- [Narrator] Why was
Moses' body not found? The Exodus was Moses' time. And Exodus is the account of
the greatest escape in history. Over 2 million slaves flee from one of the world's most
heavily protected countries. It's an incredible story
with a series of miracles including some of the most
well known in the Bible. At the time, the Israelites
were led by a man named Moses. He witnessed more miracles than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob combined, with a number of miracles
occurring one after another as God interceded on behalf of his people. Some of the miracles appear to be magic, such as when Moses' rod
changes into a snake. But the majority are obvious
natural manipulations as God demonstrates his power over all he has created for
the welfare of his people. Moses was a man that evaded death. At the time of his birth, the Pharaoh had ordered all male children to be thrown into the river. The majority of people are
familiar with this story. The Nile River was
teeming with crocodiles, and the Egyptians believed
that extermination was necessary to successfully
diminish Israelite numbers. This is how the baby
Moses should have died. But like Joseph, Moses
was brought up at court and given the highest education
at the Egyptian university thanks to God's Providence. For for the Jews, Moses
was the second greatest man in the Old Testament after Abraham. His time as an Egyptian prince came to a sudden end, however, when he lost his temper with one of the Egyptian
slave drivers and killed him, after which he had to flee for his life. Moses' life statistics
are fascinating to read. He spent 40 years grazing
sheep on the wilderness at the age of 40 before returning to live
among the Israelites for another 40 years. God's hand was plainly at work. Moses' encounter with the
Lord through the burning bush is likewise fascinating, if not for the burning bush itself, but for Moses' justifications. Because he was on hallowed ground, God commanded Moses to
remove his shoes first. Then he told Moses that
he would be the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses came up with five
reasons why he shouldn't do it. First, he said he was insignificant. Next, he said that he was
ignorant and had nothing to say. His third excuse was
that he would be impotent to convince the people
that God had met with him and told him to lead them. God said that his power
was going to be with Moses and he would perform miracles. Then Moses said that he was
incompetent at speaking, having a stammer which would prevent him from putting words together. So God provided his brother
Aaron to be a spokesman. God has not chosen to reveal much to us about the circumstances of Moses' death. There are three references in the Bible to the death and the burial of Moses, and each of these references
lends to a sense of mystique surrounding the life and
death of the Great Prophet. It has been determined
that he was 120 years old at the time of his death. Deuteronomy Chapter 34, Verse Seven. "Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak
nor his strength gone." Despite his age, Moses was still in his prime
when he was called home. Moses died alone with
his back against the rock on the top of Mount Nebo,
looking across the Jordan to the land that had been promised, but in which he would never set foot. Moses was barred from
entering the promised land because of his disobedience at
the waters of Meribah Kadesh. He led the Israelites to
the very edge of Canaan and was given a glimpse of the land, but he was not permitted to enter it. God gave Moses a glimpse of
the land he had fled Egypt for near the end of his life. Moses climbed Mount Nebo
from the Plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah. There, the Lord showed him the whole land. Numbers Chapter 27, Verses 12 to 13. The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into this Mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have
given to the people of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people as your brother Aaron was." God explains why Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land in Deuteronomy Chapter
32, Verses 51 to 52. "This is because you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah
Kadesh in the Desert of Zin, and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the
land only from a distance. You will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." God was true to his promise. He showed Moses the promised land but did not let him enter in. Numbers Chapter 20 records the incident at Meribah Kadesh's waters. The Israelites arrived
in the Desert of Zin near the end of their 40 year journey. The community turned
against Moses and Aaron because there was no water. Moses and Aaron went
to the tent of meeting and knelt before God. God instructed Moses and Aaron to assemble the people
and speak to the rock. Water would come forth. Moses gathered the men and took the staff. Then seemingly in anger,
Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels. Must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses struck the
rock twice with his staff. Numbers Chapter 20 Verses 1 to 13. And the people of Israel,
the whole congregation, came into the wilderness
of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed in Kadesh, and Miriam died there
and was buried there. Now there was no water
for the congregation, and they assembled themselves
together against Moses and against Aaron, and the people quarreled
with Moses and said, "Would that we had
perished when our brothers perished before the Lord? Why have you brought
the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness
that we should die here? Both we and our cattle? And why have you made
us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is an old place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink." Then Moses and Aaron went from
the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the
