Deuteronomy Episode 10 - The Rock That Accompanies Us: Moses' Final Chapter and Christ's Eternal Presence

Standing at the threshold of the Promised Land, Moses gazes across the horizon at what his eyes can see but his feet cannot tread. This poignant final chapter of Deuteronomy offers us profound wisdom about finishing well and embracing God's purposes at every life stage.

Moses defies our culture's youth-obsessed narratives. At 80, when many consider life's meaningful work complete, he was just beginning his most significant journey. At 120, his eyes undimmed and strength undiminished, he faces death with spiritual vigor and anticipation rather than resignation. "Retirement does not exist in the Bible," notes Dr. Raheja, challenging listeners to recognize that as long as we draw breath, God has purpose for us.

The central metaphor woven throughout Moses' final song is that of God as "the Rock" – an image the Apostle Paul later explicitly connects to Christ. In a world where everything we build our lives upon eventually crumbles – health, relationships, career achievements – Christ stands as the one unshakable foundation. This timeless truth speaks powerfully to our contemporary experience of instability and change.

Perhaps most touching is how God himself tenderly handles Moses' death and burial. This divine care for Moses' physical remains points toward the Christian hope of bodily resurrection – a reminder that our bodies matter eternally to God who himself took on human flesh in Christ.

Moses' legacy invites us to embrace the messiness of our own journeys, trusting that God is working through every season – palace, wilderness, and promised land. His greatest achievement wasn't the miracles or leadership accomplishments, but that he knew God "face to face." This intimate relationship with the divine remains available to us today.

Listen as we explore how Moses' farewell challenges and encourages believers to build their lives on Christ, the Rock who will never fail us, and whose everlasting arms remain underneath us through every step of our journey.

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Transcript

Welcome to Book by Book

Speaker 1 0:08

Hello and welcome to , book by Book , the joy of meeting Jesus in all the scriptures . My name is Steve Nicholls and for the last nine weeks we have been exploring the book of Deuteronomy . I hope that you have found the studies helpful . Do get in touch with us to let us know how you found them . Found the studies helpful ? Do get in touch with us to let us know how you found them . With me , as always , is Dr Sunil Raheja and Dr Paul Blackham to engage in this study together , and we're going to dive into Deuteronomy one last time , to Deuteronomy , chapter 34 . Deuteronomy , chapter 34 , from verse 1 .

Speaker 1 0:56

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo , from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah , across from Jericho , from verse 1 . The Negev and the whole region , from the valley of Jericho , the city of Palms , as far as Zoar . There the Lord said to him this is the land I promised on oath to Abraham , isaac and Jacob when I said I will give it to your descendants . I have let you see it with your eyes , but you will not cross over into it . So as we look back on the life of Moses , we see how he really only began his great work when he was about 80 years old . Then he was a shepherd who was too nervous to do any public speaking . But in Deuteronomy , chapter 32 , he's calling on the whole universe to listen to him . How does Moses inspire us in the later years of life ?

Moses at 80: Strength in Later Years

Speaker 2 1:42

It is amazing , isn't it ? Particularly in our day and age , which , as it were , sort of glorifies youth . And here is an 80-year-old man . He's not put his feet up , he's not playing golf . I think it's just a huge encouragement that God uses everything . And , as you said earlier on , he was afraid to speak , he didn't want to do the job that God had given him , and he's going from strength to strength . You know , at 80 , at the beginning of the book , he fights those gods was it um , og and Zion ? At 80 years of age , you know , they get the first verse , which is the promised land , and he's just going on from strength to strength . Yeah , okay , he's made his mistakes and done wrong things , but he's .

Speaker 2 2:27

I think it's a huge encouragement to us as , as we get older , as we go , as our bodies maybe don't do the things that we want them to do , that actually I think of judonathan edwards . Actually , you know , he , in Christ our bad things can turn out for good , our good things can never be lost and the best is yet to come , wow . And I think that's just a reminder that in Christ there is just so much to look forward to , and it doesn't diminish as we get older , it gets better and better . But that's what walking with God should be like . That's what it should be , because he has created a new creation for us , and you know , and , and our god is , is , is not some kind of tin god of the nations , but you know here , you know so from 32 , he's calling on the whole universe to listen . Oh , heavens , and I will speak here on earth . The words of my mouth , let my teaching , fall like my reign , my words descend like dew . He's just , he's . He's got a , a great god that encompasses the whole of the universe in creation , and this is a huge encouragement to us to look forward with childlike excitement and anticipation about what God has for us .

