Readings:
Deuteronomy 31-34
Psalm 88

Moses, like he does throughout this entire book, encourages the people and all but begged them to keep the commandments they’ve been given. At this point, 120 years old and close to death, there’s really not much more he can do for them. Although Moses is revered by later Israelites, you get the impression that he wasn’t appreciated by his contemporaries after dedicating his entire life to them. All the way back to when he was a prince in Egypt and could’ve looked the other way, he stood up for them, and now at the end of his life he’s begging them to not turn away from God once he’s gone.

Moses and Joshua are called by God to present themselves at the tent, and God gives Moses a song to teach the Israelites so they’ll remember all the warnings they’ve received.

Moses is told to climb the mountain and die, just as his brother did. This may seem harsh, especially for what seems like a minor infraction, but as we later learn from St. James, a teacher is held to a higher standard than a student (James 3:1). Moses being the great law giver is the ultimate teacher, and had such a close relationship with God, that this is just that principle playing out for him.

Moses gives one final blessing, tribe by tribe, and then climbs the mountain to see the land that was promised to him and his ancestors. He then dies upon the mountain and is buried in an unknown grave.

So ends the story of Moses, the baby in the river, the prince of Egypt, the protector of his kin, the fugitive from justice, the great liberator, the wonder worker, the spokesman for God, the intercessor of his people, the great law giver, and the mighty prophet. Truly one of the greatest men the world has ever known, not because of his own doing, but because of what God done through him.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Joshua 1-2
Psalm 89