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Deuteronomy 1-6
Deuteronomy 7-11
Deuteronomy 12-16
Deuteronomy 17-24
Deuteronomy 25-30
Deuteronomy 31-34
 
 

Most of the book of Deuteronomy was written by Moses; after the death of Moses, the final chapters were written by Joshua, around 1407 B.C.  It is a book of remembering.

Some of the ways we remember the events of our lives are by keeping a diary, journaling or looking at photos.  When our daughters reached the ages of 9 and 10, I felt as though we had not spent enough time together as a family.  My memory wasn’t good at recalling special moments, times of silliness or just everyday events.  So I organized our photos so that we could see what we had done year after year.  Even now, as our daughters are grown and our sons are 8 and 10, we keep photo albums for each year so that I can always be assured that we have spent quality time together as a family.   Occasionally, we will pull out the photo albums and enjoy pictures from the past of vacations, family times, goofy play, and just day-to-day events.  These photo albums serve as a comfort and reminder to me of days gone by. 

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Israelites of what God had done for them.  He wrote down the things that had happened, and he painted pictures for their minds-eye of how God had delivered them and provided for them over the 40 years since they had left Egypt.  Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s presence and guidance among them, and stressed the importance of walking in obedience with God. 

It is interesting to note that these words came directly from the mouth of Moses.  This is the same man who, 40 years earlier, had said to God, “I have never been eloquent; I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:20).  Moses allowed God to work through and mature him so that he overcame his fear of public speaking; and as you read the book of Deuteronomy, you will be amazed at how God spoke eloquently through Moses.

Though the trip from Horeb to the border of Canaan would normally be an 11 day trip (Deuteronomy 1:2), the Israelites took 40 years to get there.  Not because they were lost, but because the Lord was teaching them during those 40 years how to follow His laws and how to depend and trust in Him.

Lots of times we make our own lives harder by refusing to be obedient to what the Lord is asking of us.  Each of us knows right from wrong – it is engrained in our human makeup - in our conscious.  When we ask Jesus to be Lord of our lives, God gives each of us His spirit to live within us – His Holy Spirit.  As we sin or make wrong choices, we are aware of our sins because God’s Spirit causes us to feel unrest in our inner souls.  In following God, we need to do as the Spirit of God directs us in small choices and in big decisions.  Only through this obedience will we learn to know God in a more intimate way.  He shows and teaches us who He is a little at a time, just as He taught the Israelites.

In the first six chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Israelites that they were to:
Observe the laws and decrees carefully and to be obedient to God’s commands.
If you do, “Nations will say of you, ‘What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?’  He has made for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds.”

Do not worship idols or the Lord will scatter the Israelites among the nations. 
But if you are scattered among the nations and you repent and “if you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Deuteronomy 4:7

Be careful to remember the things God has shown you and impress them upon your hearts.  Teach these great miracles and events to your children and to their children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Deuteronomy 6:4

All four of our children love to hear stories of when they were younger.  They have heard the same stories over and over, but still enjoy the recollection of things they did when they were smaller.  We love to tease them over the silly things they used to say and to rejoice with them over their achievements, whether great or small.  In telling these stories over and over, we ingrain a sense of family in them; a sense of who they are and how much we enjoyed them as babies, toddlers, children.  Moses stressed the importance of teaching our children about their backgrounds, their family heritage and history, the spiritual growth and development of our families.  God emphasized the importance of parents teaching the Bible to our children.  We should place a high priority on  teaching our children about spiritual matters.   If we want our children to follow God, we must make God a part of our everyday experiences.

Today we can find comfort by remembering how God has helped us in the past.  We can remember things that God has done for us by reading through our spiritual journals.

Below is a Psalm written by Asaph (a musician of David and Solomon).  He wrote this psalm about things that had occurred 400 years earlier, before he was born.  How did he know what had happened at the crossing of the Red Sea?  From the Israelites telling and retelling stories of God’s provision and greatness to each generation so they would not forget God.  In this Psalm, Asaph recalls the miracles that God performed for the Israelites as they crossed the Red Sea. 

Psalm 77:13-20
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; 
Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
And consider all your mighty deeds.

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
You display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
The descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw you, O God,
The waters saw you and writhed;
The very depths were convulsed.
The clouds poured down water,
The skies resounded with thunder;
Your arrows flashed back and forth.
Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
Your lightning lit up the world;
The earth trembled and quaked.
Your path led through the sea,
Your way through the mighty waters,
Though your footprints were not seen.

