Deuteronomy 34:1-12 presents the death of Moses and his burial in the land of Moab. It highlights the absence of access to Moses, who leaves behind no progeny and whose burial site is unknown. The Torah is enduring bequest. The chapter continues the narrative from Chapter 31 concerning the death of Moses and the transfer of leadership to Joshua. At another level, it continues the narrative thread of Numbers 27:12, 18, where the Lord had commanded Moses ascent these heights to survey the promised land before his death and to lay his hand upon Joshua, transferring the mantle of authority to him. The resumption of the narrative forms a literary bracket around Deuteronomy, suggesting that editors interrupted the narrative to work Deuteronomy into the Torah. One can divide this segment into two major sections. The passage has inspired me to write a couple of meditations concerning growing old gracefully and the role the desires of our hearts play during life.
In Deuteronomy 34: 1-4, we find a renewal of the promise of land. Then Moses went up, responding to the command in 32:49 and Numbers 27:12, from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, which is in Transjordan, east of Jericho, to the top of Pisgah, which is slightly to its west, an editor preserving both traditions, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him from this lofty perspective the whole 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 (Mediterranean Sea), 3 the Negeb, and the Plain--that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees--as far as Zoar, the southern end of the dead Sea and one of the cities of the Plain destroyed in Genesis 14:2, 8, 19:29. The Lord shows Moses the Promised Land, but it must have been a vision, for one cannot stand physically anywhere and see what the text says Moses saw. 4 The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
The conclusion of Deuteronomy, therefore, is theologically surprising. Instead of Moses, the great mouthpiece of God and motivator of Israel, triumphantly leading the people into their new life in the Promised Land, Moses is suddenly taken from the scene. A proper and happy conclusion to this part of the biblical story would have been a triumphant liberator and leader like Moses leading the people into the long-desired Promised Land. Instead, Moses receives a fitting tribute and dies. The instrument of the deliverance of the twelve tribes will die without setting foot in the Promised Land. In a salvation history as distinctive as Israel's, there are many surprising revelations and relationships. Most puzzling, of course, has been the unstated reason behind Yahweh's decision to allow Moses to see the Promised Land‑‑but not to allow him entrance into it. While the text itself offers no hint as to why, there are other scriptural as well as numerous midrashic attempts to explain the reasons for Moses' apparent punishment. Various midrashic commentaries suggest Moses' disbarment was actually "on account of" the people's disobedience, or maintain Moses did not actually die, or eventually fall back on arguments of theodicy. The length and breadth of the proposed dialogues Jewish scholars created between Moses and God testify to how difficult it is to accept such a sudden and apparently undeserved fate for one who had stood face to face with God. However, the biblical text does seem to offer reasons of its own‑‑even if it does not explicitly declare the divine judgment. Both Numbers 20:2‑13 and Deuteronomy 32:48‑52 (and suggested by Psalm 106:32) attribute Moses' death outside the Promised Land to the incident at Meribah-kadesh. These texts suggest that when Moses "struck the rock twice with his rod" to bring forth the promised water, instead of trusting in God's promise that he need merely speak, he broke faith with God. Such texts suggest that Moses and Aaron did not trust Yahweh. Such reasoning is in line with what we read in Deuteronomy, in which faithfulness produces blessing and unfaithfulness brings punishment. In contrast, Deuteronomy 1:37; 3:26-28; and 4:21 place Moses in an intercessory role, dying outside of the Promised Land for the sins of the people. In this line of narrative Yahweh’s anger because of the people’s unfaithfulness and doubt leads to punishment. Rather than punishing the people by excluding them from the land permanently, Yahweh will allow the people to enter after a suitable time of deference, the death of the wilderness generation and the death of their leader, Moses. Deuteronomy 31 suggests that the death of Moses is a natural and timely event, as he is now weak and prepares for death. Various midrashic commentaries suggest Moses' disbarment was actually "on account of" the people's disobedience, or maintain Moses did not actually die, or eventually fall back on arguments of theodicy. The difficulty within the Jewish tradition reveals that we long for good reasons for this undeserved fate. Yet, as much as we might analyze it all, if we could know the thoughts of Moses at this moment, he might have agreed that he disobeyed, but the punishment seems rather harsh. Even the Lord had frustration and anger at the Hebrew people during the journey through the wilderness. In a sense, we have the failure of fulfilling the heart’s desire of Moses. The desire of his heart was to lead his persecuted people into a new land. He would see the land, but he would not lead the people into that land. As readers, we are to have a sense of disappointment. All of us have desires of our hearts. Some of us will live our lives faithfully but not find them fulfilled. That is the life of Moses. The focus in Chapter 34 shifts from the reason for the failure of Moses to enter the Promised Land to praise that will take an almost mythic recounting of his accomplishments.
