demonstration of the power of God in both judgment and salvation. Moses was the tool of God’s judgment for Egypt and simultaneously the tool for God’s mercy for Israel. Through Moses, both were accomplished, essentially at the same time. In a very real sense, God’s judgment and mercy meet at the point where Moses’ arms are stretched wide to heaven and the waters part in two.

Moses was an incredible servant of God. As the primary author of the Old Testament, Moses life and ministry serve as a prototype for faithfulness. His wisdom and faith are virtues to be emulated. His singular focus on the glory of God as revealed in his word sets a particular example for pastors and shepherds of God’s people today.

But we’re still left wanting. Moses doesn’t get to enter the promised land. Moses doesn’t get a proper burial. Moses wasn’t ready to die. Israel mourned his death for a month. And to top it all off, no one has surpassed him since - despite the fact that he said someone would. Back in Deuteronomy 18, Moses prophesied that one day a prophet like him would arise, and Israel would listen to him. The author closes by lamenting that this has not come to pass.

And so we are left hanging. Left waiting for a sequel. Left waiting for the new prophet who would arise to from the Sons of Israel, who would speak with the authority of Moses, so that the nation might listen to him.

Christological Conclusion

As we have seen for the last 18 months, the book of Deuteronomy is pre-eminently Christological. Shadows of the Messiah loom large over this book at every turn.

It is only appropriate then, as the book concludes, that we should see Christ promised, prophesied, and prefigured as we do every single week.

Now, an important interpretive help in understanding how Deuteronomy 34 teaches us about Christ comes from Hebrews 3:5-6 “Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” In other words, Moses was faithful as a servant in the house, Christ was faithful as a Son over the house.

This servant-son distinction will help us as we look at how Christ proved to be the true and better Moses through the parallels that we find in this text.

Geographical parallels

First, we see that Christ and Moses ended their ministries in similar places geographically. 34:1 records Moses going up to a mountain where his ministry will conclude, Matthew 28:16 which we looked at on Sunday records Jesus going up to a mountain where his ministry will conclude.

By going up to the mountain, Jesus is signalling to anyone with a knowledge of the Old Testament that He is linking Himself to the ministry of Moses. This then becomes a portion of what Jesus meant when He said that He had not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. By going up to the mountain, Jesus shows that there is in fact one prophet who has arisen in Israel who is like Moses.

Theological parallels

In verses 1-4 Moses the servant is shown the whole land, but told that it is not his. He cannot enter it because of his sin. Christ the Son, on the other hand, declares that authority over all the heavens and all the earth have been given to him. Moses saw just a part of the land, and was not worthy to enter it, let alone rule over. Christ is given the entire created order as his footstool, proving that while Moses was a faithful servant, He is in an entirely different category, for He is a Son.

Likewise, Moses the servant is buried by God, and no one knows where that burial place is, to this day. But Christ the son, in the sight of all his disciples and indeed before the whole world, ascended to the Father where He now reigns and intercedes.

Even further, Moses the servant, despite his age, was still full of life and vigor at his death. Christ the Son, at His ascension, was full of life and vigor of a different category: the life and vigor of resurrection glory.

Reaction parallel

Moses the servant prompts a reaction of weeping and mourning at the end of his ministry. According to Luke 24:50-53 “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.” The ascension of Christ the Son prompts a reaction of rejoicing and worship.

Commission Parallel

Moses the servant commissions one man to teach Israel all that God had commanded. Christ the Son commissions 12 men to teach the world all that He had commanded.

As a result of Moses’ blessing, the Holy Spirit comes upon Joshua. As a result of Jesus’ blessing, the Holy Spirit comes upon the apostles.

Ministry Parallel

The ministry of Moses the servant is summed up with 4 markers:

A unique ministry - No prophet has arisen like Moses.

A divine ministry - Whom the Lord knew face to face.

A ministry of judgment - All the signs performed against Egypt

A ministry of mercy - All the signs performed for Israel

Likewise, the ministry of Christ the Son can be summed up with the same 4 markers:

A unique ministry - John 3:1-2 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”” Luke 8:25 “And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”” The ministry of Jesus was unlike anything else seen before or after him. No one has arisen not only in Israel but indeed in the world who can liken themselves to Christ the Son.

A divine ministry - John 10:30 ““I and the Father are one.”” Moses the servant knew God face to face. Christ the Son was God, having the divine in his very nature. What Moses only knew, Christ was.

A ministry of judgment - John 5:22 ““For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,” Just as God’s judgment was poured out on Egypt through the ministry of Moses the servant, so also God’s judgment will be poured out upon the world through the ministry of Christ the Son.

A ministry of mercy - Ephesians 2:1-7 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Just as Moses the servant demonstrated the mercy of God in the deliverance of Israel from the hands of their enemy, so also Christ the Son demonstrated the mercy of God in the deliverance of His elect from the hands of their enemy.

It is then no wonder that the author of Hebrews can say with such power and clarity: Hebrews 3:1-6

Hebrews 3:1–6 NASB95

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

The end of Moses’s life and ministry leave us unhappy and unsatisfied so that we might look ahead to it’s fulfillment in Christ, and there and only there, find our greatest happiness and our deepest satisfaction.

Conclusion

The book of Deuteronomy is rich and deep. It provides us with a foundation upon which to interpret the rest of the Old Testament. It establishes the vocabulary of the histories, the Psalms, the Writings, and the Prophets. It provides the basis for God’s covenant with His people throughout all time. It teaches real, practical wisdom for life’s questions. It paints a clear picture of the ministry of Moses, a unique, divine prophet of judgment and mercy. It is a rewarding 34 chapters, and as we have seen, drinking deeply of it’s waters yields both refreshment and rebuke, encouragement and exhortation, doctrine and doxology, piety and practice. We thank God for Deuteronomy, and we thank God for Moses.

But in the final analysis, one thing must come clear and remain clear: Deuteronomy is a book about Christ. A book that paves the way for the one who would come as the better prophet, better priest, and better king. The one who would come to fulfill each and every word, each and every brushstroke laid down in these pages. The one who would, finally, arise in Israel as a greater prophet than Moses. The one whose ministry does not end in sadness or dissatisfaction because it does not end at all.

Every time we return to this book, may we see Christ clear in it’s pages. May we be reminded of His words and works, given and done not to abolish Deuteronomy, but to fulfill it. In Christ, these 34 chapters provide food for the soul. May we plant ourselves in the book of Deuteronomy like trees by streams of water, that by it we may grow up into the likeness of Christ.