You led your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

"Thank you O Lord for our memories, for our experiences, and for our leaders and ancestors who have given us a great heritage in knowing You.  Teach us to love You more, and teach us to love each other.  Teach us to find joy in telling others about your greatness.  Amen."
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We may also become acquainted with people that influence us to do things that are out of character for us, because we lack the self-confidence to “just say no”.   Beware of becoming closely associated with people who may become a bad influence on you, with the intent of ‘helping them’.  We may think it’s all right to be close to sin as long as we don’t participate.  But being close can hurt us as we become attracted and finally give in.   The best way to stay away from sin is to surround ourselves with people that will build us up and help us become better individuals.  My friend Suzanne says, “I have come to a point where I search out people that I want to become like; I search for friendships that will build me up and help me grow – both spiritually and as a wife and mother.”  That’s advice straight from the Bible, where Paul teaches that we are to “flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  2 Timothy 2:22.

The Israelites dealt with similar problems.  The Lord warned them over and over again to drive out all of the people in the land of Canaan when they entered the land.  He said, “Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.  Do not intermarry with them.  Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods."

*God told the Israelites to destroy their enemies totally.  How can a God of love and mercy wipe out everyone, even children?  Although God is loving and merciful, he is also just.  These enemy nations were as much a part of God’s creation as Israel was, and God does not allow evil to continue unchecked.  God had punished Israel by keeping out of the promised land all those who had disobeyed.  The command to destroy these nations was both a judgment and a safety measure.  The people living in the land were being judged for their sin, and Israel was God’s instrument of judgment – just as God would one day use other nations to judge Israel for its sin.  God’s command was designed to protect the nation of Israel from being ruined by the idolatry and immorality of its enemies.  To think that God is too ‘nice’ to judge sin would be to underestimate Him.  (*NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan)

All through these chapters, Moses outlined characteristics of God so that the people could know God better.  'The Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.  The Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.  The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.  The Lord your God will deliver them over to you.  No one will be able to stand against you.'  Deuteronomy 7.

Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s provision for them as they traveled through the wilderness for 40 years.   “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.  Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.  Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.”

The Lord does test us in order to know what is in our hearts, but more directly, I believe He tests us so that we can see for ourselves what is in our hearts.  I have occasions when I am embarrassed by things that I say and do, and realize that the Lord has tested me and I have failed the test.  We are so heavily covered in God’s love and grace that He continues to test us over and over again until one day we will get it right.  Sometimes I feel like I’ll never get out of the wilderness of testing and move onto a higher plain.  Perhaps that is just a part of spiritual growth and maturity.

As Moses prepared the Israelites for what was ahead in the land of Canaan, he reminded them that the people they would come against were strong and tall … they were called the Anakites.  On the first spy mission into Canaan, the spies reported that giants lived in the land.  These giants were the Anakites and were probably over nine feet tall.  Moses assured his people that the Lord would go ahead of them and prepare the way.  “The Lord your God will drive them out before you.” 

I am a believer in memorizing scripture – when you are in difficult circumstances that you don’t know how to handle, sometimes the Lord will place these scriptures on your mind, and repeating them can help you during the situation.  At other times, when your mind is focusing on negative thoughts, you can repeat scripture in your mind, and turn your thoughts to the positive.  In Chapters 10 and 11 there are many good verses that are great for memorizing and repeating.  Here are a few:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all our soul and with all your strength.”  Deuteronomy 6:5 and 10:12

“The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome.”  Deuteronomy 10:17

“Fear the Lord your God and serve him.  Hold fast to him … He is your praise; he is your God.”  Deuteronomy 10:20

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  Deuteronomy 11:18

Let the words of scripture influence your life.  Use them to build yourself and others up.  Use them to keep your mind centered on God and all that He has done for you.  The scriptures are beautiful and wonderful words, written by God to encourage and inspire us to walk daily with Him.

WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty;
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
written by Philip P. Bliss, 1874
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Moving is a tough assignment – packing our belongings and changing homes, leaving behind family and friends, and heading to a new place. But moving can be a refreshing experience because it affords us the chance to start over, leaving behind old attitudes and bad habits and building a better life on experiences we bring to our new homes.

