It is
always a difficult thing to speak when you want to say farewell to your friends
and family. I have seen and witness people crying when they are about to leave
their loved ones for a while. I saw someone
who was so excited to go abroad when following up her visa, but while at the
airport, she burst into tiers because she was leaving the ones she loved so
much. It is never a happy day when we leave our friends. Welcomes are always
the happy events
MOSES IS HANDING OVER
Our text makes us know that Moses’ life was getting to an end, so his ministry with
the Israelites was ending for someone to take over .two reasons made it that, Moses could not lead the people
to Canaan
1)
Moses was
120 years old. Too old to enter Canaan with Israel because the coming years
were to be years of war with the Canaanites. This Moses who had experienced
spectacular events in the Egyptian palace right to the east banks of Jordan
river, he now say he is too old to enter Canaan (vs 2a ). That is why we need
to hand over to stronger and able people when we feel we can no longer do as we
ought to. We need to hand over our power, our authority and even our ministry
else what we started or were doing will never reach anywhere. If we want our
work to endure for long we must prepare to hand over to others at the right
time.
2)
The
second reason is that God had said to him “You will not go over the Jordan” (vs
2). God had banished Moses from crossing the Jordan because of his earlier
sin at meribah (Numbers 20:8-12). God asked Moses to take his staff and speak
to the rock so that water will flow for the people to drink. But anger made
Moses to disobey God. He was arrogant. Our arrogance may lead us away from
God’s will. Being angry that the people have rebelled against God, Moses said.
“Hear now, you rebels, must we bring forth
water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10b).Then he smote the rock
twice with his staff instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord commanded. Two problems:
a-
The statement of Moses did not bring glory to
God (must we bring forth water).It
was not Moses and Aaron that provided water to the people. It was by God’s power,
to whom they were to give credit. Must at times we are fun of usurping God’s
Glory even as Christians or leaders. We make people think we are the ones doing
it when it is God’s doing, hence we stop people from glorifying God for what He
is doing.
b-
God said because
you did not believe me. Moses had faith, but why did God say he did not
believe? Believe is always manifested in
actions. Moses allowed his frustrations
with the people to cloud his actions in relation to what God commanded. Let
us be careful. Frustrated leaders often act contrary to the
will of God when the people do not obey according to the will of God. Note
that the sin of leadership is when leaders behave in a sinful manner in order
to keep the people from sin. Illus: (I was teaching
our youths some day in church and I took some time to tell them what I had gone
through before my conversion and I encourage them to have their salvation testimony.
A young sister came to me and said Pastor I think you should not tell them
that. Her reason was that if we share our salvation testimonies it’ll stop others
from receiving Christ. For her we should always be telling others how we are
holy. If we pretend and lie to others
that we were always holy, in order to bring them to Christ we fall in this sin
of leadership. You must speak the truth. That is God’s will. He does not want us to lie in order to win souls. Whether
they accept what you say or not, if it is God’s will, it is the truth and must
be spoken. It remains truth! I therefore encourage you leaders to stand for the
truth no matter what. And to you Christians do not frustrate your leaders else
you will also be held responsible for pushing them into sin or putting
stumbling blocks for the men of God. Woe to him who causes a man of God to
stumble.
JOSHUA IS TAKING OVER FROM MOSES (verse 7, 8)
This is like a graduation
ceremony. Commissioning Joshua not only for Joshua’s benefit but for all the people.
That is why it was a public event. It was there to encourage the people so that
they will remember God’s promises. Moses made them know that God will go with them
even in his absence. This was spoken to the Israelites and it applies to us
today who are the spiritual Israelites. God
will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Moses commends Joshua to them for
a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one
whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless.
Joshua is well pleased to be
admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those who have God with
them shall speed well; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God
let us do courageously, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from
us.
But how can you resist the devil without Christ? I tell you that it
will not be possible for anyone to resist the devil if he/she does not have
Christ. It is the power of Christ in you that can help you resist the devil. It
is Christ in you that you can overcome sin. It is Christ in you that you can
overcome evil. That is when you will realize that you were naked while in your
sins. You can read about the healing of the man who was possessed with legions
of demons in Luke 8:26-38 and you will understand what may be happening to you.
You can know if you are under Christ’s control or under Satan’s control. People
can also see from your fruits.
You may be coming to church every Sunday,
you may be coming to prayer meetings every meeting day and you still do not
have Christ and so he will not be with you. You may be lifting up your hands
with other Christians in church as they are called to lift up holy hands unto
the Lord but you have evil spirit. Spirit of lies telling, spirit of
fornication etc. You are in the wrong place, like the man who was possessed. He
was supposed to be with people but he was always going to the tombs. What are
you doing in a man’s house when you are not married to him? What are you doing with
that lady when you are not married to her? That is your spiritual tomb! Though
he was chained, no one could control him. You may be that type who says, no one
can tell me what to do. No one can advise you and you listen. Then you are like
this man with chains but not under control. You need Jesus right now. This man
ran to Jesus, cried out and fell at his feet.. (lk 8:28) and he addressed Jesus
as the son of the Most High God. He recognized Christ but he was possessed. At
times you inflict pain on yourself and you cry latter, you wonder why you did
those things you did. What is controlling you? You need Jesus.
When this man was healed by Jesus,
he recognized that he was naked and so he was given clothes to wear (lk8:35).
Women, why are our ladies dressed today with open breasts or open navel? Do
they realize that they are naked? When Jesus will touch you, you will request
for a dress to wear. You need Christ to be free. You need Christ to enter your
promise land and when you must have received Christ then the statement to be
courageous will now be your portion. And God will not leave you nor forsake
you.
Then our farewells will not be
painful but Joy because we shall meet again in the Kingdom of God.
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