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I have spent a lot of time recently reading and reflecting on the story of Moses and the 40 years
the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness, becoming God’s chosen people. Moses’ faithful
answer of God’s call set the stage for what is arguably the defining moment in Jewish history.
And yet, as you read Moses’ story, it is difficult to get to the end without some sense of dissatisfaction.


After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt; after guiding the Hebrew people through the
wilderness and the myriad difficulties they faced; after teaching the Israelites all the instructions
that God gave them; after interceding for the Israelites when the Lord was determined to destroy
them; after reprimanding the Israelites when they complained about God; after being God’s servant, Moses dies having never entered the Promised Land. And perhaps as a further cruel twist, Moses dies not in the wilderness, but literally within sight of the destination which he has labored so long and hard to reach.


As modern people of faith, we long for fairness. We long for justice. And there seems to be neither of those present in God’s refusal to allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. In reality, however, the end of the story comes as no surprise. We are told at the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy that Moses will not be allowed to go into the Promised Land, that it is Joshua who will help the Israelites complete their journey. Interestingly, the writer of Deuteronomy – and indeed Moses himself – attempts three times to explain the reason for this apparent slight, and each time the explanation is a little different. And so in the end, only two things are certain: God never intended Moses to enter the Promised Land, and Moses never gave up hope that he would.


In some sense, perhaps, it was that hope that drove Moses as he guided the wayward Israelites
through years of desert wanderings. It was a long and frustrating journey, but not one without
purpose. For the Israelites who crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land were a different
people from the ones who crossed the Red Sea. Through the course of their journey in the desert,
the Israelites learned who they were, who God was, and something about how to live faithfully
as God’s people. Through its hardships, the journey shaped the Israelites, and the experience
molded them into a people ready to claim the land that God had promised.


I remember many years ago, playing Tee-Ball, my team logged a perfect regular season. We
won every game and should have won the championship game, but we came up just short. No
one was more devastated than our coach, who also happened to be my Dad. We talked about
that season recently. I don’t remember much about it, but the coach remembers it well. He told
me: “After the sting of losing wore off, I realized just how much you kids had come together as a
team, and that’s what made me proud.”


Sometimes it’s only when we fall short of our destination that we realize just how important the
journey has been.

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See you Sunday.

Ash Lane United Methodist Church

1001 W. Ash Lane  Euless, TX 76039

817-283-4421

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