The Death of Moses

Moses is now 120 years old with eyesight and strength intact. Yet, as God had promised, Moses is to die on Mount Nebo. This was retribution for Moses’s defending the Israelites when they had offended God. “Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. Double ouch!

In lovely lyrical form, Moses blesses all the tribes, promising, “Israel will live in safety alone.” Oh, would that that were true. Of course, their history has been anything but.

“Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Confession #44: I feel sorry for Moses who has led his people through so much, having to work both sides, just to be told by God that he won’t get to see its fruition. See all that land; you won’t live to set foot on it. It is amazingly reminiscent of Dr. King’s telling us he might not “get there with you, but we’ll get there all the same.” It is a remarkable destiny of a leader to sometimes bring us where he or she may not go.


Thus concludes the first five books of the Bible. According to my still incomplete research, this constitutes the founding religious document of Judaism known as the Torah. Some attribute its authorship to Moses through divine inspiration; some see it as having been created before Creation as a blueprint. Varying others attach varying degrees of authenticity.

Confession #45: And so, I am still struggling to answer, Who wrote the Old Testament? But at least now I have some choices.