God's Via Positiva #14 | Say Amen to Transition

0:00 Hear now the word of God from Deuteronomy chapter 34, starting with the first verse. Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pishka, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land. Gilead, as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea. The Negev and the plain, that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zohar. The Lord said to him, This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.

0:56 Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab at the Lord's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua, son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

2:05 This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. According to Wikipedia, Memorial Day is one of the federal holidays in the United States for honoring and mourning the United States military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Similar but different, Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the military, while Veterans Day honors all U.S. military veterans, both living and deceased. Memorial Day is a day of somber remembrance, whereas Veterans Day is a time to express gratitude to veterans for their service. So reflecting on this passage through such a lens this Memorial Day weekend made me wonder whether Moses would be remembered this weekend or in November.

3:05 I am inclined to argue that this weekend would be more appropriate. You know, pastors know just enough to get into trouble. I understand that there's nuance necessary to make my case. First, Moses did not serve in the U.S. armed forces. While he was a prophet and lawgiver, Moses also served as the leader of the armed forces in the scriptural accounts of Israel's history.

3:34 Moses, after liberating the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, protected them from Pharaoh's armies. Subsequently, deputized by the Lord Almighty as commander-in-chief over Israel as it wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Moses protected them, going out to battle when assailed by the armies of other nations. As I brushed up on the history of the travels in the wilderness en route to the promised land, I counted no less than five wars Moses and the Israelites fought. You might recall the first major battle against the Amalekites at Rephidim after the Exodus. This is where Moses' hands determined the tides of war. When they are raised, the Israelites would win. And when they dropped, the Amalekites gained the edge.

4:30 So Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands until Israel got the decisive victory. Later, Moses won the battle against the Canaanite king of Arad. The Canaanite king of Arad defeated Sihon, the king of the Amorites, bested Og, the king of Bashan, and avenged the Israelites against the Midianites for their role in tempting Israel to sin.

4:57 Thus, Moses protected them on their journey to the point of his death, which was the brink of the crossing of the Jordan to claim the promised land. Now Memorial Day is primarily a day to honor those who have died while serving in the U.S. military. Here I argue that Moses died in active service. At the start of our passage, God takes him up to Mount Nebo and shows Moses the land that was sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob and to their descendants. God lets Moses see it and tells him he will not enter. After beholding the vista of the promise to the patriarchs, Moses dies. After his death, the Israelites are led into battle, crossing the Jordan to claim the land that was so promised.

6:01 As the forces of the Hebrew people were being amassed to take on the campaign across the Jordan, Moses passed on the eve of the military action of the Israelites. Moses was poised to lead the march to claim the land that God had promised for generations. He died in active duty. To me, it was completely unpoetic that Moses of all people would not be permitted to enter the promised land. To phrase it differently, how unfair. Let me make a couple observations and offer a thought as to why this story matters for us today. First, God rewrites our story. While we might not see our own worth, God does and God sees differently.

6:58 We might not feel it, but God has a zoomed out view. You see, Moses describes himself in Deuteronomy 31 in verse 2. Hear what he says about himself. I am now 120 years old. I am no longer able to get about. And the Lord has told me, you shall not cross over this Jordan. The phrase to get about literally means to go out and to come in, referring to active leadership, especially the exercise of military command. So Moses says, I can't, I can't. And yet after his death in 34-7, scripture says Moses was 120 years old when he died. His sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. Both the literal and figurative meanings are clear in the phrase Moses's eyesight and vision were strong. The reference to undiminished vigor probably refers to his virility and thus a figure of speech for his vitality. So the way that God sees Moses is different from the way Moses sees himself. In many ways, we don't think we can, but God sees different.

8:24 There was much more left in Moses' tank. We're told he could have gone on, according to God's account. Nevertheless, Moses' time had come to its end. Second, why doesn't God permit Moses to enter the promised land? The book of Deuteronomy proposes two possibilities. The first reason is stated at the beginning of the book. God is angry with Moses on account of the people.

9:00 While of all people, Moses merited entry into the promised land, for the sake of the people, Moses bears judgment. Thus, this can be interpreted as the suffering that defines a prophet. You see, a prophet seeks for God. A prophet speaks for God to the people and for the people to God. So the intermediary. And so stands between God and the people. This means that the prophet's own life becomes the meeting place of the people's rebellion and God's judgment. In a sense, Moses is the prototypical suffering servant for Christians that foreshadows Jesus Christ.