How do we feel when life shortchanges us? When we have paid our dues, done our homework, burned the midnight oil, kept our shoulder to the wheel and our nose to the grindstone, when we have poured our heart, mind and strength into reaching a goal or fulfilling a dream, and then find that the reward is going to elude us, what does that do to us? When, like Moses, we are kept out of our personal "promised lands" for no more reason than "that's the way it worked out," can we carry on without letting that disappointment make us bitter or cause us to give up? Can we remain healthy and maintain our faith in God despite such turns of events? A marriage may not reach the longed-for level of companionship. The job may not have been as fulfilling as we had hoped. Retirement may not be what we envisioned. The words many of us have heard repeatedly come back to us. “If we want something bad enough and work hard, we will achieve it.” Such a statement may have given us the determination to persevere in difficult times, but if we hold on too long, we will never free ourselves for the realities of life now. Some doors have closed. We will not always win. We have no guarantee of happy endings. Sometimes, we miss out. The reason might be bad luck. The reason might be the complexity of the circumstances at a critical moment in our lives. We made a decision that determined a course for our lives. It has led to a failure to fulfill the desire of the heart. We might receive some consolation in the journey we have taken to arrive at the place we now are in our lives. In other words, the goal represented by the desire of our hearts is not everything. It may well be that the desire has led to a worthwhile journey that has nourished your life and the lives of others. Our focus needs to be on the journey we still have the privilege of enjoying. Further, we might also look for new doors that have opened and that we have ignored precisely because our focus was upon opening a different door. We may need to begin again. Most importantly, we may need to learn what we can from not fulfilling the desire of our hearts, relinquish that desire, and discover a new desire.
In Deuteronomy 34: 5-12, we have the second section, detailing the burial of Moses and extolling his virtues and achievements. 5 Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, noting that only in his role as servant does his role as liberator and leader have any significance. Moses died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command. This unusual formulation honors Moses, who, despite advanced age, does not die of old age or succumb to physical or intellectual infirmity. 6 He was buried by the Lord, even as the Lord sealed Noah into the ark (Genesis 7:16), in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, from where Moses has seen the promised land (Deuteronomy 3:29) and in which he delivered the statutes and commands (Deuteronomy 4:46), and part of the territory of Reuben (Joshua 13:12), but no one knows his burial place to this day, precluding pilgrimages to the site as a shrine. Such a fact retains mystery about the person of Moses. Instead of the progeny of Moses assuming the important legal responsibility of caring for the dead, the Lord undertook ti personally. This divine care fits the image of Moses. Yet, the fact stands in sharp contrast to the typical etiological formula in which the burial of a remembered ancestor is significant in the naming of places. We can even contrast it with the massive pyramids of Egypt. In a sense, Moses transcends such boundaries and defies precise definition. His final resting place remains unmarked and unremembered. Yet, the next verses show that people have properly memorialized him in their memories and stories. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old (Deuteronomy 31:2) when he died, a sign of divine blessing; his sight was unimpaired and his sexual vigor had not abated. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, as they did Aaron (Numbers 20:29); then the period of mourning for Moses was ended, the normal and official period of grieving for a parent (21:13). We do not read of special rituals or observances. Yet, Moses was one of a kind as a remarkable servant.
There is nothing automatic about growing old gracefully. Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.[1] A reasonable degree of self-knowledge will help us see the truth of this statement. Regardless of our circumstances, we have internal shortcomings to overcome in order to lead a reasonably happy life. Some do grow old gracefully, but some do not. As we grow older, we can refine our souls, so that our lives conform increasingly to what God would have us to be. In 1900, the average life expectancy was 49. Now, by 2020 it will be almost 80. Those more than 100 are the fastest growing segment of our population. John Wesley commented:
“When I was young, I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me.”
We may be able to live well, but do we live nobly.[2] Some will say that they do not well with aging because they have never been this age before and therefore, they have no practice. In another sense, of course, the way we lead our lives every day is our practice for how we will be in old age. We do not set out to become old. Far from it, we hardly intend to become middle‑aged. Instead, we plan to live in some eternal now which will lead on to something better, something more complete than what we have done before. Sometime in our spiritual travels, as a complete surprise, we notice it has become winter. The waves crashing over the deck are ice‑cold and gray. For the first time, we know we are not going to become old; we are, perhaps without admitting it, already old. Youth and middle age are behind us. This change has occurred, it seems, without preparation, without fair warning.[3]
Here is a little story. A student is on a spiritual quest who discovers a spiritual master. The master instructs the student on many things throughout the book. In one chapter, the two are walking along a sidewalk. The student said, "You know, even in my most brilliant moments, I have not figured out the answer to this question: Why am I here? What is the answer?" The master did not respond immediately. Instead, he just kept walking until they came to a movie theater. The picture that was showing happened to be the favorite of the student, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." They went in. The student was very involved in the movie, and now it was toward the end. Finally, the master said, why are you here? At first, the student does not make the connection, and just wants to be left alone as the movie ends. After a long discussion, the master finally draws this answer from the student: The movie makes him happy, and he just might learn something. For the master, that is enough. We are to be happy. We are to learn.[4]
