Deuteronomy 34 and Book Conclusion

Deuteronomy 34

Was Moses the most illustrious Old Testament character who ever lived? The end of Deuteronomy avers, "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face" (verse 10). Pretty high praise, even if it's tempered by the knowledge that the "since then" probably wasn't all that long after the book of Deuteronomy was written. But to know God face to face--that's quite an intimate relationship to have with the Creator of the universe, especially in the days before He sent His son to earth.

However, even though Moses was very tight with God, he still screwed up. As a consequence, he got to see a marvelous vista of the Promised Land, but he never actually got to set foot in the land of milk and honey. Imagine if you were a kid (or adult, I guess) who loved Disney with all your heart, drove or flew with your parents to Anaheim, parked in the gargantuan parking lot, and took a tram to the entrance of Disneyland only to have your parents say at the main gates, "Amazing, isn't it? Can you see the train and Mickey Mouse in there? Well, guess what? Because you threw a fit at Costco yesterday, you're not going to go in. But look how exciting it looks! OK, time to go back home."

OK, Moses's error was more egregious than this hypothetical kid's (and the parents infinitely more sadistic), but still…what a tease. At least Moses got one last good image in his head before he died.

Book Conclusion

If I had been an Israelite who had listened to Moses's 34-chapter-long speech, I admit that I would have forgotten a whole lot of it soon after. As I've written before, I'm not an auditory learner--I have the semblance of a good listener, but I appear that way because if I don't pay attention closely to what people are saying, I won't process it. Thank God, then, that I'm privileged to live at a time when the word of God is printed and available for perusal at my leisure.

Sure, much of Deuteronomy is repetitive, but Moses inserted enough of his little nuggets to enliven the proceedings. We also get a sense of what Moses thought was most important for the Israelites to remember--chiefly, obedience to God. He even listed a whole litany of curses that would befall them if they decided to screw around a bit. Despite a few grumblings, though, Moses understood that the legacy of God's people would continue beyond his lifetime. His exhortations to obey, and even his censures, revealed his considerate care for His people. Even with his flaws, Moses ultimately proved that, for the most part, he deserved the moniker of the one who knew God "face to face."