Chapter 43—The Death of Moses
This chapter is based on
Deuteronomy 31
to
34
.
In all the dealings of God with His people there is, mingled with
His love and mercy, the most striking evidence of His strict and impar-
tial justice. This is exemplified in the history of the Hebrew people.
God had bestowed great blessings upon Israel. His loving-kindness
toward them is touchingly portrayed: “As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him.” And
yet what swift and severe retribution was visited upon them for their
transgressions!
The infinite love of God has been manifested in the gift of His
only-begotten Son to redeem a lost race. Christ came to the earth to
reveal to men the character of His Father, and His life was filled with
deeds of divine tenderness and compassion. And yet Christ Himself
declares, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no
wise pass from the law.”
Matthew 5:18
. The same voice that with
patient, loving entreaty invites the sinner to come to Him and find
pardon and peace, will in the judgment bid the rejecters of His mercy,
“Depart from Me, ye cursed.”
Matthew 25:41
. In all the Bible, God
is represented not only as a tender father but as a righteous judge.
Though He delights in showing mercy, and “forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin,” yet He “will by no means clear the guilty.”
Exodus 34:7
.
The great Ruler of nations had declared that Moses was not to
lead the congregation of Israel into the goodly land, and the earnest
pleading of God’s servant could not secure a reversing of His sentence.
He knew that he must die. Yet he had not for a moment faltered in his
care for Israel. He had faithfully sought to prepare the congregation to
enter upon the promised inheritance. At the divine command Moses
and Joshua repaired to the tabernacle, while the pillar of cloud came
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and stood over the door. Here the people were solemnly committed to
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