Vance Havner was one of the great preachers. He died August 12, 1986. He became the best at what he did. Yet, he left behind a beautiful testimony concerning his father. Vance began preaching as a boy. Dad would go along. When he was old enough to go alone, dad would take him to the train station and meet him on his return. At times, with his imagination, he could still see his father waiting for him at the train station. The first thing he asked was: "How did you get along?" In reflection, Rev. Havner then said that when it was his turn to die and go to heaven, he suspects he will see his dad in robes of glory. He would not be surprised if the first words out of his mouth will be: "How did you get along?" He will respond: "Pretty well, and I owe a lot to you for it."[5]
One concern of Moses was that the Israelites would enter the Promised Land. They will not do so under his leadership, but the vision the Lord had given him will find fulfillment in the leadership of another. Human beings will die, of course, but when the vision comes from the Lord, the vision will not. We see a basic truth about charismatic leaders. Their presence can live on beyond them and shape the leaders that will follow. Thus, the text gives a brief account of a shift of leadership as it prepares us for the death of Moses. 9 Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, stressing wisdom as the essential qualification for office, as Moses asked the tribes to select persons of wisdom and discernment (Deuteronomy 1:13) and focused on justice (Deuteronomy 16:18-20), while in Numbers 27:18 Joshua is an inspired man, while Moses was to transfer authority to him, because Moses had laid his hands on him, transferring wisdom to him and investing him with the authority of his new office among the people; and the Israelites obeyed him doing as the LORD had commanded Moses. The laying on of hands occurred in Numbers 27:22-23 as well and is part of the sacrifice ritual in Leviticus 16:2 and Numbers 8:10-13. We can see here that the Spirit of the Lord is the source of wisdom, especially for the political shrewdness needed to lead a people.[6] The account acknowledges the shift of leadership from Moses to Joshua in preparation for Moses’ death, but even in the shift toward Joshua the weight of the account remains with Moses. Joshua’s authority originates in Yahweh and is enough for the tasks to come, but it is still derivative through Moses. The text recognizes one central truth about charismatic leaders: Their presence lives on beyond them and shapes the leadership of those who follow.
The text then offers an almost mythic testimonial concerning Moses. An editor eulogizes Moses as marking the pinnacle of prophecy, both because of his direct access to divine revelation and his power to work miracles. This double-elevation of Moses to an ideal standard differs from his more human representation elsewhere in the book. The contrast between the two suggests that an editor’s later, idealizing retrospective operates here, as Deuteronomy is now worked into the Torah. 10 Never since has there arisen a prophet Israel like Moses, a thought that may arise from the E source. This reminds us that the writing of this text occurs shortly after the exile, after many of the prophets had delivered their messages. This thought contrasts with Deuteronomy 18:18, where the Lord will raise up a prophet for the people who is like Moses. To stress his uniqueness, the text stresses that Moses was the one in whom the LORD knew face to face, as stated in Numbers 12:8-10 (J) and in Exodus 33:11 (J), where the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face as with a friend, reading in Exodus 34:29-30 (J) that his face glowed because he was talking with God, contrasting with dreams or visions. In contrast, the Lord says Moses cannot look upon the face of the Lord (Exodus 33:20-21 J). 11 He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, 12 and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. This reference back to the persecution under Egypt and the dramatic event of deliverance is the primary act of Moses. Israel will have many leaders, but none will compare to Moses. Yet, his time of leadership has ended.
Such a testimonial is a reminder that for each of us others will provide a testimonial. Moses reached old age. We do not automatically grow old gracefully. Old age gives us the opportunity to refine our souls. We need to make decisions now to take care of the old person we are going to become. The finitude of our time ought to teach us to prepare for that last day. Our primary legacy is the quality of our lives. The greatest waste of all is the waste of the limited time we have on this earth.
When is the end not the end? This text ends the Pentateuch and the end of the paradigmatic figure of Israel, Moses. Yet, a new chapter in the Deuteronomic History begins. Commentators have recognized the pivotal place of Deuteronomy in the canon, closing the Pentateuch and providing the opening framework and measuring criteria for the events of the Deuteronomistic History in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The death of Moses in the concluding chapter of Deuteronomy clearly marks this transition and summarizes the events that have gone before in the form of promise and power.
The effect of this account of the death of Moses, seen as the culmination of the momentous events of the Pentateuch and as preparation for the struggles and shifts of the Deuteronomistic History, provides an example of the characteristic biblical tension of the “already, but not yet.” The Lord promises, the Lord defines the covenant, and the fulfillment of the promise is in sight. However, the struggle for fulfillment is ahead. Unfaithfulness and failure are still possible. In fact, the writer of this history knows that both will happen. The tests recounted in the wilderness will continue in the Promised Land. Yet, the narrative will provide a testimony that the covenantal bond forged through the incomparable leadership provided through Moses will not break. The plan of Yahweh will not only survive but also prevail. In fact, the covenant forged by Moses will become the basis for a new exilic and post-exilic community.
[1] Robert Louis Stevenson.
[2] John Updike
[3] Emilie Griffin, Homeward Voyage: Reflections On Life‑Changes (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant Publications, 1994), 11‑12.
[4] Richard Bach, Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah.
[5] Christianity Today, November 7, 1986, 45.
[6]
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