9:53 The second reason for Moses' denial of the promised land comes at the end of Deuteronomy 32, verse 53. When God tells Moses, because both of you broke faith with me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin by failing to maintain my holiness among the Israelites.

10:17 While there are many suggestions on what Moses and Aaron might have done wrong, none of them are widely accepted. To me, I understand this as a succumbing to frustration. So what happened? In the desert, Israel grumbled that they were thirsty and there was no water to be found. They proceeded to claim that God brought us here to kill us by thirst. So God ordered Moses to speak to the rock so that it would command it to yield water.

10:58 Moses not only speak to the rock, he struck it twice with his staff. Perhaps Moses' additional act demonstrated a questioned faith. Perhaps God was like, I just told you to speak with it. Why did you have to hit the rock? I get it. I'm like, if I have grumbling people and, you know, kids in my family, I don't know, what do you want? Strike, strike. I don't fault this guy. But God perhaps was like, what did you do that for? thus even the esteemed Moses whom God knew face to face was held accountable for his sin making us wonder if an intimate friendship with God isn't enough to get Moses into the promised land what chance do those lesser than him have and that brings us to the relevance of today's story for us. There is no question of Moses' importance to the Hebrew people and to the nation that distinguished itself by following the laws that he brought forth to the people directly from God. His epitaph in chapter 34 verses 10 through 12 makes it clear that Moses was unique. Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of Israel.

12:48 This was the description of their leader who has died. In the time of Moses, the ordinary time of mourning for a death was seven days. However, for Moses, the people grieved for 30 days. makes sense. Moses spoke with God face to face. Moses demonstrated power that no other prophet would come to achieving again. There would be no one like Moses. How does anyone follow this? Joshua was next in line. Verse 9 says, Joshua, son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord commanded Moses.

13:47 Would this transition in leadership succeed? If you look at today's bulletin. The Bullison cover is a fresco found in the Sistine Chapel attributed to Italian Renaissance painters Luca Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gara. The work depicts the last third of Moses's life. Moses is portrayed in yellow garments and a green cloak. He receives the command baton from an angel at the top which gives him the authority to lead the Israelites toward the promised land. Below that, Moses descends from the mountain with a baton in hand. In the next frame on the bottom right is the 120-year-old Moses speaking to the crowd while holding the baton and a holy book.

14:41 At his feet is the Ark of the Covenant, open to show the two tablets of the law and a vase containing manna from the wilderness. On the bottom left is the appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor, with Joshua kneeling while receiving the command baton. And in the background above that is Moses on a shroud, surrounded by grieving Israelites. the loss of a great leader. Was Joshua ready to take this great leader's place? I am the only person in the world that wants you to be better than him in every way. I'm not sure how true this is, but it sounds true enough for me to use this line on my children. I mean, it's not easy for me because I want them to be better, but I don't want to just like fake lose to them. Unlike Jennifer, who can't help herself from doing just that. I mean, sure, it makes them feel good, but what are we really doing for them if we keep letting them roll over us by giving them sweetheart deals when we play Settlers of Catan? Right? I mean, I want them to beat me and shove my trash talking back in my face screaming, yeah, dad, yeah, dad, take that.

16:12 And yeah, I admit I'll throw a fit for losing, but simultaneously I will have so much joy in my heart and peace for their kids took their old man down, right? I want that. I want them to succeed. Did Moses prepare Joshua to succeed him? By laying hands on Joshua, the spirit of wisdom was imparted from Moses. And Israel recognized the passing of leadership. But did Moses really prepare Joshua? Did Moses want Joshua to do or be better than him? And what we find is, it did not matter. after 30 days Israel moved on after the end of Deuteronomy which is today's passage Joshua 1-1 begins after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun Moses' assistant saying my servant Moses is dead now proceed to cross the Jordan you and all this people into the land I am giving to them, to the Israelites.

