Upon the death of Moses’ tired, worn out, physical body; God buries him.  God buries his old body where no one else can find him.  Moses is gone from the sight of the people he led for decades to receive God’s reward of being with God always in heaven.  How do we know that Moses lives with God? God later sends Moses along with Elijah to have a meeting with Jesus, God’s One and Only Son, who is “on assignment” to save the world, once and for all, for all our sins.

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” –Jesus, Matthew 17:1-9

Deuteronomy 34—FINAL CHAPTER OF MOSES…or is it?

The Death of Moses

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, ² all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, ³ the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

⁵ And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. ⁶ He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. ⁷ Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. ⁸ The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ¹¹ who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. ¹² For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is above all and in all creation.  God is in control.  God was, is and always will be God.  God directs the mission of His Plan to save us. God will prevail.  God is faithful. God lives. God loves.  We are always on the mind of God.  God knew all have sinned and in need of rescue.

Moses was a man, not perfect in all his ways, but who believed in what God said.  God had a plan for Moses that began at his birth and continued until his death.  For one hundred and twenty years—God nurtured and led Moses to lead God’s Chosen people out of Egypt so they could be free to love Him back with all their hearts, minds, and souls. When they trusted and obeyed all went well for them.  When they did not, they put themselves in harm’s way and had to pay the consequences of their own selfish actions.  But still, God loved them. God loved Moses.  Moses completed the mission God had for him. Moses was a Friend of God—and what a relationship they had!

Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph, a couple who loved God and were both born from the hereditary line of the Chosen.  God trusted His Son, Jesus to this couple who loved Him dearly.  Mary and Joseph listened to God and guided this child with wisdom from infancy to adulthood.  Jesus was Son of Man and Son of God in the same body.  Jesus was sent on a mission of rescue; similar to God’s plan for Moses. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

It is the love of God that directs the Plan of God to give LIFE forever to all who believe!

During that week, the disciples must have pondered and discussed what Jesus meant by His death and resurrection.  God knew their hearts and provided a divine revelation of what eternal LIFE looks like. God planned for a select few disciple to see Jesus—in all His glory—meeting with Moses and Elijah!  Peter, James, and John fall on their faces in humbled respect for Moses, the Rescuer of their people and for Elijah the Great Prophet who proclaimed God! 

PROOF OF LIFE!

Moses and Elijah, once dead and gone from this world are both alive!  They have been sent by God to talk with Jesus. Did they come to encourage Jesus who would go through the most excruciating death of all times so that sinners could be saved?  We don’t know what they discussed but we know how they came! 

Moses, the great leader and Elijah the prophet, came to talk with Jesus on the mountain, shining brightly, in new glorious bodies, that were recognized and known by Jesus!  Jesus was “transfigured,” too!  Light spilled out from Jesus with brilliance so bright the disciples had to cover their blinded eyes from the explosive brightness. Brightness poured through every pore of his skin and stitch of his robe. Mark writes that Jesus’ “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (Mark 9:3).  And we worry about what we will wear to church on Easter Sunday!  Could this be why Jesus said, “Do not worry about what you will wear?” (Matthew 6:25-34) God takes care of all we worry about needlessly.

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5). He dwells in “unapproachable light” (1Timothy 6:16). The transfigured Christ, then, is Christ in his purest form.  It’s also Christ as his truest self, wearing his pre-Bethlehem and post-resurrection wardrobe. One who is “holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). A diamond with no flaw, a rose with no bruise, a song on perfect pitch, and a poem with impeccable rhyme.” –Max Lucado, The Encouraging Word Bible

And because Jesus defeated the Enemy of the darkness of death and rose victoriously in resurrection power, HE LIVES!  And because Jesus lives—We who believe will LIVE forever with Him—in all His glory with new glorious bodies!  John, the eye witness to the Transfiguration of Christ, writes; “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2

God wants us to be prepared for life forever with Him.

The first step we take is to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. Receive Jesus by faith knowing our sins have been paid in full.

We fully realize that we did not deserve this act of kindness that led to our redemption and we certainly cannot earn it but we humble bow to accept this gift from God who loves us. 

We surrender ourselves daily to God as an offering to Him for all He has done for us, asking now what He wants. 

We then accept the Gift of God’s Holy Spirit who with power helps us to live a life holy, pleasing to God—all for our good and His glory!

We believe that Jesus died and rose again to give us this hope of glory. 

Because Jesus lives—we live—now and forever!

Lord,

Thank you for your word that explodes with the truth of your love for us!  May your glory be seen today with grateful praise.  May your glory be seen in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM!

The sky shall unfold
Preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him
With thunders of praise

The sweet light in His eyes, shall enhance those awaiting
And we shall behold Him, then face to face

O we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His glory
O we shall behold Him, yes we shall behold Him
Face to face, our Savior and Lord

The angel will sound, the shout of His coming
And the sleeping shall rise, from there slumbering place
And those remaining, shall be changed in a moment
And we shall behold him, then face to face

We shall behold Him, o yes we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His glory
We shall behold Him, face to face
Our Savior and Lord
We shall behold Him, our Savior and Lord
Savior and Lord!

(Source: LyricFind; Songwriters: Dottie Rambo; We Shall Behold Him lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Concord Music Publishing LLC)