Advancing to Canaan

1. Advancing to Canaan Lesson 28 Cities of Refuge The Death of Moses Joshua, the Son of Nun

2. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.(Joshua 1:9)

4. On the mountaintop, he . . . • gazed on the scene before him--the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Mt. Hermon to the north, the tableland of Moab to the east, and the desert of their long wanderings to the south • he reviewed his life of hardship since he left Egypt as a prince, his life as a shepherd , the burning bush, the mighty miracles of God for the Israelites, and his sin that marred his record

5. He also was given a view of the Land of Promise--every part of the country was spread out before him, clear, distinct and beautiful to his vision. “ In this scene it was presented, not as it then appeared, but as it would become, with God’s blessing upon it, in the possession of Israel. He seemed to be looking upon a second Eden” (PP 472).

6. There were mountains clothed with cedars of Lebanon, hills gray with olives and fragrant with the odor of the vine, wide green plains bright with flowers and rich in fruitfulness, here the palm trees of the tropics, there waving fields of wheat and barley, sunny valleys musical with the ripple of brooks and the song of birds, goodly cities and fair gardens, lakes rich in "the abundance of the seas," grazing flocks upon the hillsides, and even amid the rocks the wild bee’s hoarded treasures.

7. Moses saw the chosen people established in Canaan, each of the tribes in its own possession. He had a view of their history after the settlement of the Promised Land; the long, sad story of their apostasy and its punishment was spread out before him. He saw them, because of their sins, dispersed among the heathen, the glory departed from Israel, her beautiful city in ruins, and her people captives in strange lands. He saw them restored to the land of their fathers, and at last brought under the dominion of Rome. {PP 475.1}

8. He was permitted to look down the stream of time and behold the first advent of our Saviour. He saw Jesus as a babe in Bethlehem. He heard the voices of the angelic host break forth in the glad song of praise to God and peace on earth. He beheld in the heavens the star guiding the Wise Men of the East to Jesus, and a great light flooded his mind as he called those prophetic words, “There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17.

9. He beheld Christ’s humble life in Nazareth, His ministry of love and sympathy and healing, His rejection by a proud, unbelieving nation. Amazed he listened to their boastful exaltation of the law of God, while they despised and rejected Him by whom the law was given. He saw Jesus upon Olivet as with weeping He bade farewell to the city of His love.

10. As Moses beheld the final rejection of that people so highly blessed of Heaven--that people for whom he had toiled and prayed and sacrificed, for whom he had been willing that his own name should be blotted from the book of life; as he listened to those fearful words, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38), his heart was wrung with anguish, and bitter tears fell from his eyes, in sympathy with the sorrow of the Son of God. (PP 475.2)

12. He saw the land spread out before him. • He saw the land blessed by God--like a garden of Eden. • He saw the rebellion and apostasy of Israel. • He saw the baby Jesus and his life. • He saw the death of Christ. • He saw the apostles and the spread of Christianity.

13. He saw him opening the gates of heaven to welcome Jesus after his resurrection. • He saw the last great struggle to destroy those who keep God’s law. • He saw the second coming, the righteous dead raised, the living saints translated. • He saw the earth made new.

14. Then, like a tired warrior, he lay down to rest.

15. Moses was shut out of Canaan to teach a lesson that should never be forgotten.

16. God requires exact obedience, and men are to be aware of taking to themselves the glory which is due to their Maker.

17. By Nebo’s Lonely MountainSing to to tune of “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains,” #445

18. By Nebo’s lonely mountain,   On this side Jordan’s wave, In a vale of the land of Moab   There lies a lonely grave; And no man knows that sepulchre,   And no man saw it e’er, For the angels of God upturned the sod,   And laid the dead man there.

19. That was the grandest funeral   That ever pass’d on earth; But no man heard the trampling,   Or saw the train go forth— Noiselessly as the daylight   Comes back when night is done, And the crimson streak on ocean’s cheek   Grows into the great sun;

20. Noiselessly as the spring-time   Her crown of verdure weaves, And all the trees on all the hills   Open their thousand leaves; So without sound of music,   Or voice of them that wept, Silently down from the mountain’s crown   The great procession swept.

21. Perchance the bald old eagle   On grey Beth-Peor’s height, Out of his lonely eyrie   Looked on the wondrous sight; Perchance the lion stalking   Still shuns that hallowed spot, For beast and bird have seen and heard   That which man knoweth not.

22. But when the warrior dieth,   His comrades in the war, With arms reversed and muffled drum,   Follow his funeral car; They show the banners taken;   They tell his battles won, And after him lead his masterless steed,   While peals the minute-gun.

