- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 5
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 13
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 17
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 9
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 11
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 25
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 12
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 26
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 27
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 18
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Matthew 28
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Mark 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 22
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Mark 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 27
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 2
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 28
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 37
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 39
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 40
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 16
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 41
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 18
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 42
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 19
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 43
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 20
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 44
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Luke 24
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 45
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Genesis 50
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 1
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 2
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 3
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 4
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 10
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 5
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 13
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 6
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 14
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 7
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 15
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 8
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 16
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 9
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 17
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 10
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 20
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 11
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: John 21
- 365 Key Chapters of the Bible: Exodus 12
- Acts 1: The Ministry of the Gospel
- Exodus 13: Paying the Price
- Acts 2: Faith Founded on Fact
- Exodus 14–18: When Security Vanishes
- Acts 7: Eternal Glory
- Exodus 19: The Covenant to Come
- Acts 8: Counterfeit Gospels
- Exodus 20: The Holy Splendor of God
- Acts 9: From Persecutor to Proclaimer
- Exodus 32: God’s Inexpressible Glory
- Acts 10: The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles
- Leviticus 16: The Holiness of God
- Acts 13: Paul’s Missionary Journeys
- Numbers 13: The Book of Wanderings
- Acts 15: How Are We Saved?
- Numbers 14: The Faithfulness of God
- Acts 16: Interrupted Plans
- Deuteronomy 1: “Beware Lest You Forget”
- Acts 17: How to Spread the Good News
- Deuteronomy 2: Knowing God
- Acts 18: Encouragement through Fellow Believers
- Deuteronomy 3: Mercy and Judgment
- Acts 19–20: The Power and Word of God
- Acts 20–21: The Cost of Following Christ
- Deuteronomy 4: Leaving a Legacy
- Acts 22: Common Ground without Compromise
- Deuteronomy 5: The Purpose of the Law
- Acts 23: The Centrality of the Resurrection
- Deuteronomy 6: The Pitfalls of Prosperity
- Acts 24: Living in Light of the Resurrection
- Deuteronomy 7: Warnings about the World
- Acts 25: The Witness of Waiting
- Deuteronomy 8: Our Daily Bread
- Acts 26: Agents of Eternal Change
- Deuteronomy 27: A Covenant of Obedience
- Acts 27: Surviving the Storm
- Deuteronomy 28: Idolatry of the Heart
- Acts 28: Service and Encouragement
- Deuteronomy 29: Anticipating the New Covenant
- Romans 1: A Practical Theology
- Deuteronomy 30: God’s Merciful Covenant
- Romans 2: The Universal Moral Law
- Deuteronomy 32: Learning from the Past
- Romans 3: Righteousness in Christ
- Deuteronomy 34: The Death of Moses
- Romans 4: The Grace of Justification
- Joshua 1: Listening to the Lord
- Romans 5: Reconciliation with God
- Joshua 2: Rahab’s Faith
- Romans 6: Fighting the Flesh
Even though Moses was the great prophet of the Old Testament, he had dishonored and disobeyed God in the incident at the waters of Meribah (see Numbers 20:8–13). As a consequence of his actions, God did not allow him to enter the Promised Land at the end of his life.
Moses’s disobedience may seem like a small thing to us, and God’s reaction drastic, but we need to recognize that God had given Moses a command. And Moses, the shepherd of the Israelites, did not obey. As Luke 12:48 teaches, to whom much is given, much will be required.
The more you know about the Word, the more you will be held accountable. Moses was a leader, and God held him accountable for his actions.
But Moses’s disobedience did not ultimately define him. We see God’s mercy in that He gave Moses a supernatural vision of the Promised Land even though he could not enter it. Not only that, but Moses did eventually enter the Promised Land in a different way—he appeared on the top of a high mountain in the land of Israel during Jesus’ transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36).
The Spirit of Wisdom
Even after Moses’s death, God’s mercy to the Israelites continued. He did not leave them without a leader, but endued Joshua with the “spirit of wisdom.”
This commissioning with the Spirit is important. Just as God gave Joshua a unique purpose, He has also given each of us a unique purpose. But we need to be willing to walk in the power of the Spirit and abide in Him. We must die daily to ourselves and to our own idea of our plans, submitting instead to God. This is a continual surrendering—we constantly need to take ourselves off of the throne of our lives and enthrone Christ instead.
This teaching is based on Ken’s Handbook to Scripture.
Related Reading:
Want a recap of the book of Deuteronomy? Check out Ken’s Talk Thru Deuteronomy presentation.