Tuesday prior to Transfiguration

 

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Deuteronomy 34:1-12 - Moses sees God face to face and the promised land- Just before his death; Moses climbs Mount Nebo and from there is shown the Promised Land. He would not be permitted to cross over, but he was able to see it. Moses had faithfully led the people of Israel, and at last his work was done. He had done all he could, his time had come, and it was time for him to cross over to an even greater land than that which his eye beheld.  The Scriptures remind us that Moses’ eye was not dim – he had perfect vision. What secret did Moses possess? Verse 10 gives us a clue. Moses was a man “whom the Lord knew face to face.”  Moses was able to make keen decisions because he kept his eye on God. May that be our legacy, to keep our focus on God.  May that be our vision for our parish, to keep our focus on Christ.

The death and burial of Moses Vv. 1-8 suggests both triumph and defeat. The triumph appears in the first resolve with which Moses goes up the slopes of Mt. Nebo, where he knew that death awaited him., A panoramic views of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 33:1; Deuteronomy 1:8) is possible from this pinnacle. The defeat of the occasion lay in the fact that Moses died without actually entering the land of promise. Moses died at the sentence of God and as a punishment for his sin. (Deuteronomy 43:1)

Verses 9-12 describe the transition in leadership to Joshua and summarize the ministry of Moses. God knew and spoke with Moses face to face. It was to him that God revealed His very name. (“I am who I am”- Exodus 3:14) Moses was partner to great, miraculous signs which God promised and performed in order to liberate Israel from bondage. In a very real way, Moses had the offices of prophet, priest, and king.

This account, in the last chapter of Deuteronomy, is the story of the death of Moses, of whom the writer claims; “…there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” On this celebration of the Transfiguration, Moses in one of the persons who appears with Jesus before his select disciples and so we see and hear in these verses of the great importance of Moses to the tradition and beliefs of the Hebrews.

Prayer for aid against temptation: O God, You justify the ungodly and desire not the death of the sinner. Graciously assist us by Your heavenly aid and evermore shield us with Your protection, that no temptation may separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. [2]– 2.22.22

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[1] The Transfiguration of our Lord, woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, a nineteenth-century German artist known especially for his book ‘The Book of Books in Pictures’ ©WELS for personal and congregational use.
[2] Collect for aid against temptation, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis