Mountain Top Man

Deuteronomy 34:1–6 (ESV) 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, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And the Lord said to him, “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, but you shall not go over there.” 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.

Moses met God in the burning bush on the mountain.
Moses heard from God and received the law on the mountain.
Moses prayed and won spiritual victory for Israel on the mountain.
And Moses saw what his life produced on the mountain right before he died.

As sad as it is to see Moses end without being in the promised land the Lord did allow Moses to SEE the Promised Land. That is pretty terrific. Imagine getting to the end of your life and seeing what your life helped produce for those who come after you? Imagine being able to observe where your influence has opened doors for those you led? I think it's every leader's hope to see that after he's done working in God's kingdom, his work mattered and made a difference. For Moses, he saw exactly where the people were going to dwell. Now he gets to die knowing that his life with all the challenges and difficulties really did impact people. I believe this is one of the blessings God gives to servants who don't give up even when they know they might not get everything they wanted.

A good question to ask yourself is this: Are you investing in those who come after you? Someday, as hard as this is to consider, you will no longer be here. You will leave behind all that God has given you and told you. Don't die with that stuff in your head! Moses did a few things to make sure those after him were well equipped by him. 

First: He wrote it down. He recorded the work of God. Remember the first battle that Joshua was involved in after the exodus? He takes on the Amalekites while Moses is on the mountain? It says after that battle these words:

Exodus 17:14 (ESV) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

He left behind a record and told people to make sure his followers read it so they would know where God is taking them. 

Second: He raised up and empowered his successor. Other than speaking of his death and burial, Deuteronomy 34 reminds us that Moses equipped Joshua through the laying on of hands. 

Deuteronomy 34:9 (ESV) And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This action is recorded in Numbers 27. It is the first time someone laid a hand on someone else for commissioning them to the leadership in the Lord's work. Today, the laying on of hands is common in many streams of the Christian faith. We believe it is important to signify both spiritually and physically that someone has been appointed by God to carry on His essential work in the world.

But notice that Joshua was FILLED with the Spirit of wisdom because Moses had done this. The physical and VISIBLE passing of the torch is essential for those next-generation leaders. There can be NO ambiguity among those they lead that they are the chosen successors. This will help squash any sort of divisive spirit among God's people. Leaders, do this clearly before you leave! 

Notice the chapter records that no one knew where Moses was buried. There was to be no "homage" to Moses' resting place. God's people had to move on and live in the future, not their past. Good leaders remember their reward is with God in heaven, not on Earth. 

So the question again for every leader/Christian is this: who is going to be your Joshua? I believe Church leaders need a vision for the future of the movement and investment in the people we believe God will use to take them there. Moses ended his life on a mountain having experienced both. And so we close his books remembering that investing in God's movement and God's next leaders are so essential to what we do.