The Exodus and the wilderness · Deuteronomy 34
The Death of Moses on Mount Nebo
Moses goes up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. The LORD shows him the whole land: from Gilead to Dan, to the western sea, to the valley of Jericho, “the city of palm trees.” Then he says to him, “This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob… I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.” Moses, the servant of the LORD, dies there, according to the word of the LORD. He was a hundred and twenty years old, his eye undimmed and his strength unabated. The LORD himself buries him in a valley, opposite Beth-peor; no one knows his grave to this day. Israel weeps for him thirty days. Joshua, filled with the spirit of wisdom, takes his place. There has not arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, “whom the LORD knew face to face.”
What happens
- Moses climbs Mount Nebo and looks out over the land Deuteronomy 34:1–3
- “I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither” Deuteronomy 34:4
- Moses, the servant of the LORD, dies in the land of Moab Deuteronomy 34:5
- The LORD buries him: no one knows his grave Deuteronomy 34:6
- At a hundred and twenty, his eye was not dim Deuteronomy 34:7
- Israel weeps thirty days; Joshua, full of wisdom, succeeds him Deuteronomy 34:8–9
Who is in this story
The lesson
Moses served God to the end without entering the promised land, but the LORD honored him by burying him himself and giving him a successor. God’s work is bigger than any one servant: we receive it, we serve it, and then we pass it on.
And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
Quick quiz on this story
Which mountain does Moses climb before he dies?
Moses goes up “from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho,” and the LORD shows him all the land. Deuteronomy 34:1
How old is Moses when he dies?
“Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” Deuteronomy 34:7
Who buries Moses?
The text is clear: “he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” Deuteronomy 34:6
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