In our scripture reading, the Israelites were given a fresh start in beginning a nation totally devoted to God.   Once they crossed the Jordan River, they would be in their new home; the land promised to their forefathers.  Moses reminded the Israelites that they were to remain faithful to the Lord in their new land; and if they did, He would give them rest from their enemies so that they could live in safety.  In essence, they were crossing the Jordan so they could find rest and start a new life.  Their old life included slavery, disobedience, idol worship and stubbornness.  Their new life had the potential to be so much better, if only they would be obedient to God, learning from their past experiences, and leaving behind old attitudes and bad habits.

We each have a “Jordan river” – something that separates us from living a full life in Christ.  What is your hardship or area of stubbornness that you are having difficulty surrendering?  Will you cross over that stormy area … will you cross over your “Jordan river” and leave your old life behind so that you can find rest in God?  He has a promised land waiting for each of us where we can find rest.   Jesus said, “Come to me and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28.  Jesus is our promised land – our land of rest.  While we may not have the life of ease we dream of while living on earth, we are promised an eternity with the Lord in heaven.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16.  We must be faithful to the Lord to obtain the fullest life on earth.  And when our life here is finished, we are promised that we will spend eternity with the Lord.

The Israelites were reminded that after they entered their new land, they were to destroy all idols and pagan altars because the Lord did not want His people to fall into the trap of worshipping pagan gods.  He said, “You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.  They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”

Moses warned against false prophets who would tempt the people to turn to other gods.  We still need to heed this warning today about false teachers:   “Do not listen to their words.  The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Moses also taught that if anyone tempts you to go astray saying, ‘let us go and worship other gods’, we are to inquire, investigate and probe what they say thoroughly. We can research their Biblical interpretations by reading the Holy Bible ourselves.  We can seek out godly counsel on various topics.  We are responsible for the choices we make and for the life we lead.  If we allow anyone to lead us astray then the fault is ours.

The Lord does test His children to see how much we love Him, but through this testing and through our obedience to Him during the testing, we will grow closer to Him.   He will permit people to come into our paths and tempt us.  In facing these trials and temptations we can become stronger in our faith and relationship with the Lord.  When situations arise and we feel we are being tempted or tested, we should pray and ask the Lord to show us how to handle the situation.  No matter who tries to draw us away from the Lord, whether family, friends or religious teachers, we are to always follow the Lord and turn away from the tempter.  This is a struggle we will have for the remainder of our lives because people and things will constantly get in the way of our devotion to the Lord, if we allow it.  We must be on guard spiritually and mentally against anything that will turn our attention and focus away from our relationship with the Lord.  If we will believe steadfastly and wholly on Him, then everything that challenges us will strengthen our faith.  In Zechariah 13:9, God says, “I will bring them into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.  They will call on my name and I will answer them.  I will say, ‘They are my people’ and they will say ‘The Lord is our God.’”

In the book, “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers teaches:  “As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you.  These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith, you will exercise your right to waive your rights and let God make your choice for you.  God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith.  But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you.  This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.”
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These chapters of Deuteronomy are filled with fore-shadowing of the true King of Israel, the Prophet of Israel that would speak words that would forever be engrained in the hearts and minds of man, and laws that would affect His life as He walked on earth, and that would no longer be needed after His death and resurrection.  These chapters foreshadow the gift of Jesus Christ, our Prophet and King.  In the Old Testament, we learn of laws that God put into effect so that the Israelites would learn to live in harmony with each other and learn to walk with the Lord.  Our reading this week covers a review of some of those laws and shows us how God started preparing the Israelites for the Messiah long before His coming. 

The Lord directed that when the Israelites settled in Canaan and decided to appoint a king, they should appoint one of their own people.  God was not encouraging the Israelites to appoint a king – He was their King.  But He knew that the people would want to be like the other nations around them and be governed by a human king.  The Lord directed that the appointed king would need to read the words of God all the days of his life so that he would know the commandments of God. 

The Israelites would, in the coming years, go through many kings – some would be godly men leading the Israelites in the ways of God, and others would be evil men, turning the Israelites toward idol worship and self-centeredness.  Before the writings in Deuteronomy, God had already planned to send a king to the Israelites; a king that would know the words of God and would obey all that God commanded.    In the New Testament, the final king of the Israelites would appear.  Not to reign over an earthly kingdom such as Israel, but over the children of God, which is His Kingdom.  Our King – the deliverer of our sins – is Jesus Christ.   Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He is our King and He is our hope.  If we will allow Him, He will reign over us forever.

