May 30

Deuteronomy 3 I’ve got a mind like a steel trap—its rusted shut. Jesse and I traveled in Pisgah. It is in modern day Jordan. You probably saw the picture a number of pages back. While travelling I wished that I could remember all of the significance events that happened around Pisgah. In general Pisgah refers to the ridge of mountains beginning just north of the Dead Sea and running south. The ridge lies east of the Jordan and Dead Sea. Nebo generally refers to the specific peak to which Moses climbed to see the promised land. While Jesse and I were up there, all that I could think of was Moses’ last stop before heaven. Of course, it overlooks where the children of Israel camped before crossing into Jordan. Their encampment also seems to be where Balaam sought to earn the reward of Balak. From Nebo you can see east and west where Moabite and Ammonite kings would have invaded Israel during the period of the Judges. From Nebo you cans see where Naomi would have crossed from Bethlehem to Moab to escape the drought and then crossed back over years later when Ruth accompanied her. From Nebo you can see where David’s army would have crossed the Jordan to begin the siege of Rabbah Ben Ammon. From Nebo you can see approximately where John the Baptist baptized at Bethabara. But the most significant thing is this is where Moses looked into the Promised Land. At least at the age of 40 Moses fancied himself to be some sort of deliverer. He committed murder to try to accomplish it. His violence was discovered, and he had to run for his life. I would suspect that 40 years of living as a shepherd in the desert caused him to abandon all hope of being a great deliverer. Then he had a face to face encounter with the living God at the burning bush. Now he had learned to let God be God. He no longer wanted the assignment of deliverer. It was too risky, but the glory of God was too great. It compelled him to go. Time and again he encountered problems whereby he learned new and afresh that God glorifies Himself the most when we are the most helpless. Time and again he learned that the LORD is slow to anger, merciful and compassionate. Time and again he heard the audible voice of God and spoke with him as a man with a friend. He even got to see the back side of the glory of God! But he had one slip up where he did not publically acknowledge God. He struck the rock rather than speaking to it as commanded by the LORD. He defamed the glory of the Lord in front of the nation. For that reason, the LORD would not let him enter into the Promised Land. But he does get to see it from Nebo. It was time for Moses to pass on the mantle to Joshua. From now on Joshua would be the conduit through whom the glory of the LORD would be revealed. Are we first of all experiencing the glory of the LORD? Secondly are we passing it on to someone else. As Moses did, so should we! Hmmm. . . to whom am I passing it on? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john