Lord appeared to them. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the staff and
assemble the congregation, you and Aaron, your brother, and tell the rock before
the rise to yield its water. So you shall bring water
out of the rock for them, and give drink to the
congregation and their cattle." And Moses took the staff
from before the Lord as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered
the assembly together before the rock and he said to them, "Hear now you rebels. Shall we bring water for
you out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly. And the congregation
drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the
eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you should
not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them. These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel
quarreled with the Lord." And through them, he showed himself holy. Water came from the rock
as God had promised, but God immediately told Moses and Aaron that because they had
failed to trust him enough to honor him as holy, they would not bring
the children of Israel into the promised land. The punishment may appear severe to us, but when we examine
Moses' actions closely, we notice several errors. Clearly, Moses disobeyed
a direct command from God. God had told Moses to address the rock. Moses instead struck
the rock with his staff. Previously, when God
brought water from a rock, he told Moses to strike it with a staff. However, God's instructions
were different in this case. God wanted Moses to have faith in him, especially after they had
been so close for so long. Moses didn't need to use force. All he needed to do was obey God and trust that God would keep his promise. Also, Moses took the credit
for bringing forth the water. He asks the people gathered at the rock. Moses seemed to be taking credit for the miracle himself and Aaron, instead of attributing it to God. Moses did this publicly. God could not let it go unpunished and expect the Israelites
to understand his holiness. 1 Corinthians Chapter 10, Verse Four. "And drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them. And that rock was Christ." The water giving rock is
used as a symbol of Christ in 1 Corinthians Chapter 10, Verse Four. The rock was struck in
Exodus Chapter 17, Verse Six, "Just like Christ was crucified once." Hebrews Chapter Seven, Verse 27. "Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer
sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people." He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. Moses speaking to the
rock in Numbers Chapter 20 could have been meant
as a picture of prayer. Jesus was struck once and he continues to provide living water to those who pray in faith to him. When Moses angrily struck the rock, he destroyed the biblical typology, and in effect, crucified Christ again. When the Lord instructed
Moses to strike the rock in Exodus Chapter 17, he intended to establish
a picture of Christ as our redeemer. The Bible says repeatedly
in Psalms and Isaiah that Christ is our rock
and cornerstone struck. For example, killed for our sake. And he will bring forth
streams of living water. For example, salvation. Moreover, Hebrew says
Christ died once for all and no further sacrifice
for sins is required. So the Lord intended Moses
strike the rock in the desert only once in the scene
from Exodus Chapter 17, thus picturing Jesus sacrificed
once to bring a salvation. The Lord later instructed
Moses in Numbers Chapter 20 to only speak to the rock in order to preserve the image
created in Exodus Chapter 17. When Moses chose to strike the rock again, he shattered the picture
painted in Exodus Chapter 17. Had God not corrected Moses' error, he would've been baffled
by the distorted picture, concluding that Jesus, the
rock, had to be sacrificed, struck repeatedly for our salvation. As a result, God rebuked Moses to ensure that we understood
the image of the rock preventing him from entering
the promised land correctly. During the process, the
Lord created a new image to support a correct
understanding of salvation. By excluding Moses from the promised land, the Lord demonstrated that
we could not enter salvation, that is the promised land, through the works of
the law, meaning Moses, but only through the work of Jesus. For example, by Joshua, which
is the name Y'shua or Jesus. Moses' punishment for disobedience, pride, and the misrepresentation of
Christ's sacrifice was steep. He was barred from
entering the promised land. Numbers Chapter 20, Verse 12. "Despite this, we never see Moses complain
about his punishment. Instead, he continues to
lead the people faithfully and to honor God." Deuteronomy Chapter 34, Verses One to Six. "And Moses went up from the Plains of Moab under the Mountain of
Nebo to the top of Pisgah that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all
the land of Gilead unto Dan, and to all Naphtali, and the
land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah
unto the utmost sea, and the south, and the plain
of the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palm Trees unto Zoar. And the Lord said unto him, 'This is the land which
I swear unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,' saying, 'I will give it unto thy seed. I have caused thee to
see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.'" 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 Beth-Peor. But no men knoweth of a
sepulcher unto this day. Despite being punished
for his lack of obedience, Moses died in faith and honor. Moses was honored as the
only man buried by the Lord. However, a dramatic event occurred later in the word of God at this location, but we'll get to that later in the video. The 30 day morning period exceeded the normal morning
period of seven days. Most of us dislike saying
goodbye to those we care about. Separation is difficult. Whether at a school or a cemetery, we believe that it is
appropriate for us to weep as God's children, but there is no need for us to despair because we know that we have pain here and the departed have no pain there. We may be struggling here,
