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543 | Deuteronomy 34 - Face to Face with God · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  God is in control.
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  She's a happy girl. Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman
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  at the Well Ministries, where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus
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  like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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  Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
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  Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
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  or on our website at watwm.org, We invite you to sit down with us as we look
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  to the scriptures to learn more about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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  Have you ever wondered what it looks like for life to finish well?
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  Deuteronomy chapter 34 gives us one of the most beautiful conclusions to a story in all of Scripture.
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  Moses, the servant of the Lord, reaches the end of his journey,
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  and God himself brings him to the top of Mount Nebo to see the promised land that lay before Israel.
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  Moses had led faithfully, prayed boldly, interceded passionately,
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  and walked closely with God.
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  And at the end of his life, God honored him in a way that belongs only to those who know him deeply.
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  This chapter reminds us that the true measure of a life is not what we accomplish,
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  but how well we walk with God.
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  It shows us the compassion of a God who stays with his people to the very end
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  and the faithfulness of a servant who finished the work God gave him.
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  Join us in this episode of the Woman at the Well Ministries podcast as we explore
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  the life, legacy, and final moments of Moses and focus on Deuteronomy 34.10, which says,
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  There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.
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  Let's discover together what it means to finish well, to walk closely with God,
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  and to trust Him in every season of life.
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  Join with us as we read the final chapter in the book of Deuteronomy,
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  Deuteronomy chapter 34.
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  And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo.
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  To the top of Pisgah that is over against Jericho.
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  And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead unto Dan,
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  and unto Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and the land of Judah
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  unto the utmost sea, and the south and the plain of the valley of Jericho,
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  the city of palm trees, unto Zor.
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  And the Lord said unto him, This is the land, which I swear unto Abraham,
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  unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it to thy seed.
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  I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
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  So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab,
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  according to the word of the Lord.
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  And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth Peor.
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  But no man knoweth his sepulcher unto this day.
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  And Moses was 120 years old when he died.
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  His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
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  And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days.
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  So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
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  And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom.
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  For Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the children of Israel hearkened
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  unto him, as did the Lord commanded Moses.
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  And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,
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  whom the Lord knew face to face.
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  In all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh,
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  and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty hand,
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  and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel.
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  Deuteronomy chapter 34 is one
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  of the most tender, solemn, and beautiful chapters in all of Scripture.
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  It brings the book of Deuteronomy to a close, and it also brings Moses' earthly
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  life and ministry to its completion.
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  After journeying through 40 years of wilderness wanderings, 40 years of leading
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  a difficult people, and 40 years of faithfully serving the Lord,
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  Moses arrives at the end of his appointed work.
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  Verses 1-4 open with the Lord bringing Moses to the top of Mount Neba,
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  to Pisgah, a mountain that overlooks the promised land.
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  From this mountain, God himself shows Moses every part of the land,
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  the land promised long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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  This land stretched from Gilead in the north through the land of Ephraim,
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  Judah, and the plains of Jericho, all the way to Zor.
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  Moses was not going to enter the promised land, but God graciously let him see it with his eyes.
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  In verse 4, God reaffirms that he was keeping his covenant.
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  He would give this land to Moses' descendants, even though Moses would not go over the Jordan.
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  Verse 5 describes the death of Moses in language that communicates honor and intimacy.
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  So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab,
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  according to the word of the Lord.
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  Moses did not die by accident, by illness, or by human hand.
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  He died at the command of God, in the timing of God, and in the presence of
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  God. And verse 6 tells us something amazing.
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  The Lord buried Moses.
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  No other person in Scripture is said to have been buried by God himself.
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  Moses' grave was intentionally hidden. God likely did this to protect the Israelites
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  from turning it into some sort of shrine or falling into idolatry.
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  Verse 7 notes Moses' strength at the time of his death.
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  He was 120 years old, yet his eyesight had not dimmed and his natural force had not abated.
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  Moses did not die weak or frail. His death was not due to the weakness of age,
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  but due to the completion of God's purpose for him.
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  In verse 8, we see the deep grief of the Israelites. They mourned Moses for
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  30 days, the traditional period of mourning for someone of such great importance.
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  Moses had been their leader, their intercessor, their teacher,
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  their lawgiver, and their friend.
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  His absence would be felt profoundly.
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  Verses 9-12 bring the chapter and the Pentateuch to a close by reaffirming Moses'
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  unique position among the people of God.
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  Joshua, filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on
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  him, would now lead the Israelites, but Moses remained distinct.
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  Verse 10 says, There arose not a prophet since in Israel unto Moses,
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  whom the Lord knew face to face.
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  It's a powerful testimony of Moses' intimacy with God and of the extraordinary
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  signs and wonders God performed through him.
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  These final verses highlight Moses' unique ministry.
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  No one else had confronted Pharaoh. No one else had stood between God and the people as Moses had.
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  No one else had received the law directly from the Lord.
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  Moses' life was marked by miracles. Leadership, humility, and obedience.
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  And this chapter closes with a fitting tribute to a man who walked faithfully with God.
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  When we look at Deuteronomy 34, we are reminded that our lives are ultimately
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  measured by our relationship with God.
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  Moses's greatness was not based on his accomplishments, leadership skills, or miraculous deeds.
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  His greatness was rooted in
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  the simple and powerful truth that he knew the Lord and walked with him.
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  This chapter teaches us that even the best servants of God have limitations.
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  Moses had been a faithful leader, yet he could not enter the promised land.
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  That was not a punishment as much as it was a reminder that the promised land
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  would not come through Moses.
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  It would come through Joshua and ultimately point forward to Jesus.
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  Moses completed the work God gave him. Our job is not to do everything,
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  but to be faithful in what God gives us to do.
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  We also get to see God's deep compassion.
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  He did not leave Moses to die alone. He took Moses up the mountain,
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  showed him the fulfillment of the promise, and then buried him.
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  But a perfect reminder that God is personally involved in the lives of those who love him.
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  He cares for us in life, and he cares for us in death.
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  Psalm 116 says that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
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  Moses' life and death show us that truth.
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  Joshua's rise to leadership reminds us that no one is irreplaceable in God's
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  kingdom. The work continues.
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  God raises up new leaders. His purposes never depend on one person alone.
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  Moses was faithful, and Joshua would now be faithful.
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  God still works this way. When one season ends, God provides what is needed in the next.
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  The final verses of this chapter call us to reflect on our own walk with God.
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  We may never stand before a Red Sea or confront a Pharaoh, but we can walk with.
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  God in such a way that he becomes our treasure, our guide, and our strength.
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  Moses' life reminds us that knowing God face-to-face is the greatest honor we
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  will ever have, and this chapter encourages us to live in such a way that when our time comes,
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  we too will have completed the work God gave us, and we too will be welcomed
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  home by the Lord who loves us.
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  Remember that you are loved. Jesus loves you.
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  Thank you for joining us in today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for
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  quotes from today's podcast and scripture references.
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  We pray today has been a blessing, and we encourage you to reach out to us through
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  our app, our website, or our Facebook page.
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  store or through our website at watwm.org.
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  And it is through your loving and generous support that our ministry continues to bless others.
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  To learn how to partner with Woman at the Well Ministries, please visit our website.
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  Thank you to the Gospel Group Fudge Creek for letting us use their hit song, Happy Girl.
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  We greatly appreciate your prayers. We are praying daily for our listeners.
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  Remember that God loves you. You are loved.