Speaker 2 3:48

You know , just as a quick thing , one of my pet peeves is people talk about retirement . Retirement does not exist in the Bible . When you retire , you go into the new creation . So long as you're alive on this earth , god's got things for you to do and he's got things for you to learn . If he's got nothing for you to do or nothing for you to learn , then your time , then it's over , okay . But if you're here , you know , and again , I think it's such an important message for those of us who , who feel we're getting older , who feel that maybe we've missed it . You know , there's just a bit . As you get older you think , oh , I've , I've lost my opportunity . Now and again in our secular world , that world it says , when you die , you just stop existing . And we just think , well , that's it . You know , and a hundred things I've got to do before I die . You know there are books like that .

Speaker 2 4:30

Yeah yeah , yeah , but actually in Christ you won't miss out on anything . Though outwardly we are wasting away .

Speaker 3 4:38

Inwardly younger . Every day Inwardly , we're getting younger every day , that's .

Speaker 1 4:41

Moses , isn't it , and I think it's just wonderful , you know Wonderful .

Speaker 2 4:44

He's full of energy .

Speaker 1 4:46

Paul

Christ the Rock in Moses' Song

Speaker 1 4:47

. 1 Corinthians 10 , verse 4 , the Apostle Paul speaks of the church during these wilderness wanderings and says they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them , and that rock was Christ . Yeah , how does this song of Moses help us understand that ?

Speaker 3 5:01

Oh yeah , I mean , this really probably is what Paul's thinking about , because in this , this is his greatest song , when he , like , the whole heavens and the earth are listening and he's like , listen , you've got to understand this . I want to tell you about Christ , you know . Oh , for a thousand tongues to sing , kind of thing . This is his passion . And he says I will proclaim the name of the lord when he's got the attention of the universe praise the greatness of our god . Verse 3 , verse 4 he is the rock , his works are perfect , all his ways are just a faithful god who does no wrong , upright and just to see . And he comes back to give him that title of the rock verse 15 , 18 , 30 , 31 and it's like the rock . And that's such an important thing because Jesus himself , in the Sermon on the Mount , says look , my words are the rock and you build your life on that . And then the scriptures say he's the cornerstone , or the living rock from which we're all built , you know , or a stumbling stone . And this idea of stone , stability , rock , like in a way it goes right back to when he in exodus 3 , when he , like , sees the burning bush and meets the angel of the lord . And then he's like who are you , what's your name ? I am who I am .

Speaker 3 6:13

This thing that moses is going to go through like unbelievable instability in life and he's going to go live in different continents and things like this and political problems and upheavals . So what is the stable thing ? Christ , the rock , and so everything else in life you cannot rely on . It's kind of what we were just thinking about All you , your body , your mind , your life , your career that you cannot build on .

Speaker 3 6:42

But Christ is this rock , and Moses is saying this is what the whole universe needs to know . In , in a universe that in itself is decaying and fading away and falling down , there is one who is not , and when he does psalm 90 , if I can just say he gets one song in the book of songs , psalm 90 . And psalm 90 is like saying hey , you're going to die , make sure you trust in Christ . Or Isaiah 40 is a similar one All flesh is grass , but the word of the Lord remains forever . So that's what excites him and if we're going to get anything from the Song of Moses , it's like Christ is the only point of stability and safety in the universe .

Speaker 1 7:21

Everything else is shaken , yeah , but that one rock will last forever . Yes , so now the great theme , or one of the great themes of this song in Deuteronomy 32 is that we must reject all the false gods of this world and love only the Lord God . How is this still relevant for us today ?

Speaker 2 7:37

Oh , hugely relevant because today , obviously , as followers of Christ , we have the Father , the Son , the Spirit , the Trinity .

Speaker 2 7:45

There's also an unholy trinity against us the world , the flesh and the devil , and they are working in powerful and mysterious ways to turn us away from Christ , to turn us away from the promises of God for us . And that's a daily challenge . And yes , life is mysterious . Terrible things happen , tragedies happen that make no sense . We lose loved ones , we get sick , all sorts of things that don't make sense happen . Some of it may be because of our own foolishness , but some of us we just don't understand it and a calling is , as you were saying , is to hold on to the rock , the one who is unchanging . But I think we mustn't lose the sense that this is an ongoing , daily battle that I , as long as I'm alive , I'm going to have to fight the world , the flesh and the devil . I'm going to have to set my mind against this world's values . I've got a sinful nature inside me that always wants to go my own way . Even though I say I follow Jesus , there's part of me that says I don't want you controlling my life . I want to do it my way and I've got to be very careful to keep on crucifying that old nature . It won't go away . I will not be perfected in this life . It's only when I die will I be perfected and when I'm with Jesus . And then there is the evil one .

