Death of Moses
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to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of
Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulcher.”
Many would have been in danger of committing idolatry over his dead
body, had they known the place of his burial. For this reason it was
concealed from men. Angels of God buried the body of His faithful
servant and watched over the lonely grave.
But he was not long to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself, with
the angels who had buried Moses, came down from heaven to call
forth the sleeping saint. Satan had exulted at his success in causing
Moses to sin and thus come under the dominion of death. The great
adversary declared that the divine sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return” (
Genesis 3:19
), gave him possession of the
dead. The power of the grave had never been broken, and all who were
in the tomb he claimed as his captives, never to be released.
As the Prince of life and the shining ones approached the grave,
Satan was alarmed for his supremacy. He stood to dispute an invasion
of the territory that he claimed as his own. He declared that even Moses
was not able to keep the law of God. He had taken to himself the glory
due to Jehovah, the very sin which had caused Satan’s banishment
from heaven, and by transgression had come under the dominion of
Satan. The archtraitor reiterated the original charges he had made of
God’s injustice toward him.
Christ might have brought against him the cruel work which his
deceptions had wrought in heaven, causing the ruin of a vast number
of its inhabitants. He might have pointed to the falsehoods told in Eden
that had led to Adam’s sin and brought death upon the human race.
He might have reminded Satan that it was his own work in tempting
Israel to murmuring and rebellion which had wearied the longsuffering
patience of their leader and in an unguarded moment surprised him
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into the sin for which he had fallen under death. But Christ referred
all to His Father, saying, “The Lord rebuke thee.”
Jude 9
. The Saviour
entered into no dispute with His adversary, but then and there began
His work of breaking the power of the fallen foe and bringing the dead
to life. Here was evidence of the supremacy of the Son of God. Satan
was despoiled of his prey; the righteous dead would live again. Moses
came forth from the tomb glorified and ascended with his Deliverer to
the City of God.