April 30, 2010

“And the LORD was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land! 38 Instead, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will lead the people into the land. Encourage him, for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it. 39 I will give the land to your little ones—- they will be the ones who occupy it.40 As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.’
“Then you confessed, ‘We have sinned against the LORD! We will go into the land and fight for it, as the LORD our God has commanded us.’ . . . “But the LORD said ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies. Deuteronomy 1:37-46

Reflection

Is it not TOTALLY UNFAIR that Moses, the one who gave up his right to the throne of Egypt, the one who risked his life to rescue his ancestral family, the one who selflessly led his people for more than a generation, did not get to enter the promised land himself? It sure looks unfair to me.

But there is no account of Moses pouting or screaming, “Unfair!” The scripture says that he confessed his own sin. This is Godly leadership at its best. Such leaders know their own sin and own up to it. They see themselves as no better than anyone else and no less deserving of God’s punishment. They admit their sin.

And they accept the consequences. Having confessed and hoping for another chance to enter the promised land, he wasn’t granted one. Had he gone ahead with a second attempt at “plan A” he would not have succeeded. Plan “A” had expired. The consequences, from a human point of view, were severe. No promised land for Moses, at least in 1400 BC. But Moses could see beyond Palestine. And this is another Mark of a servant of God, his vision transcended himself. Here’s how the writer to the Hebrews put it.

“(Moses and other heroes of the faith) died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. . . . ..looking forward to a country they can call their own. . . . . . . they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16 (NLT)

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