17:32 in that verse, we will note that the deceased Moses is still referenced as the servant of the Lord. While Joshua inherits the mantle of leadership, he apparently does not inherit the title. The new leader of all Israel remains Moses' assistant. And yet God promises to be with Joshua, the assistant. And Joshua moves forward in that promise. How do you think the people felt? They get Moses' light? Joshua waited on Moses, learned from Moses, and was Moses' acolyte. While verse 9 tells us that the Israelites obeyed Joshua, it's not a tough stretch to think they had to be intentional about suspending their doubts about him.

18:29 They obeyed Joshua, but that didn't necessarily mean that they liked it. He was no Moses. Who could compare to Moses? Who could compare to the old heroes? Whenever baseball fans debate the best of the game's all-time greats, a name that is sure to come up is Babe Ruth. He was a legend, hardly debatable. The best way to attack this is to mention that he played in a different time. you will hear that he used then you will hear that he used a bat that weighed 44 ounces going as high as 50 ounces at various points in his career for comparison today's major league baseball bats typically weigh 32 to 35 ounces so further highlighting ruth's immense strength and power but to get back to the debate you will hear that the fastballs were slower with less movement than today's. Back then it was 85 miles an hour average and today is now 94 miles an hour average. Add in that those pitchers in Ruth's time went longer into games so their velocity were reduced as they went deeper into those games and relief pitchers were not used as readily as today. Whichever side you land on, both sides can agree the game was different back then.

20:09 Nevertheless, names from different generations get thrown into the conversation of who was the greatest. Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Mickey Mano, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Joe Morgan, Ricky Henderson, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout, and Shohei Otani.

20:31 And that's the thing. If we focus on the player, there will always be a debate about who was the But for better or for worse, the sport goes on. Similarly, God's presence goes on. In his farewell address to the people, this is what Moses tells the Israelites. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of assembly when you said, If I hear the voice of the Lord my God anymore, or ever again see the great fire, I will die. Then the Lord replied to me, They are right in what they have said.

21:25 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people. I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet who shall speak to them everything that I command. for each generation, there is always a golden era where you look back to, like, oh, those were the days. But God's faithfulness extends through all of them. any transition is a challenge because it forces us to wrestle with the nostalgia of the past and the uncertainty of the future as we read this passage maybe you feel like moses having worked so hard and so long at something desperately yearning to taste the fruit or reach that destination. Or maybe you resonate with Joshua, trusting that God is with you, but dealing with major bouts of imposter syndrome and fending off the haters. Perhaps you are following a Moses that you know won't get you all the way. Or maybe you're following a qualified but inexperienced, definitely not Moses' leader like Joshua.

22:44 For those of you who feel like Moses, feel like being put out to pasture before you're ready, rest assured that God has invited you to participate in life through your journey. You have made your efforts to do right. Trust that God is able to rewrite and redeem your story even if you feel like you didn't do enough. In faith, know you have served the purpose of God in your generation.

23:17 For those among us who are vibing with the character of Joshua, know that scripture does not urge us to try to be like Moses. Rather, it makes it clear that no one will be like him. Rather, God declares that it is God who will raise someone up like Moses, whom God will give the words to speak, whom God commands, be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Transitions consistently occur in various ways. This past Tuesday, our retiring officers bid farewell and left some nuggets of advice and pearls of wisdom to the incoming class of Fifth Avenue officers. And here we are in graduation season.

24:12 There are those leveling up to a new grade or out of the classroom and some into higher education or others to the workplace. Let's be honest. Some of you are less than thrilled to be here an hour earlier this morning. On this first Sunday, having transitioned into the summer schedule. Right? Eagerly anticipating the post-Labor Day when we will worship here again at 11. Some of you are facing the transition of moving residences for a myriad of reasons, because May is the start of moving season in New York, the busiest and most costly times in the summer. And others might find yourselves swapping from being a caregiver to being cared for, or vice versa. As we found today, when one story ends like Deuteronomy, a new one begins in Joshua.

25:13 But the constant is God. For those of us going through transitions and change, we might not like how it feels because it is not familiar. The new ways are breaking from that which we call or you know as tradition. It is uncomfortable because it is not the way that we have always done it. You may have to adjust to the new challenges of being and doing. But take heart, family of faith, for God is faithful and present. That is God's promise to us. Trusting that God will be ever faithful to us in that confidence, we can ask in whatever circumstances we face how can I be faithful where I am now?

26:09 In doing so, we say amen to transition. In the name of the Father.