The Lord promised that after Moses, He would raise up a prophet from among the Israelites who would speak the words of God and do everything the Lord commanded him.  The Israelites were to listen to him.   The people believed this prophet was Joshua, because he led the people after the death of Moses.   As a matter of fact, the Lord raised many prophets for the Israelites to follow.  Some prophets predicted the birth of the Messiah, Jesus.  The prophet that God spoke of in Deuteronomy was Jesus – Jesus spoke the words of God and did everything the Lord commanded him, which included sacrificing His life so that all people could have forgiveness of sin.

Moses reminded the people not to be afraid when they went into battle because the Lord would give them victory.  “The Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”  Once in Canaan, the Israelites would have to rid the land of its inhabitants – they would be in many battles before they were able to live in peace in the land.  For cities within the land of inheritance, the Lord commanded that they “not leave alive anything that breathes … otherwise they will teach you to follow all detestable things they do in worshipping their gods, and sin against the Lord.”  He did this to protect the Israelites from idol worship, but the Israelites did not completely destroy the evil people and they eventually fell back into idol worship.  For cities outside the land of inheritance, they were to first make an offer of peace to the people and take the people to become their ‘forced labor’.  If the offer of peace was rejected, then the Israelites were told to ‘lay siege to the city’, kill the men, and take the women, children, livestock and everything within the city as plunder.

Here are some explanations of the laws listed in Deuteronomy 22, 1-12: 
- If we find something that doesn’t belong to us, we should return it to the rightful owner.
- If we see someone struggling, we should help him or her. 
(The parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:27-37)
- Women are to act like women and men are to act like men.
- A parapet around the roof is the same as a guardrail; so putting a parapet around the roof was a safety measure to keep others from falling off.
- If you plant two kinds of seeds in one vineyard, both will not thrive because one will grow taller and take all the sunlight and nutrients, thus starving the other plant.
- Don’t yoke together a donkey and ox because they have different amounts of strength and size as well as temperaments.
- Wool and linen are two different kinds of threads that wear unevenly and wash differently – to combine them would reduce the life of the garment.
- Wearing tassels on the four corners of their cloaks served as a reminder of the commands of the Lord.

One additional law that was carried out after the death of Jesus is: “If a man found guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight.  Be sure to bury him that same day because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.”  Deuteronomy 21:22.  This scripture is referenced in the New Testament when Jesus died on the cross.  Though he did not commit a capital offense, he was found guilty of being the Son of God, and hanged on a cross to die.  Jesus was taken down from the cross the day He died and buried in a tomb, in accordance with this law. 

In researching a little further we read in Galatians 3:10-13 that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ freed us from the curse of not living by the Old Testament laws and of other curses associated with the Old Testament law:  “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed is anyone who is hung on a tree.’  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”  The Old Testament law was the covenant of law between God and Israel.  The new and better way is the covenant of grace – Christ’s offer to forgive our sins and bring us to God through his sacrificial death.  These things will become clearer are we continue our study of the Bible.  For more reading on this topic, read Hebrews 8.

Life is defined as the period from birth to death.  It’s what we do with that gift called life that defines our person – who we are, who we have touched along the way, and where we will go once that life is finished.    Our lives can be filled with joy regardless of the hardships that we face along the way.  Our lives can be so much more than they are today, if we will only put our trust in the Lord and allow Him to lead us along the path He has chosen for us.

In our reading this week, we reach the closing of Moses’ address to the Israelites reminding them of God’s provision for them during their wanderings in the wilderness and the laws they must follow once they enter the Promised Land. 

Moses dealt with the issue of discipline and punishment.  The Bible teaches that we are to discipline our children.  In Deuteronomy 25, we learn some important principles about discipline:  1) The punishment should follow quickly after the offense; 2) The degree of punishment should reflect the seriousness of the offense, and 3) The punishment should not be overdone.  Discipline that is swift, fair and restrained makes its point while preserving the dignity of the child.  The Lord teaches us that discipline is necessary and that when we love our children, we will discipline them appropriately, as the Lord disciplines us when we sin.  We learn and grow through discipline. 

“The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father disciplines the son he delights in.”  Proverbs 3:12.   “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”  Proverbs 10:17.  There’s that word again – LIFE – our lives are not only the period from birth to death, but also a period of learning, making mistakes, being corrected, and growing.  We need to heed to discipline so that we can show others the way to life.

