THE FIVE DEATHS OF MOSES
Joshua 1:2
Morning Meditation 5/6/17
Verse 2 says, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
God is speaking to Joshua the new leader to take the leadership of the nation after the death of Moses. Deut. 34:5-6 says, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” These verses describe the physical death of Moses. There are more that one kinds of death. I want us to look at FIVE DEATHS OF MOSES. First let’s look at,
THE DEATH OF MOSES TO EGYPT
This is described in Hebrews 11: 24-27: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
Egypt in the Word of God is a type of the world. This is where Moses is saved typically. We are told that “By faith . . .. when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter . . . Choosing rather to suffer affliction . . . Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt . . . he forsook Egypt . . .” Moses made a choice that affected his whole future in Egypt. His decision resulted from a choice. Salvation is a choice that God gives us. But it is not an unintelligent choice. It is a choice between Christ and the world.
Sin in the life that harmonizes one with the world system must be seen as offensive to God. Then one must change his mind (repentance that results in a change of direction) must be exercised so that one sees sin, and the world from God’s viewpoint, and decides to change to God’s side. Moses made a choice that cost him his relationship to Pharaoh’s daughter, his access to the treasures of Egypt, and made him the enemy of Pharaoh. He effectively died to Egypt.
Why would Moses give up something like this? Verse 26 tells us: “ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” Moses looked at the END when he would stand before God. Moses knew about CHRIST. For those who believe Moses was saved another way, and claim that he knew nothing of Christ at that time, need to take a new look at what the inspired word of God in the New Testament says Moses knew.
It is disturbing that there are those who minimize (or say that it is not necessary) the need for repentance in salvation. It is not only needed it is required (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 20:21). Repentance is such a change of mind that it involves a total different outlook on the world after it takes place. It is a decision that upsets the world with us that we disclaim its authority over us (Moses was not afraid of the king’s commandment) from the point of salvation. Moses died to Egypt and what it had to offer him when he made the decision to identify with “the people of God,” rather “than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” In other words, “Moses knew that his decision involved a change from “enjoying the pleasures of sin” to taking on “the reproach of Christ.”
Where does this leave the one who professes salvation, where he continues to enjoy the pleasures of sin, and since his life style has not changed, so that there is no “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches,” because there has been nothing given up? I will presume to answer that. It leaves him without Bible salvation. Moses died to the world the day he decided to identify with Christ and His people. Then next let’s look at,
THE DEATH OF MOSES TO HIS OWN ASPIRATIONS
Exo. 2:11-15 says, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.”
When Moses came to faith in Christ and sought to identify with His people, he discovered that his help was rejected. What Moses had to offer Israel after his salvation would have to be based on what he had learned in the schools of Egypt (Acts 7:22). God would not anoint his past learning so that it could be used. God does not use the wisdom of this world to advance His people. Moses knew at that early stage in his new experience of Christ that he had a destiny that involved the deliverance of his people from Egypt (Acts 7:25). He understood God’s call upon his life, had aspiration to do the job he felt God called him to do, but did not understand that God could not use him at this time. There were some things he would have to unlearn first. So when Moses defended his brethren and they rejected his efforts to help them, and Pharaoh put a contract out on him, he grabbed what was necessary for a long journey and TOOK OFF! Moses died at that time to his own aspirations.
So many have experienced the same thing in principle. The new Christian is motivated by first love, is filled with enthusiasm to serve the Lord, offers himself in service, and is disappointed when the pastor says, “BEFORE you take on the responsibility of leadership, you must take the time to get rid of Egypt with it learning, and wait God’s timing for your place of service. You must realize that serving God in His kingdom operates by an altogether different set of guidelines and philosophy than what you have learned in the past.” Moses had to die to his own aspirations and so do we. Next let’s look at,
THE DEATH OF MOSES TO PASSIVITY
Moses had been on the backside of the desert of Midian for forty years. He is now eighty years of age and forty years of that time in the desert as a shepherd has done a pretty good job on his learning in the schools of Egypt. Moses self confidence had been shaken.
Now when you compare Moses call at the burning bush, with his first effort to deliver his people (Acts 7:25), you will find an attitude change. Moses does not want to go to Egypt to deliver Israel. He is satisfied to let things go as they are. He was satisfied being a shepherd in the desert. When it came to delivering Israel, he was passive.
