"Now, But Not Yet" 8-4-24
Overview
Now, But Not Yet
At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses climbs Mount Nebo and the Lord shows him the whole sweep of the Promised Land—from Gilead to Dan, across to the Mediterranean, south to the Negev, and down through the Jordan Valley Deuteronomy 34:1–4. Scripture tells us no prophet has since arisen like Moses, "whom the Lord knew face to face" Deuteronomy 34:10. At 120, his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated—yet he would not cross over. Forty years earlier, the Lord had called him from a burning bush to deliver Israel Exodus 3:7–10; forty years of grumbling later, Moses' own disobedience at Meribah—striking the rock instead of speaking to it—barred him from the land (Numbers 20:10–12; Deuteronomy 32:48–52).
Is that fair? It is the question we keep asking on our own journeys: I pray, I serve, I worship—why don't I have the home, the health, the relationships I long for? Moses' story will not let us settle for an answer that depends on our own faithfulness, because Moses was only mostly obedient. He led Israel because he trusted a promise larger than his own arrival—"the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1.
That promise meets us on another mountain. At the Transfiguration, Moses appears with Elijah and speaks with Jesus before the cross Mark 9:2–4. Where Moses was mostly obedient, Jesus was holy and fully obedient. He did not mostly die for sin; He died completely for it, and rose completely, so that our forgiveness is full and our inheritance secure. Nothing in all creation can separate us from that love Romans 8:38–39.
So—are we there yet? In Christ, the answer is yes, and not yet. Through baptism, absolution, the preached Word, and the Lord's Supper, God delivers the full forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation here and now. We already possess eternal life, even while we await its fullness in the new heavens and new earth. Take heart on the journey: the drive itself is part of the vacation. One day we will ask the question one last time, and the Lord will meet us with open arms and say, "Welcome home."
Transcript
bags are packed. 3s
All the suitcases have been loaded into the trunk. 6s
Everyone is buckled in. 10s
Everyone has their drink of water. 13s
The last trip to the bathroom was made. 15s
The GPS is running. 18s
We see the rest stops and the ETA that is continually before us. 21s
We are all buckled in and we are ready to go. 27s
We head off, head off for our trip for our vacation and without fail. 33s
Two miles down the road. 41s
The dreaded questioning begins. 45s
Are we there yet? 49s
Are we there yet? 51s
Today, as we head off on our Sunday drive, we are ready to go. 54s
We're going to stay in Jordan. 60s
We were there last week as we visited the land of us. 62s
And we're going to go ahead and stay in Jordan this week. 66s
But we're going to be asking that same question. 70s
Are we there yet? 73s
And you might be surprised at the answer. 75s
If you would please open your Bibles to page 179 in the Old Testament. 79s
If you're using a Pueh edition of the Bible, we're going to be in the last chapter 86s
of Deuteronomy. 90s
Deuteronomy chapter 34. 92s
That is on page 179. 95s
Before I turn to Deuteronomy myself, I'm going to give us a little backstory because we're 99s
dealing with 107s
Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses, and you may recall a few weeks ago when we had that call that 109s
he had been given by the Lord to go into Egypt to bring his people out of Egypt out 117s
of slavery. 124s
We're going to look at that again, Exodus chapter 3 where it says the Lord said to Moses, 125s
I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt. 131s
I have heard their cry on account of their task masters. 135s
Indeed, I know their sufferings and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians 139s
and to bring them up out of this land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with 145s
milk and honey to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Emirates, the Parasites, 153s
the Hivites, and the Jebiusites. 160s
So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. 164s
Moses was told by the Lord that he was being sent. 175s
He was being sent to take his people the Israelites people to the land that had been promised 179s
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 187s
It was the promised land. 190s
Look with me, please, at verse 10 in Deuteronomy chapter 34. 194s
Never since, has there a risen, a prophet in Israel like Moses whom the Lord knew 200s
face to face. 206s
He was unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord had sent him to perform 207s
in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land. 213s
And for the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in 219s
the sight of all Israel. 226s
Moses was unlike any other prophet ever before or since. 230s
He had the Lord working through him to perform mighty signs and deeds. 237s
He conferred with the Lord face to face. 244s
He had a relationship with God that was unparalleled for any other prophet. 247s
Moses was the mediator of the law. 255s
He was the mediator of the old covenant between God and the Israelite people. 259s
He was used, mildly, by the Lord, mildly to come up against Pharaoh to face Pharaoh 265s
and demand the freedom of the Israelite people. 275s
God performed many great and mighty signs and works and deeds through Moses. 281s
Through Moses, the Lord made it so that the Israelites would cross through the red 289s
sea as if on dry ground. 294s
The Lord provided at Moses' request the bread and the food and the water that the Israelites 297s
moaned and groaned for. 307s