Speaker 2 9:13

Again , the world likes

Battling the World, Flesh and Devil

Speaker 2 9:14

to make fun of the devil in terms of you know , he's this guy with horns and a fork in his hand . The devil is a supernatural evil in this world that is seeking to destroy us and it's in control . You know it's as scriptures say is that he's in charge of this world . God has given him reign of this world and he's doing it . He knows he's defeated , but the thing is , even though he's not , you might think that he knows he's defeated , but it's a bit like Hitler at the end of World War II . Hitler knew he was going to lose and you might have thought that Hitler might have given up , but actually Hitler fought even harder , and so the battles at the end of World War II were far more bloody and far more terrible than any other stage . Satan knows he's defeated . Jesus is resurrected and he's going to put everything he can to try and unsettle us , to try and turn us away , and that's why it's so important that we grasp that , yes , there's suffering , but God uses the suffering for his greater purposes .

Speaker 1 10:14

Well , can I press you on that a little bit more then ? Deuteronomy 32 , verses 23 to 29 . Yes , what are the lessons to learn through suffering ?

Speaker 2 10:23

So 32 , 23 to 29 . Yeah , what he's saying there is really is that he's going to is that we can't handle suffering by our own strength . We have to rely . In a sense . This is the wonderful thing about the gospel .

Speaker 2 10:45

Paul talks about this in terms of not you , paul , the apostle . Paul talks about this in terms of when I'm weak , then I'm strong . I will boast of my weaknesses , he says . And Jeremiah , let not the wise man boast of his wisdom , let not the strong man boast of his strength , let not the rich man boast of his riches , but let him who boasts boast about this that I know , the Lord . So , as I confess my weakness , his strength comes and I love this in verse 30 and 31 . Well , verse 29 . If only they were wiser and would understand this and discern what was right . From verse 30 , how could one man chase a thousand , or two put ten thousand of flight unless their rock had sold them , unless the lord had given them up ? What it's saying is that in our own strength we can't defeat the enemy I got , I don't stand a chance against the world , the flesh and the devil , but with christ , with christ in the vessel , I can stand .

Speaker 3 11:35

You know , I , I can smile at the storm as the children's song says yeah , we can do that , yeah paul , anything , anything you'd add no , and I like that because it's almost like sometimes the lord has to bring suffering because he , we , we have worshiped the other gods and we have worship comfort , comfort and all these things ? Yes , absolutely , and he's like I'm going to have to wake you up and shake you up . And at first we're like no , this is the word Lord , will you take away this stuff ? And he's like no , it actually is for your own good , and it's a sign that he loves us , that he disciplines us .

Speaker 2 12:08

And that I think is what's a bit of what's going on there .

Speaker 1 12:10

Yes , absolutely Paul , if I can stay

Suffering and Weakness in God's Plan

Speaker 1 12:13

with you . Here we are , chapter 33 . Now Jacob back in the book of Genesis he blesses his 12 sons at the end of their lives , at the end of his life , and Moses is doing the same here now , blessing the 12 tribes . What do we learn from these blessings ?

Speaker 3 12:30

Yeah , it's . The first thing is that he's looking ahead at like this is the ancient church and they've got all these diverse tribes and we're like church always has diverse tribes and they're all different really , and they have their own character . And we know , like you know , one of them's , like Dan . It says he's like a lion's cub springing out of bastion that's a little thing in 22 , or naftali , bounding with the favor of the lord , full of blessing , and this . I think so and it's like you can imagine . There's this tribe and they have some of them are like quite impetuous and they're always up for stuff and others are like more settled . And I first of all like the fact that the ancient church had different tribes and they were different character than all , because sometimes people think we should all be doing exactly the same thing in church all over the entire world . It doesn't seem to have ever happened quite like that and there's different cultures and different styles of music and different ways of doing liturgy .

Speaker 2 13:28

Isn't that a reflection about how wonderful God is and how marvellous and varied God is ? Is that no one tribe or no one group can have the monopoly , because God is just so full of so much variety and abundance so he doesn't say , actually there's just going to be one tribe and you're all going to be exactly the same .