but the departed are not. We know that the departed are at peace in the presence of God right now. Centuries later, we read in the Gospels that Moses spoke with Jesus on
top of one of the mountains, but he never entered
Canaan in his earthly life. He was also buried on Mount Nebo, though not by his fellow people. In the New Testament, according
to several commentators, God buried Moses in secret
and without a grave marker to prevent the grave
from becoming a shrine or a place of worship. This seems plausible, given the Israelites'
proclivity for idolatry. Another mystery involves
Jude Chapter One, Verse Nine, where we learned that when Moses died, the archangel Michael contended with a devil
over the body of Moses. This story covers Moses
and two other characters. The first is Satan. Satan is described in the Bible
as an angelic enemy of God, and by extension, the enemy and opponent of those who follow God. "Although everything
God created was good," Genesis Chapter One, Verse 31, "Satan chose to rebel against the Lord. And many other angels
followed his rebellion." Ezekiel Chapter 28, Verse 15, and Isaiah Chapter 14 Verses 12 to 17. "Satan tempted eve to sin
in the Garden of Eden, and Adam followed her into sin, plunging the whole human
race into a curse." Genesis Chapter Three Verses 16 to 19, and Romans Chapter Five, Verse 12. "Pictured as a serpent
and dragon in the Bible." Genesis Chapter Three, Verse One, and Revelation Chapter 12, Verse Nine. "Satan is a murderer
and the father of lies. He promotes false doctrines
and craftily seeks to keep unbelievers in spiritual bondage." 1 Timothy Chapter Four, Verse One. This spirit clearly says
that in later times, some will abandon the faith
and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Concerning Satan, the Bible
gives the following information. Satan is a personable being
with a mind, feelings, and a choice, as seen in Job Chapter One. "He is a made being and
is not equivalent to God." Ezekiel Chapter 28, Verse 15. "Satan does not rule hell. Hell was created as a sentence
for Satan and his demons." Matthew Chapter 25, Verse 41. Neither does Satan live in hell, as the Bible describes
how we can enter heaven and roam the earth. Job Chapter One, Verse Six And Seven. "The devil can only do what God allows." Job Chapter One, Verse 12. "Satan is not everywhere, but he does oversee a
horde of demons called the powers of this dark world and of the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians Chapter Six, Verse 12. He uses this network to
tempt and deceive people. He vigorously works to negate the effect of the word of God in people's hearts. Matthew Chapter 13, Verses Three And Four. "And he blinds the mind of
those who do not believe, so they cannot understand the gospel." 2 Corinthians Chapter Four, Verse Four. "The second character's
archangel Michael." Michael, along with Gabriel, is probably the most well known
angelic being in the Bible. We know Michael is an archangel, but what exactly does that entail? What has he accomplished? What are his duties? And how does he fit into
God's heavenly host? Michael is the name of the archangel. That name begs the question,
who is comparable to God? Many Jewish and non-Jewish parents who named their sons Michael have no idea what the name means. Jude makes no further mention
of this passing reference, which has sparked debate
among biblical scholars. We don't know when this
angelic debate took place, but it was most likely
during Moses' burial. We also don't understand
why the devil and Michael are arguing over the body. The devil was standing on
the other side of Moses when the angel arrived. The devil claimed ownership of this man because he murdered an Egyptian. But the archangel Michael told the devil, "The Lord rebuke you," and
the angel buried Moses. It was an incredible end
to an incredible life. Before crossing the Jordan, the people mourned him for one month. Despite the mysteries surrounding
Moses' death and burial, we do know a few facts. One is that God's word is true and his prophecies are always fulfilled. Another is that sin
brings God's discipline and no one is immune. Furthermore, God does not
always explain mysteries in his word, but here's the truth. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm Chapter 116, Verse 15. There is also another lesson in Jude. In the very same way, on the
strength of their dreams, these ungodly people
pollute their own bodies, reject authority, and heap
abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to
condemn him for slander, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." Yet these people slander
whatever they do not understand. And the very things they do
not understand by instinct, as irrational animals
do, will destroy them. Woe to them. They have taken the way of Cain. They have rushed for
profit into Balaam's error. They have been destroyed
in Korah's rebellion. Scripture teaches us to obey
the legitimate authorities established over us, but false teachers deny authority. In this matter, they were answerable to
no one but themselves. Moreover, the group would
slander glorious ones. Jude describes this with
a narrative of a dispute over Moses' body between
the archangel and the devil. Michael refused to utter a slanderous condemnation against Satan, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." The false teachers, by contrast, didn't understand how
spiritual warfare works. They lived in a dream world, out of touch with spiritual reality. They'd blaspheme rather
than invoking the Lord like Michael did. Why? They didn't understand that Satan is not to be taken lightly. Instead, they were like irrational animals who only operate by instinct. Jude compares them to Cain,
who gave a bloodless offering, Balaam, who only ministered for money, and Korah, who rejected the
authority of God's word. For rebelling against spiritual authority, all of them were judged.