And God sustained Moses throughout this entire time with a super natural physical strength 310s
and ability, strength for the life of this long journey that he had. 319s
Look with me at verse 7 where it says that Moses was 120 years old when he died. 327s
His sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. 334s
120 years old. 342s
And he was as vigorous as a young man. 345s
His sight has not dimmed. 349s
He was super naturally held and strengthened by the Lord. 352s
He was blessed by God. 356s
He was used, mildly, by God. 359s
But he was not God. 364s
And he was not perfect. 368s
In numbers, we read. 372s
We read how the people had come up against Moses and Aaron. 376s
They were grumbling because they needed water and the Lord tells Moses to take the staff 382s
and to command water to come out from the rock. 388s
But we hear, we hear the Israelites grumble. 394s
Quarling with Moses asking why he had dared take them out of slavery to be so thirsty. 399s
So Moses took the staff from before the Lord as he had commanded. 408s
Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. 413s
And he said to them, listen, you rebels. 417s
Shall we bring water for you out of this rock? 421s
Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. 424s
Water came out abundantly and the congregation and their livestock drank. 430s
The Lord provided the water. 438s
But Moses was not obedient to the command of the Lord. 440s
Moses had been fed up with the people of Israel and out of his anger instead of 445s
commanding the rock to bring forth water as the Lord had demanded. 452s
Out of his anger, Moses struck the rock. 458s
Not once, but twice. 461s
He had disobeyed the Lord. 465s
In chapter 32, we read. 470s
We read the consequence of that chapter 32 of Deuteronomy. 473s
Where it says on that very day, the Lord addressed Moses's follows, 479s
ascend this mountain of the Arabim, Mount Nibbo, which is in the land of Moab, 483s
across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites for a 488s
possession. 494s
You shall die there on the mountain that you ascend and shall be gathered to your kin as your brother 495s
Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his kin. 501s
Because both of you broke faith with me among the Israelites at the waters of Maribas 505s
Kadesh in the wilderness of Zinn by failing to maintain my holiness among the Israelites. 511s
Although you may view the land from a distance, you shall not enter it, the land that I am giving 518s
to the Israelites. 525s
Look with me at verse 1 of chapter 34, 529s
then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nibbo to the top of Piska, which is 533s
opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land. 539s
The Lord showed him. That means that the Lord made it so that Moses could see. 545s
He allowed Moses to see. God lets Moses see Gilead as far as Dan. 554s
All NAFTA-Li, the land of Ephraim and Manasa, all the land of Judah as far as the Western sea, 563s
the Negab and the Plane, that is the Valley of Jericho, the city of Palm trees, as far as Zor. 571s
It was a panoramic vista. Moses could see near and far he could see across the valleys. 579s
He was 2,740 feet above sea level. He was at the summit of Mount Nibbo and he could see 589s
everywhere. He could see everything below. The place in the valley below where the Jordan River 599s
feeds into the sea of Gale, or the Dead Sea, sorry. It is 1,297 feet below the level. 607s
So Moses could see the very big picture, the promised land, before him. He goes from Mount 618s
Nibbo Yahweh, causes Moses to gaze northwards, seeing the north of Dan and Gilead and NAFTA-Li. 628s
He moves his gaze in the direction of the Mediterranean and sees Ephriam and Manasa. He turns 635s
to the south and sees Judah and the Negab and he sweeps his eyes across the Jericho and the north 642s
to Zor in the south. The Lord said to him in verse 4. This is the land which I swore to Abraham 653s
to Isaac and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, 663s
but you shall not cross over there. God shows the full richness of the promised land to Moses, 672s
but he doesn't get to enter. 687s
40 years. 40 long, arduous years. Moses spent in the desert leading the Israelites. 40 years of 697s
listening to the Israelites grumble and complain and quarrel. Not happy or pleased or contented 714s
in any circumstance, regardless of what the Lord provided. 40 years of the Israelites grumbling and asking 725s
Moses are we there yet? 40 years. Why? Why would Moses take that journey? Why would the Israelites 737s
want to go back into slavery? They asked him why they why he would lead them that way. 756s
All those years of discontent, all those years of quarreling and difficulty, and Moses finally 766s
gets to see the promised land, but he doesn't get to go in. He's denied entry. 777s
Is that even bear? Is that right? Is that just? After the painstaking work that Moses made of 788s
dealing with those Israelites, the easy part, the easy part of the promised land, 803s
never began for him. He didn't ever get to go into the promised land, not for one single moment. 813s
He didn't get to even step one toe into the promised land. 821s
Look with me, please, at verse 5, then Moses, after seeing the grand vista of the promised land before 829s
him, the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command. He was buried 838s
in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. 845s
Jumping down to verse 8, the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. 853s
Then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua Son of None was full of the spirit of 860s
his dumb because Moses had laid his hands on him and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the 866s