Speaker 3 13:47

He says no , no , there is 12 tribes and you've all got different futures ahead of you , different characters of life , different ways of going . But he's also so that's one thing , the difference of the tribes . And I like that . And and even in revelation it says there's all going to be all the different tribes and language and nations and cultures gathered in . So it's like he likes that , that there's difference in different cultures and styles of music . So that's one thing I like .

Speaker 3 14:12

But the other thing is he knows what is ahead of them and he's sometimes warning them and saying listen , this is going to be the trouble that you're going to have to face and here's something that is good for you to remember . I like that that he knows what's ahead and he will . And if we listen to him , you know , know who holds the future . Yes , and he'll guide me with his hand . You know , with christ things don't just happen . Everything with him is bad . So I'm like thinking I might fear the future and I don't know what's coming .

Speaker 3 14:41

He does , so I'm gonna just trust and listen to him . What his ? Because he has words for them all and if they listen to these words and then we see what does happen to these tribes in the coming hundreds of years , we're like he already knew . He already knew and I sort of think , well , if that was true for them , it's true for us . Let's have this confidence that he knows what's ahead . I'm going to listen to his word and trust him and do what he says and listen to his warnings and trust his promises , paul .

Speaker 1 15:08

That's so helpful , thank you . And there's such comfort as we look on to well , verses 26 to 29 , words that maybe we're familiar with . There's no one like the God of Jeshurun who rides on the heavens to help you . The eternal God is your refuge , and underneath are the everlasting arms .

Speaker 3 15:24

I mean .

Speaker 1 15:24

I expect we've probably all encouraged other Christian believers with those words , whether it's at a hospital bedside or wherever it is . How

The Twelve Tribes and God's Variety

Speaker 1 15:33

can these verses comfort the Lord's people in every age group ?

Speaker 3 15:36

Well , isn't that absolutely lovely , Because all the troubles that we may face again , the one thing that's absolutely rock solid is this God of Jeshua and Lord Jesus , the rock , and he's under you , ahead of you , behind you , carrying you your refuge , your strength . He's riding on the clouds and he's under you , ahead of you , behind you , carrying you your refuge , your strength . He's riding on the clouds , and all this . So verse 28 israel will live in safety . Jacob will dwell secure in a land of grain and new wine . The future safe because of him . Blessed are you , israel , blessed are you church , who's like you are A people saved by the Lord . He's your shield and helper , your glorious sword . I always think look at all the titles given to really the Lord Jesus here you know sword , shield , helper , refuge . You know all these things , everlasting arms . So I'm always saying it's really like you say , right at the end of your life and there's nothing left , there's him . He's got you .

Speaker 1 16:33

These arms are stronger than death , yeah yeah , wonderful , wonderful , Sunil , as we consider the way the Lord himself handled the death of Moses . What is Moses' legacy , especially here in the book of Deuteronomy ?

Speaker 2 16:48

I think the legacy for us really , as it were , because we're coming to the end of the Pentateuch now , the end of the Torah , the five books , and if we think back to just how it's all , how God works in somebody's life , right all the way back when Moses was a little kid in the palace of Pharaoh , trained in all the , as it were , science and sophistication of Pharaoh's palace , and you know , I think someone said that he could even have become Pharaoh himself . You know , incredible . And yet he chooses to leave that because he sees his fellow Israelite suffering , kills a man and has to go and run away into the desert . That's at 40 . And 40 years in the palace , 40 years in the desert doing a postgraduate degree under God of solitude , of silence , looking after ignorant sheep , basically . But God is working in him to prepare him for the most important thing for the last 40 years of his life to lead the people out . And again he comes to that saying I stutter and I'm not a very good speaker , I don't want the job . Aaron has to speak for him . He almost gets killed because he doesn't follow the circumcision and it's only his wife , zippipporah , who saves him in a sense .

Speaker 2 18:19

All this sort of messiness and then having to lead the Israelites I mean whatever two million people , whatever it is it's a huge , a huge nightmare . And God is faithful . Through all that and through all the messiness of leading a stubborn people for 40 years , and he's at the end . He's vigorous and alive . He's almost disappointed that he can't get into the promised land because he'd been disobedient earlier on , but he's excited about life and I think the legacy that he leaves us is God is on your case . You know we're not Moses , ok , but we have our own journey , our , you know we're not Moses , okay , but we have our own journey , our own challenges that we're facing . And the question is am I going to keep trusting in God through all the messiness of life ? Moses' life was messy and so that I can at the end , even if my body is frail or whatever state I'm in , look with that excited anticipation that the best is yet to come and he gets into the real promised land , doesn't he ?