Well, Moses had given it his best shot and failed. His people rejected him, God was silent to him in those days, Pharaoh had a contract out on his life, what could he possibly do but remain in exile? Because your first efforts are rejected does not mean that God does not have a plan to use you. If you were hurt by the feeling of rejection, I must tell you that that was also a part of God’s plan for you. That does not mean that you can permanently resign the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose for you and remain in exile.
Not only was Moses wrong about the timing for his time of leadership, he was wrong to conclude that he was wrong in feeling that God was going to use him to deliver Israel. He heard right but acted on his own to do what he knew God wanted him to do. If God is going to use us, we must not feel that God has rejected us, just because He lets us pass through the feeling of rejection in the desert, as a necessary preparation to do His will.
Moses must now die to passivity. He has to realize that it is not too late to serve (age 80). He must realize that the shepherd-life was a training school for service not a place of escape from hostile enemies. God will take care of those who have the contract out on him. God could have done that long ago. But one can’t do overnight what it took the desert forty years to do in the life of Moses. Moses had to die to his eagerness to serve and to the resignation from service. This is a little confusing but it is exactly how God dealt with Moses. Next, let’s look at,
THE DEATH OF MOSES CELEBRATED
This happened when Moses kept the passover by faith: Hebrews 11:28 says, “Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” The passover is a type of salvation through Christ our Substitute (1 Cor. 5:7). The passover became a permanent memorial to the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The firstborn (the adamic life) must have a substitute or die. The lamb must die, its blood be shed and applied, or the first born in the family would die. Moses had died to Egypt forty years ago but this is the first known celebration of it. You don’t celebrate deliverance from Egypt with its NBA, golf courses, the Cairo Cowboys, restaurants, and affluence in the desert! In fact it is altogether possible that you will look around and feel you got cheated on your trade! How many Christians have discovered after they were saved that separation from the world is a traumatic withdrawal. It goes something like this: “if I had known what it was going to cost me when I became a Christian, I probably would not have become one.” My answer to that is that you probably didn’t. If this upsets you, I ask you to read Matthew 27 and examine the price Jesus had to pay for your salvation, and if you are saved, it will return you to your senses.
When Moses killed the lamb, he saw in that lamb, God’s LAMB dying in his place. It is the cross that marks the separation point between us as Christians and the world. Gal. 6:14 says, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Moses did not deliver Israel from Egypt until he first celebrated his deliverance. Where are you living? In the desert, or, in celebration of your deliverance? Moses celebrated his death to Egypt that he died forty years before. Next let’s look at,
THE DEATH OF MOSES TO CANAAN
Moses led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, to the edge of the land of Canaan, then wandered with them for forty years in the desert. He led them back to the edge of Canaan but this is as far as he will go. It is sad in a way. He has identified with them the whole time and now a new leader must take them the rest of the way. It is not because he does not have the strength or is too old. We are told in Deut. 34:7: “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” Moses didn’t even need glasses at this age. His natural force (strength) had not gone from him. Moses had to die to entering Canaan in his own strength.
Matthew 17:1-3 says, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
Guess where the Mount of Transfiguration is? I am looking at it, while I write these lines, in a picture I took when I was in the holy land. Moses made it into the holy land but had to die first. The holy land is a type of the life of victory in Christ just as Egypt is a type of the world. Spiritually the life of victory is entered by death to self. This truth is illustrated in Romans chapter six, seven, and eight. Who brought Moses into victory? Jesus. It was not Moses and Jesus.. Moses died. Jesus brought Moses out of death in the wilderness into His resurrection life in Canaan. All Moses did was die and you can’t brag about that! God even helped him with that!!! God is so good. Someone hold my mules!!!
Moses died five deaths and all of them were necessary in the path of God will for his life. They illustrate five deaths every Christian must die to be fruit bearing Christians. It is natural for us to want to skip some of these but it is like a baseball player trying to skip some of the bases when he hits the ball. One cannot skip God’s bases. If you are not living in victory, meditate on these deaths, and see if possibly you are trying to skip one.
May the Lord bless these words you our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