Lord had commanded Moses. Is it bear? Is it bear? Is it bear? Isn't that a question that we ask ourselves? 872s
We ask ourselves, that question is it bear? All the time. 885s
I go to church. I spend time praying. I spend time serving, but I don't have the house. 892s
I dream of. I don't have the job that is fulfilling. I don't have the relationship with my children, 905s
my spouse, my friends, that I desire. I don't have perfect health. 917s
I don't have Bill in the blank. Is it bear? 931s
Moses was obedient. For the most part, he was mostly obedient to the Lord, but it wasn't good enough 940s
to experience the promise land. Moses had led the Israelites 40 long years and it wasn't for 950s
his benefit. He led them because he knew of the promise that lies before. And he had faith. 960s
In the promise that God had made, in Hebrews 11 chapter we hear that faith is the assurance of 972s
things hoped for. The conviction of things not seen. Moses was shown the promise and he was leading the 980s
Israelites to the promise because he knew the fullness of God's promise was yet to come. 989s
There's another mountain top on which we find Moses in Scripture. The mountain top that we find 1000s
in the gospel of Mark chapter 9 where Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them 1008s
behind mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them and his clothes became dazzling 1015s
white such as no one on earth could bleach them and there appeared to him Elijah with Moses 1023s
who were talking with Jesus. Shortly before the crucifixion Jesus heads to a mountain top 1031s
and he confers with the promise. He confers with the promise that Moses had had had brought with him. 1040s
He conferred with the promise that Elijah had brought with him and prophesied about and here 1051s
on this mountain top we have the transfigured Christ speaking with Moses once again in that 1058s
Easterface, close relationship. Jesus knew the torturous death that awaited him. He knew what 1066s
he was facing and he knew that he would suffer and the beauty, the beauty is that Jesus 1076s
Jesus was obedient to the Lord. Holy Moses was mostly obedient but Jesus was holy and completely 1087s
obedient to the command of God. Jesus didn't mostly die for your sin but he died completely 1099s
for your sin. Jesus had to die completely for your sin because your sin has to die completely. 1109s
His bolder led to his full resurrection and the full resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord means 1122s
the full forgiveness of your sin, the sacrifice that is fully accepted. 1130s
And the full forgiveness of your sin is the promise that you will fully receive eternal life 1137s
with God this Father's Son and Holy Spirit. And it's not a matter of something that's far off 1148s
in the future because we hold with us even now the full forgiveness of our sin and the full assurance 1157s
of that forgiveness that promise is not just for the future but the promise of forgiveness and 1166s
salvation is here now today. There's a story that my grandmother in law tells about my husband 1174s
when he was about three or four years old. They were taking him on vacation and they were driving 1185s
and sure enough the questions began are we there yet when are we going to get there? And every time 1194s
they would pass something that looked interesting Keith would pop up in the back seat and say, 1201s
is that vacation? He was looking forward to vacation. Finally they were crossing over a bridge 1206s
and the beach laid out before them and he popped up and said, is that vacation? 1215s
And Nanna laughed and said, yep, that's vacation. But the truth of the matter was that when Keith 1222s
and his grandparents got in the car, the moment they took off they were on vacation. 1231s
The drive itself was part of their vacation. As Christians we may ask. 1241s
Are we there yet? When are we going to get there? But in God's grace we are assured and promised 1251s
that we are there now through baptism and absolution. God's word and the Lord's supper, 1263s
God has given you the full forgiveness of your sins. He has given you life and salvation. 1274s
He gives this promise to us in ways that we can understand through his body and blood, 1283s
through the waters of baptism, through the word preached and proclaimed. He gives it so that we may 1291s
cling to the promise of the life that he has guaranteed for us and he brings those to us 1299s
so that we can cling to the promise of the eternal life that we have even now. 1309s
We have eternal life now, but the fullness of eternal life, where we are in the perfect 1318s
communion with one another with the Father's Son and Holy Spirit, that is yet to be delivered. 1330s
At times we struggle to see, to see God in the midst of the chaos and confusion of the world around us, 1340s
but Christ assures the disciples of all the ages that I will see you again and you will rejoice. 1350s
We have this promise, this assurance now, but we don't yet see Jesus with our eyes. 1359s
But no one can take away this promise from you. No one, as Paul says in Romans, 1368s
can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. And that is why we rejoice in this time. 1375s
And that is how we are bolstered and sustained as we journey through life, this side of heaven, 1385s
here and now because we know that we will indeed see him and we will rejoice in his presence 1394s
in the new heavens and the new earth that is to come eternally. So take heart, 1403s
take heart because you are already in eternity now and one day in the fullness of time, 1413s
we will turn to the Lord and we will ask are we there yet? And he will greet us with open arms 1425s
receiving us and greeting us saying welcome home. 1436s