Speaker 2 19:22

Yeah , well , he does he gets into the real promised land . He does that exactly .

Speaker 1 19:27

Yeah , Thank you , Sunil

Moses' Legacy and God's Faithfulness

Speaker 1 19:29

Paul . Why does the Bible bother with the death of Moses ? I mean , it does talk about the death of other believers , isn't it ? Sarah Abraham , and so on . Why does it bother with these things ?

Speaker 3 19:39

Because it bothers about the burial of their bodies . And you'll read in Genesis and things they're always saying and they buried them there and they bought some land in order to bury them . And then Joseph lugging his body back and Jacob's body they take it to Egypt and all that you know carrying it back and so on . Why and Moses , in fact , the burial of his body is such a big deal ? In Jude , verse 9 , the devil is like hang on , I don't want you burying Moses' body on my territory and things like that . And we won't get into all the details of that , but the point is it's because the human body is so important , because it's like , yes , he's died , but he's going to need that body again . That's the glory of the resurrection .

Speaker 3 20:20

Christians bother about human bodies , like burying them , caring for them after they've died , and they . And that's why we build hospitals and things , because the human body matters , because the living god has got a human body . He became flesh , died and was resurrected to an immortal human body . So that's Moses . It's like , hey , that body , he's going to need that again . So the Lord buried his body and the devil's like no , because that body represents resurrection , hope . I don't want it buried on my territory .

Speaker 1 20:52

So a body , paul , that hasn't been buried , that has been cremated , somebody ? Might say look , that hasn't been buried , but has been cremated . Somebody might say look , you know relative of mine was cremated .

Speaker 3 21:03

There's nothing now . Is that too difficult for the Lord Jesus ? Yeah , paul deals with it . 1 Corinthians 15 . He's like no , the Lord , who pulled it all together in the first place , can certainly do it again with resurrection . He can pull , he can resurrect us , no matter what our state . It's just that we want to make a statement that every human body that belongs to Christ yes , he , we always go . We're going to need that again . We're going to ensure and certain hope of resurrection , so it matters about bodies .

Speaker 2 21:27

And actually I just want to just put point on one final thing about the legacy of Moses which I think is really important , is that Moses and it says there on verse 34 , verse 10 since then , no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses , whom the Lord knew face to face . I think the most wonderful thing about Moses is that he was a friend of God and he knew God intimately and I think that's probably the wonderful life that there is . I think that's the most wonderful thing is that he knew God personally and we , as disciples of Christ christ , we have that same proof , we have a greater hope and understanding than moses did . Yeah , and and in a sense that's the great inspiration that through the thick and thin and all the messiness , he kept that relationship that is the message of deuteronomy .

Speaker 3 22:12

Really , isn't it like trust this lord , who's got you ?

Speaker 1 22:15

Yes , Maybe that's the note on which to end our study together . Thank you , Sunil and Paul , for the last 10 studies . It's been wonderful to look at this wonderful book together . Thank you .

Speaker 2 22:26

It's been a great privilege . Thank you .

The Resurrection Hope and Final Reflections

Speaker 1 22:33

What's our lesson today ? Well , the key truth is that rock was Christ . It's a great theme through the whole Bible . You know , in Psalm 61 , the psalmist prays in a time of utter weakness , from the ends of the earth , I call to you . I call as my heart grows faint . Lead me to the rock that Isaiah 28 , 16, . But the Apostle Peter warns us in the New Testament that those who won't trust in him , to them he is a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall . We discard him and we're crushed , or we consider him God's chosen and precious stone and we build our lives on him .

Speaker 1 23:32

As we come to the end of our studies in Deuteronomy and leave the people of Israel standing on the brink of the promised land with a choice before them , the question comes today Are you trusting in the Lord ? Are you building your life on the rock ? The Lord , jesus , christ . Lord Jesus , we want to be part of your people , built on you . We know that you will never leave us or forsake us . You are the same yesterday , today and forever . As so much of our world is shaken and often our lives are as well , be that strong platform under our feet . We pray In the fellowship of your people around the world . Strengthen us to love you with all that we have as we prepare to receive our eternal inheritance , amen . Well , that's it for now . Thank you for joining us today . Look out for other studies in the book-by-book series the Joy of Meeting Jesus in All the Scriptures , and if you missed any of the series , you can catch up after this on demand . Until next time , then . God bless you and goodbye .