God taught the Israelites that they were to set aside the first part of the harvest (firstfruits) and present them to the Lord.  They were also taught to present a tithe back to God.  A tithe is a tenth of all that you receive given back to God.   We are to give a tenth of all that we receive back to God, whether it be money, talents, harvest, etc.

“A tithe of everything from the land, whether rain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”  Leviticus 27:29-31.  “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.”  Deuteronomy 14:22.  The tithe and firstfruits were used to compensate the priests and to care for the alien, the fatherless and the widows of the towns so that their needs would be provided for and their lives would be blessed.

After Moses had reviewed the laws with the people, he called them together to ask them for a commitment to the Lord.  In my imagination, I see a wedding ceremony taking place.  The bride is the entire assembly of the Israelites, each listening to the promises made by their groom, who is the Lord.  As the groom speaks of all the things he will do to provide for his bride, she listens intently, wanting with all of her heart to please him.  After he has presented his vows to her, he will ask for a commitment – will you choose to live the remainder of your days committed only to me?  Will you love me with all of your heart and soul?  Will you be faithful and true to me only?  That’s what the Lord asks of us when we ask Him to be Lord of our lives.  To be His bride, committed only to Him, loving Him each day as if it were the first day of our union. 

Moses reminded the Israelites of all the Lord had done for them, of His promises to care for them and to provide for them, and in Deuteronomy 30:19, he asked the Israelites to decide for themselves, but his summon was “Choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the Lord is your life.”

 I say to you, “Choose Life”, so that you may live and know the joy that comes from knowing the Lord your God … truly knowing Him and the sound of His voice; truly knowing the joy of having Him on your heart and mind every waking moment of every day.  “Choose Life".  Choose Christ.
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Preparing for departure can be a heart-wrenching experience.  My friend Paula sat with her husband while he was battling cancer and watched his life depart from him.  Her husband, Terry, was a Christian and was ready to go home to be with the Lord.  I can only imagine the bitter sweetness that Paula felt as she held Terry’s hand and listened to his last breaths; the way she savored his every breath, his sweet scent, the sound of his voice and the touch of his hand;  the pain that she felt in knowing that he would not be around much longer to hold and comfort her, and yet I imagine she felt a sense of peace in knowing that soon Terry would be with his Heavenly Father and have an escape from the pains and toils of cancer.  A bittersweet departure.

My dear friend Patty just moved back to New York.  That’s a long way from Texas.  A few days before she left, I had her over for dinner.  As she shared her experiences and how God had prepared the way for her to return home, I sat quietly and listened, taking in the sound of her voice, the shape of her face, her laughter and her funny phrases and ways.  I savored each and every word because I wanted to ingrain her presence in my mind.  I knew it would be a long time before I would see her again.  That night was a night of bitter sweetness.  I knew that my days ahead would be filled with emptiness from Patty’s departure, but I also knew that the Lord was sending her home to her family so that He could use her to reach others for His kingdom.  A bittersweet departure. 

When Moses was 120 years old, he prepared the Israelites for his death by commissioning Joshua as their new leader and reminding them that “The Lord will go ahead of you; be strong and courageous; the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua had been Moses’ assistant for many years and had seen the many signs and miracles that the Lord had performed.  Joshua learned leadership skills from Moses and was filled with the spirit of wisdom.  The Israelites had an excellent replacement in Joshua.

In preparing to leave his people, Moses recorded the words of the Lord so that the Israelites and their descendants would always have them to read and study.  The Lord warned Moses that at some point in the future, the Israelites would fall back into idol worship and leave God behind.  But Moses knew that the written words of God would be available to them when they chose to return to the Lord.  Moses told the Israelites, “Take to heart all the words I have declared to you this day.  They are not just idle words – they are your life.  (Deuteronomy 32:45-47)

I imagine the Israelites felt a bitter sweetness as Moses gave his last address to them and taught them the song recorded in Deuteronomy 32, and I imagine that the Israelites savored his every word, taking in the sound of his voice, his teachings and his presence. Moses had been their spiritual leader for 40 years and had seen them through many trials and victories.   Though they knew that Moses would be going home to be with the Lord, they also knew that he would be missed.  A bittersweet departure.

“Moses died at 120 years old and the Lord buried him, and no one knows where his grave is.  Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do.  For no one has ever shown the mighty power and performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

Mary