30 More Days... Day 6

Deut. 3:23  “Then I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying:
Deut. 3:24 “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?
Deut. 3:25 I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’
Deut. 3:26  “But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please... If you have kids around 3-4 (or older) you have probably heard this kind of pleading. Can I please! But I want it! But I really do! I really want it! Oh please! Please! And for one reason or another perhaps you were unwilling to grant their request. Perhaps it would have been inappropriate to grant the request because of their just prior actions. After all you shouldn’t reward bad behavior. Perhaps it was just the wrong time. No you can’t have ice cream right before supper! Perhaps it was just bad timing. “I just don’t think that at 3 years old you are ready to care for an elephant!” After all, (as they say in Russian) “if you love to sled, love to pull it up the hill!” There are any number of reasons that we might not grant the request of our children even if it is within our power and their responsibility. We are not being mean. We just know or believe that it is for the best.

Now imagine Moses. He is, the man of God, the prophet and a well know intercessor. In fact, we just saw how on many occasions he has prayed for the nation of Israel to turn away God’s wrath and judgement. He prayed and obtained a stay of execution for the whole nation at Sinai. He prayed and God told him to strike the rock or lift up the bronze serpent. He prayed and the fire of the Lord’s judgement that struck the edge of the camp was quenched. He prayed for Aaron when God was angry over the Golden calf and for Miriam when she was struck with leprosy as she spoke against he own brother. He has cried out for the people on many occasions and obtained favor from the Lord.

Now Moses pleads with the Lord and makes one of the few requests that is truly for himself. It is to this request that God says “no”!

It was one of the many times that the people had lacked something and failed to rely on God for provision. They disparaged the Name of God and His goodness. Instead of faith, they had once again come to Moses complaining and threatening. And as usual, Moses had prayed and consulted God. God told him to go ahead and speak to the rock. This has kind of happened before. The lack of water, the complaints and God telling Moses to go to a rock. The first time God told him to strike it with his staff, but this time Moses is only to speak to the rock. But Moses is angry with the people. He is angry because of their unbelief. He is angry because they have been in this very situation before and seen God’s provision and yet, he sees no increase in their faith. It is the same old story and Moses is tired of it. His frustration and anger get the best of him and he strikes the rock. When water fails to flow he strikes the rock again and then water flows. God answers Moses prayer for provision, yet tells Moses you have not glorified me with your actions and before the people. You will not go into the land with the people when they go in.

Moses’ unchecked anger and failure to obey cost him being able to go into the promised land. However, now the people are approaching the land. They have just won great battles against kings and lands on the far side of the Jordan. The land has been divided among the Rubenites, Gadites and half-tribe of Manasseh. God has begun to fulfill to Israel all His promises to bring them into the land. It is an exciting time. Much is happening. The culmination of all these years of wandering is beginning. It is understandable that Moses would want to see more. So Moses prays...

His praise for God is great. He admits that he has only just begun to see the greatness of God. Yet, Moses has seen much more than the average “hero” of the Bible. He has stood on the mountain of fire at Sinai. He has received the oracles of God. He has witnessed miracle after miracle and provision after provision. God has made the backside of His glory to pass before Moses. Moses’ face has shone with the glory of God’s presence. Yet, Moses admits that he has only begun to know God’s greatness and he wants to know God more. He wants to see His continued work and the fulfillment of the promises. It is understandable. The more we know of God and see of His greatness the more amazing He is to us and the more we would like to see. So now he pleads with God to let him even deeper into this relationship. It is a good and noble request. But God says “no”. He has to say “no”. Moses who has interceded so successfully for others is rebuffed himself. So much so that God says “Enough ... speak to Me no more of this matter”.

It seems to harsh. Why and how could God say no to such a request. Just as parents have their good reasons, God also has His (much more perfect) reasons as well. However, it is not conjecture as to the reasons that is important. It is the understanding that sometimes God says “no” and that even in that no there can be a lot of grace.

There is nothing wrong with Moses’ request. There were others on other occasions within God’s Word that sought mercy from God. Some obtained it and others didn’t. It is good to have an attitude of “who knows, perhaps God will be merciful” and the person that doesn’t have often doesn’t have because they don’t ask. But in this case God answers and He makes it clear that this answer is final. Moses needs to concentrate on something else. It is time for him to put his “house in order”. God answers with 2 final opportunities for Moses to see God’s glory. Rather than bitterness toward the people, endless, useless whining or withdrawn, offended sulking Moses pours himself faithfully and fully into these opportunities.

The first opportunity is that he is to encourage and strengthen Joshua for the sake of the people. So that he may lead them into the promise land. Moses could rejoice that a man that he has spent years training, encouraging and spiritually leading will now continue to lead the people even as he, Moses, can not. God provides a good and holy leader to take Moses’ place, and he can rest in the fact that the people are in good hands. He can rejoice not just in his own victories but in the victories of another and God’s continued faithfulness to His people.

The second opportunity is a more personal one. He will see with his own eyes (at 120 years old) the land that God has promised. He will see it from the top of Mt. Pisgah. Even though he doesn’t have the privilege of leading the people in he still receives much grace from God to be able to see, better than most, the good land before he dies. Even in this he begins to tastes of the fulfillment of the promise of God and enjoys much favor from Him.

Even when God says “no” and His purposes don’t seem clear, yet we can still find grace and mercy from the Father with much opportunity. We must refuse to sulk and question, but stand joyful in all the good things God still provides.

Prayer Request
*For Phil and Yvonne Brewer. Our team members leave to return to the US in less than 2 months after almost 2 years short-term assignment here in Slovenia. Pray for them to be able to finish up well and that God would give success in seeing the Crisis Pregnancy Center opened, that funding for the center would come in, that the upcoming training at the end of September would be well attended and go well and that all the details that still need to come together before they leave and for their return to the US would be provided by God.