Why God told Moses not to cross the Jordan

Why God told Moses not to cross the Jordan River by lcl

After knowing the years of faithful service to God by Moses we all would have liked him to enter the promised land of Israel, but God said no. How could this be?

1. At the age of 120 Moses was likely mentally tired. His body was ready to slow down even though he had not lost his natural strength. He and God had put up with a stubborn and rebellious people for a long time. However, these were not the primaryproblem.

Deu 34:4 And Jehovah said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed. I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.

Deu 34:5 And Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the Word of Jehovah.

Deu 34:6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor. But no man knows of his grave to this day.

Deu 34:7 And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor had he lost any of his natural strength.

1. Moses’s mind was not as sharp as it used to be. He likely made a mistake in following God’s direction to “speak to the rock” to get water. Instead he struck it. I do not believe he deliberately disobeyed God, putting himself in the place of honor. In his anger at the people, I believe he got confused as to the specifics God had instructed him. He also had a problem with anger when he killed the slave master in Egypt 40 years earlier. Anger caused him to break the stone tablets God had written the 10 commandments on. No excuse. God took his disobedience as a lack of faith. This is always the most important issue with God. Faith shows trust in God and gives Him honor. It may well be that when faith is present there is no excuse for anger and sin in our lives. Anger results from fear or frustration. Where there is perfect love there is no fear or frustration. Fear is replaced with trust and frustration is replaced with grace. God is our source for all.

The issue of faith is the single most important issue that God is interested in. Faith in Christ as God’s son who rose from the dead by His own power provides god’s grace to get us into heaven. Lack of faith in god was the cause of god allowing Job to be tested by trouble.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come to me.

Faith was the primary reason that Jesus looked for when he healed the sick and the dead. Remember the great faith of the Centurion when asking for Christ to raise his daughter from death. The faith of the woman with the issue of blood was critical for her healing on touching the robe of Jesus. Faith is the only thing that we can offer god who has the power to do all things. A lack of faith would be a sign that a person does not believe god is sufficient and thus is imperfect. God is perfect, and just the uttered name of Christ in faith is sufficient to cause god to spring into positive action.

Num 20:3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, Oh that we had died when our brothers died before Jehovah!

Num 20:4 And why have you brought up the congregation of Jehovah into this wilderness, so that we and our cattle should die there?

Num 20:5 And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates. And there is no water to drink.

Num 20:6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to them.

Num 20:7 And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

Num 20:8 Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock. So you shall give the congregation and their animals drink.

Num 20:9 And Moses took the rod from before Jehovah as He commanded him.

Num 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now you rebels. Must we bring water for you out of this rock?

Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice. And the water came out plentifully, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Num 20:12 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

1. The lack of faith issue was God’s reason for preventing Moses to continue as leader of His people. From an earthly viewpoint, we could also imagine God desired to graduate Moses to a better promised land to be with Him. He was still given honor there and was released from earthly cares and frustrations. He would have found real joy in the presence of God. However, faith will always remain most important issue in God’seyes.

Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart.

Mat 17:2 And He was transfigured before them. And His face shone as the sun, and His clothing was white as the light.

Mat 17:3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with Him.

1. Also, from an earthly view we would have seen that Joshua had the new vision of faith to continue on and conquer the land. Moses and Aaron were also in disfavor of the people. It was time for achange.

Num 14:2 And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or, Oh that we had died in the wilderness!

Num 14:3 And why has Jehovah brought us into this land to fall by the sword, so that our wives and our sons should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?

Num 14:4 And they said to one another, Let us make a leader, and let us return to Egypt.

Num 14:5 And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

Num 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those that searched the land, tore their clothes.

Num 14:7 And they spoke to all the company of the sons of Israel saying, The land which we passed through to search is an exceedingly good land.

Num 14:8 If Jehovah delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.

Num 14:9 Only do not rebel against Jehovah, neither fear the people of the land. For they are bread for us. Their protection has moved from them, and Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them

5. The young army of Israel could identify better with a younger leader. Similar to “be not unequally yoked” as Christ encouraged husbands and wives to share the same ideals and beliefs. Shared faith is needed to bond leader sand warriors together with god and each other.