God of Moses
"Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel." (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NIV)
Of all the big moments on the highlight reel of Moses' life—being put in a basket and floated down the river as a newborn, being adopted by a princess and raised as royalty, seeing God face-to-face and living, that whole "parting of the Red Sea" bit—the conclusion to the story of his life may be the most fascinating but least-known scene.
"And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is" (Deuteronomy 34:5,6).
"He buried Moses." That pronoun "He" is referring to the most proper proper noun of all: Yahweh.
Yahweh buried Moses.
As far as I know, Moses is the only person who ever lived to be given a Divine burial. Why would God, Who does all things with intention, do this?
One possible reason is that He was showing special tender love for Moses by tending to his body Himself.
Another possibility is that God did not want His people, who had a rather bad record where resisting idolatry was concerned, to have the option of turning Moses' grave into a shrine. When He was just getting ready to lead them into a new land of the living, perhaps He did not want them to get stuck in a place of mourning.
Whatever God's reasons, His unique caretaking of His servant Moses stands in some contrast to Moses' beginnings in his service of Yahweh. Moses, after all, was a guy with a slow tongue but a quick temper (Exodus 2:11,12 and 4:10).
As with other Biblical characters, I need to ask myself what lessons God wants to teach me through Moses.
What am I slow to do? Obey? Love? Sacrifice? Praise? Pray?
What am I too quick to do? Worry? Criticize? Complain? (Yes.)
Moses reassures me that, through the refining fires and cleansing waters of God's will, I, too, can be used by Him in such a way that, when I come to the end of my life on this earth, God alone will be honored.
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God, help me today to be slow to do my own will and quick to do Yours. Move my heart to long for that truest of titles: "servant of the Lord."
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!