“Then 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… ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes’” (Deuteronomy 34:1, 4).
Mature Christianity gives us Mt. Nebo moments, times when we reflect and look forward. Ahead of him Moses saw the fulfillment of the promises and must have thought back on all he had gone through during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Jesus is our Moses leading us out of slavery to sin and death. Jesus is our Joshua leading us across the Jordan into the promised land. “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).
Our own Mount Nebo moments will look back at all that Jesus went through for us. He became one of us because He loves you. He healed the sick and raised the dead to show us that He has the power to bring us safely home. He spoke words of faith and hope, so that you and I will persevere in our pilgrimage. He died so we can have peace with God and fear no condemnation when we die. He rose from the dead and will raise us from the dead. Seeing the eternal promised land before us, why did we doubt God’s presence in our lives? Why did we grumble? Why did we complain? Why did we so often leave God in church when we went home? Why did we try to face life on our own? Why did we not always show joy? Why were we not more heavenly minded in our daily life? “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:9, 11).
“Though nature’s strength decay, / And earth and hell withstand,
To Canaan’s bounds I urge my way / At His command.
The wat’ry deep I pass, / With Jesus in my view,
And through the howling wilderness / My way pursue.”
(Lutheran Service Book, 798:5)
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