Deuteronômio 3

Deuteronômio 3

Trapp - Christians must be sober in prayer. {1Pe 4:7} Socrates, a heathen, could say, We should pray for no more but this, that good things may be given us of God, who best knoweth what is best for us to receive. Raymond Brown has some sage insights on Moses prayer request... Moses often sought the Lord on behalf of the people (9:25–29) but in this instance he prayed earnestly for himself. With the disappointing years of the wilderness experience behind him, he longed to see God’s people safely installed in their new land. He was elderly and tired but nothing was too hard for God. The days ahead might well be difficult but, with God’s help, even an old man might be given strength to enter the land. The Lord had clearly told him that, on account of the people’s sins, he would not set foot in the promised land (1:37) but he felt he must ask again in case the privilege might yet be given. The answer was definite: That is enough. Do not speak to me any more about this matter (26). The narrative has some important things to say to us. Moses’ disappointment might even be for our encouragement. When we ask God for anything we must remember that we are not the only people concerned. Nobody can possibly live entirely to themselves. Our lives are intricately bound up with those of other people. Moses’ request seems innocent and natural enough and, ostensibly, something which affected him only and nobody else. In point of fact, four issues were at stake: what was best for Moses, right for the people, good for Joshua and pleasing to God. First, we ought to consider what was best for Moses. Doubtless, he believed that there was useful work still for him to do and, with all his experience, it would be good for him to see the people safely established in their new home. Even with the purest motives, however, the things we seek for ourselves are not necessarily wise and right. With our naturally limited vision, it is impossible for us to see the total picture; only God is capable of that. After all, what we want may not necessarily be best. Moses could not think of anything more wonderful than entering Canaan: God’s plan was that he should enter heaven. Next, we ought to ask what was right for the people. This request was not simply a personal matter between Moses and God. The Lord may have responded to the prayer with such a definite ‘No’ because by Moses’ exclusion he wanted to both warn and protect the people. It was certainly a warning. On three occasions (1:37; 3:26; 4:21) Moses tells the people, because of you, the LORD was angry with me. By denying Moses access to the land, God was saying something to the people as well as to Moses. When we make requests in prayer we must remember that what we want may not always be best for others. Moses’ exclusion was a perpetual reminder of God’s holiness. It was saying that men and women must not trifle with sin. Moreover, by the denial the Lord may have been protecting them. Moses was an immensely popular figure; when he died the people wept for a full month (34:8). By taking Moses to heaven before he entered Canaan, God may have deliberately prevented the veneration of his tomb with all its attendant dangers. Their intense admiration for him is eloquently conveyed by the eulogy which brings Deuteronomy to a close. There were great leaders, before and after, but ‘none like him’ (34:10–12). Ancestor worship was common enough in the ancient world and in the future it would have been all too easy for people to congregate at his grave for worship. There must have been some reason for the unique circumstances, also noted in the final chapter, that God buried Moses and that ‘to this day no-one knows where his grave is’ (34:6). As the years went by, the people gradually introduced many corrupt and forbidden elements into their worship. Possibly God wanted to ensure that the memory of Moses’ life and work was recalled by his words rather than by his grave. When he had made such a unique contribution to Israel’s history, a tomb in Canaan might soon become a national shrine, directing people’s minds to the man rather than to the God who had used the man. The idolization of leaders is a sin not confined to the world of antiquity. Additionally, when considering this prayer, we need to ask what was good for Joshua. On two occasions in the book when the refusal is mentioned, Joshua’s responsibilities are given special prominence (1:38; 3:21–22, 28). Moses’ work for the Lord was to lead the people across the desert; that was difficult enough. It was not his job, however, to settle the people in the land. God had chosen a different man for that task. One man’s work had ended; another’s was about to begin. Joshua’s very different ministry was of equal importance to the Lord. People who have worked effectively for God do not always find it easy to hand their tasks on to others. The necessary break between the end of Moses’ ministry and the beginning of Joshua’s appears to be emphasized with stark clarity in Joshua 1:2: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then … get ready to cross the Jordan.’ Most important of all, in making any request, we must ask what is pleasing to God. Notice that as he begins his prayer, Moses is more concerned to exalt God than seek anything for himself. It is typical of great biblical praying. Two key words are important in the prayer, Sovereign and servant (verse 24). God is pleased when we acknowledge his sovereignty and our servanthood. These important words in Moses’ ascription of praise are the key to his submission and to ours. Throughout his entire life Moses had been God’s willing slave. Therefore, the decision as to where and when that life should end was not the slave’s concern; it was in the far safer hands of a wise, loving, sovereign Master who would not make any mistakes. Finally, this narrative leaves us with an important guiding principle about prayer. It is better to seek for qualities rather than things. We long for material things but he has gifts money cannot buy. We yearn for improved health but, though God could heal, greater reliance on him would be better for us by far. Without our weakness, how could we be sure of our strength? We wish for a different job but in our present work there may be people alongside us only we can reach. We desire repeated success but occasional failure might prove a better teacher. Most ambitions need the refining fire. The ecclesiastical authorities in eighteenth-century England were bewildered when the saintly John Fletcher of Madeley, Wesley’s ‘designated successor’, refused the bishopric of Rochester. Thinking he had set his sights on even greater preferment, they asked him whether there was anything more he wanted. Within seconds his priorities were crystal clear: ‘I want more grace’, he said. (Deuteronomy - The Bible Speaks Today) F B