The Final Charge

Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Matthew 28:19-20
Coming up to our reading in Deuteronomy there were a lot of things that had transpired. Moses was called from the burning bush and sent down to Egypt. The Israelites had been freed from slavery and crossed the Red Sea.  Moses had led them in the wilderness for 40 years.

Here Moses is at the Jordan River and he’s giving Joshua a charge to take the people across the Jordan.  In the 1st part of the chapter Moses reminds the people that he is 120 years old.  In another scripture it says that Moses’ eyes were as sharp as a young man’s eyes. Not only that but his mind was quick.  However, Moses cannot do it because God had forbidden him to go into the Promised Land.

So Moses is at the Jordan River and he’s giving Joshua the final instructions or the final charge.  Moses says to Joshua that he has brought the people to this point but Joshua will take them forward. Moses is encouraging him, saying: “Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them….”

You know a lot of times God will even have pastors such that they will lead a congregation only so far and then someone else takes over.  Joel Osteen pastors one of the largest churches in this country but we know that there is somebody standing in the wings, waiting to take his place. 

As it says Moses called unto Joshua and said: “…thou must go with this people….. the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

It’s just like when Jesus commissioned the disciples; he told the disciples “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: …..and, lo, I am with you always...”

So Jesus also says “I’ll be with you”.  Moses wanted to let Joshua and the people know that God will be with them.  You see they had seen so many awesome things that God had done in the wilderness: feeding them with manna, being that pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day.  They had seen so many things but he wanted to let them know that it doesn’t end here, God is not going to leave you. 

Moses was saying “Now I can’t go with you but I want to let you know that God is going to go before you”. That promise even goes to us. He will not fail us nor will he forsake us.  We don’t have to worry or ask “Is God with us?”  If we walk with him, if we surrender to him, talk with him, and have fellowship with him - we don’t have to worry.  He is with us.

When we repent, believe, and receive we can bank on that.  That is a promise to us that He will be with us.  Things may change, leaders may come and go but God will never leave us.  We may make mistakes but God will never desert us.
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We don’t need to fear, we need only to be strong and courageous, because our God is with us.  He won’t fail us nor will He forsake us.  We have His Word on it.
~J.T.