It’s Out of Your Hands – Deuteronomy 31

Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you. For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, as long as I have been alive with you until today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death? (26-27)

I genuinely sympathize with Moses at the end of his story. He was not perfect, and he made some mistakes. Yet, he also accomplished amazing things while being stuck with rebellious people for more than 40 years. He saw God deliver them from Egypt and bring them to the brink of entering the promised land. He saw them reject God’s plan because of fear, and yet, he was the one the Lord used to pick up the pieces. Moses wandered with them in the wilderness until the older generation died off, and then once again, he led their children to the edge of the promised land. He shepherded these rebellious people; he provided for them, settled their disputes, and stood between them and their God. Day and night he served until now, on the brink of finally crossing the Jordan, Moses learns that he will not enter because of his behavior while striking the rock at Meribah. Moses blamed the people (with good reason) for making him angry and pushing him over the edge… God blamed Moses for not treating Him as holy in the midst of the Israelites (see 32:51)

Moses finally passes the torch to Joshua, but God lets him know that the people will, once again, fail after entering the promised land. What a heartbreaking revelation that must have been. After all, Moses had given his entire life to serve these people and try to “straighten them out.” Now, he finds that despite all his work and service, they will enter the promised land and still drop the ball. I feel for Moses. It is hard enough to get people to do what is right while you’re watching; it is harder still to get them to continue doing right once your back is turned. It just reminds us that this is God’s work, and we are simply His instruments. I have learned that I can’t talk people into or out of anything. If people change, it is because God does a genuine work in their hearts to change them. Instead of being discouraged by this, it should actually set us free. Someone’s faithfulness (or lack of faithfulness) is not on your shoulders. All you can do is teach the right thing and be the best example. At the end of the day, it is out of your hands and thoroughly in the middle of God’s hands. That is a great place for things to be, and happy is the person who leaves things (or people) we can’t control in the hands of God.