23. Amid the noblest of the land   Men lay the sage to rest, And give the bard an honour’d place   With costly marble dress’d, In the great minster transept,   Where lights like glories fall, And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings   Along the emblazon’d wall.

24. This was the truest warrior   That ever buckled sword; This, the most gifted poet   That ever breath’d a word. And never earth’s philosopher,   Traced with his golden pen On the deathless page truths half so sage   As he wrote down for men.

25. And had he not high honour,—   The hill-side for a pall, To lie in state, while angels wait   With stars for tapers tall; And the dark rock pines, like tossing plumes,   Over his bier to wave, And God’s own hand, in that lonely land,   To lay him in the grave?

26. In that strange grave without a name,   Whence his uncoffin’d clay Shall break again—O wondrous thought!—   Before the Judgment Day; And stand, with glory wrapped around,   On the hills he never trod; And speak of the strife, that won our life,   With the Incarnate Son of God.

27. O lonely grave in Moab’s land!   O dark Beth-Peor’s hill! Speak to these curious hearts of ours,   And teach them to be still. God hath His mysteries of grace,   Ways that we cannot tell; He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep   Of him He loved so well. Cecil Frances Alexander

28. Andrew Dunn_wikipedia

29. Before the Israelites went over into the land of Canaan: • Miriam died at Kadesh--Numbers 20:1 • Aaron died on Mount Hor--Numbers 20:22-29 • Moses died on Mount Nebo--Deuteronomy 34

30. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Jude 9)

31. As Christ and the angels approached the grave, Satan and his angels appeared at the grave, and were guarding the body of Moses, lest it should be removed. As Christ and his angels drew nigh, Satan resisted their approach, but was compelled, by the glory and power of Christ and his angels, to fall back.

32. Satan claimed the body of Moses, because of his one transgression; but Christ meekly referred him to his Father, saying, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Christ told Satan that he knew Moses had humbly repented of this one wrong, that no stain rested upon his character, and that his name in the heavenly book of records stood untarnished. Then Christ resurrected the body of Moses, which Satan had claimed. (1SP 342; published 1870)

33. Moses passed through death, but Michael came down and gave him life before his body had seen corruption. Satan tried to hold the body, claiming it as his; but Michael resurrected Moses and took him to heaven. Satan railed bitterly against God, denouncing Him as unjust in permitting his prey to be taken from him; but Christ did not rebuke His adversary, though it was through his temptation that the servant of God had fallen. He meekly referred him to His Father, saying, “The Lord rebuke thee.” (EW 164; published 1882)

34. Satan exulted that he had succeeded in causing Moses to sin against God. For this transgression, Moses came under the dominion of death. If he had continued faithful, and his life had not been marred with that one transgression, in failing to give to God the glory of bringing water from the rock, he would have entered the promised land, . . .

35. and would have been translated to Heaven without seeing death. Michael, or Christ, with the angels that buried Moses, came down from Heaven, after he had remained in the grave a short time, and resurrected him, and took him to Heaven. (4aSG, p. 57; published 1864)

36. Notwithstanding the fact that Moses was the meekest man that lived upon the earth, on one occasion he drew the displeasure of God upon himself. . . . The undeserved reproaches of the people which fell upon him led him for a moment to forget that their murmuring was not against him, but against God; and instead of being grieved because the Spirit of God was insulted, he became irritated, offended, and in a self-willed, impatient manner struck the rock twice saying: “Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?” . . . (CC 109)

37. Moses revealed great weakness before the people. He showed a marked lack of self-control, a spirit similar to that possessed by the murmurers. He should have been an example of forbearance and patience before that multitude, who were ready to excuse their failures, disaffections, and unreasonable murmurings, on account of this exhibition of wrong on his part. The greatest sin consisted in assuming to take the place of God. (Ibid.)

38. Patience and gentleness under wrong were not characteristics prized by the heathen or by the Jews. The statement made by Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that he was the meekest man upon the earth, would not have been regarded by the people of his time as a commendation; it would rather have excited pity or contempt. But Jesus places meekness among the first qualifications for His kingdom. In His own life and character the divine beauty of this precious grace is revealed. (MB 14)

39. Moses was a type of Christ. He received the words from the mouth of God, and spoke them to the people. God saw fit to discipline Moses in the school of affliction and poverty, before he could be prepared to lead the armies of Israel in their travels from Egypt to the earthly Canaan. The Israel of God who are now passing on to the heavenly Canaan have a Captain who needed no earthly teaching, as did Moses, . . .

40. to perfect him for the work of a divine teacher and leader to guide his people into a better and heavenly country. He manifested no human weakness or imperfection; yet he died in order to obtain an entrance for us into the promised land. (1SP 343)