Sermon – Deuteronomy 31-34 – Biblical Transitions: Moses to Joshua

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches

Sermon – Deuteronomy 31-34 – Biblical Transitions: Moses to Joshua

January 4, 2015

We have all experienced transitions in our lives. Our first transition occurred at birth when we emerged from our mother’s womb and entered a world full of light and sound and other frightening things. Do you remember your first day of school, or the day you went off to college? How about when you started your first job or entered the military? We have positive transitions: getting married, becoming a parent, finding a job. And we have negative transitions: losing a job, ending a relationship, the death of a loved one. Everyone experiences transitions in their lives, and therefore it is helpful to see what God says to people in the Bible who are experiencing transitions. But before we get to this important work please pray with me.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

Deuteronomy 31:1-8 ^NRS Deuteronomy 31:1 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, ² he said to them: "I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the LORD has told me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan.' ³ The LORD your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the LORD promised. ⁴ The LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. ⁵ The LORD will give them over to you and you shall deal with them in full accord with the command that I have given to you. ⁶ Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you." ⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: "Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it. ⁸ It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

Moses was approaching a transition. He had been active all of his life. For 40 years he was raised not as the son of a slave as he had been born, but in the Egyptian royal household as the adopted son of a princess. For another 40 years he guided his father-in-law’s sheep as they grazed in the wilderness. And combining these experiences of leadership and shepherding he led God’s people through that wilderness for yet another 40 years. But now at age 120 the Bible says that Moses was “no longer able to get about”. His eyesight was still good. He was still potent as a man. But he must have been experiencing problems walking and so his ability to accompany a nomadic people on the move was limited. He was experiencing a transition from being very active and independent to being inactive and dependent on others.

Even at this stage of his life God had one final task for Moses to do. Moses was to have all of the laws which God had given the people while they were wandering in the wilderness written down on sheep skins and rolled up into scrolls. These scrolls were to be given to the church workers from the tribe of Levi to be placed with the Ark of the Covenant and preserved in perpetuity. The elders of the twelve tribes were to study these scrolls and have them read to the people every seven years so that the people would know how God wanted them to live their lives. These scrolls were known as the way of life or instructions for life, which in Hebrew is called the Torah. And these rules of life are still available for us to follow, and are contained in the first five books of our Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The reason that God wanted these scrolls prepared and preserved was to ensure that his people would know how to live their lives as transitions occur. God knew that the Israelites were about to transition from being a nomadic people wandering in the wilderness to being a settled people in the land that God had promised. God wanted them to have a set of instructions for living their lives. And God has preserved these instructions for us so that we too have instructions for living our lives.

The task of bringing the people of God into the Promised Land was given to Joshua. Joshua had been a young man when the Israelites left Egypt and showed his courage and faith as a spy sent by Moses to checkout the Promised Land. He urged the people to enter the land immediately, confident that God would lead them to victory, but they refused. Now nearly 40 years later Joshua was ready to accompany the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan River and settled in the land they had been promised.

It may appear that leadership was being passed from Moses to Joshua. But this would be incorrect. Neither Moses nor Joshua was the leader of the Israelites. This was not the death of one king and the rise of another. Both Moses and Joshua had important things to do, but the Bible is clear that the true leader of the Israelites was neither of them. The true leader of Israel was their God. And if God was there leader then was no transition in leadership. This is an important principle for us to remember: that no matter what transitions we face, God always remains the same and is our Lord.

As Moses and Joshua faced transitions in their lives God told them to do three things: first, to be bold and courageous, second, to remember that God is with you, and third, to not be afraid. Let’s look at each of these.

When facing transitions in life we should be bold and courageous. I have known people who fear retirement because they just don’t know what they will do when they retire. So they keep working at jobs they dislike rather than boldly entering active retirement. I know someone who loves hunting and fishing. A few years ago he bought a house high in the mountains of western Virginia were he spends most weekends and his vacation time. He continued to work at a job that he didn’t really like, but it paid well and had good benefits. Recently he decided that the joy of spending his time in the mountains, hunting and fishing, was far greater than the benefits of earning more money. So he boldly took early retirement and is now enjoying his new home in the mountains and his new life. So as we approach transitions in our lives let’s be bold and see transitions as opportunities for new joyful experiences. Let’s be courageous and tackle transitions with enthusiasm.

God also told Moses and Joshua that he would always be with them. No matter what transitions we experience God is faithful and is always there to bless us. I have a friend who experienced a devastating divorce. At first he eased his pain by drinking alcohol, but that just created other problems. He had been a Christian and often prayed, but after the divorce God seemed very far away. Then he became involved with a new church. He made friends and developed an active social life. And he developed a closer relationship with God realizing that God had always been right there with him even as he experienced his greatest despair. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should always remember that God is with us. God is faithful and just and loves us very much.

And finally God told Moses and Joshua to not fear. Whenever we are faced with major transitions in our lives paralyzing fear cannot be far away. I remember many years ago falling off a bicycle. I broke my collar bone, and was afraid to get on a bicycle again. Every time I tried to ride I would panic and fall off. But many years later, as my faith grew stronger, I wondered if my trust in God could overcome my fear. I bought a bicycle. It took me a few days to get used to riding one again. But eventually my balance returned and I could ride with enjoyment rather than fear. The knowledge that God was with me helped me to overcome my fear. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should have no fear because we know that God is right there with us.

Next month, this church will be experiencing a transition of it own. I will be leaving this pulpit. As we approach this transition I charge you to be bold and courageous. We have restarted a Pitts Creek choir and launched a band at Beaver Dam. We have morning prayer groups and evening Bible studies. We have active programs for children at both churches. And we do numerous special events. I challenge you to keep these ministries alive and continue to bring new people to this church.

As you do these things remember that God is the leader of this church, and even though pastors might change, God’s leadership does not change. God remains forever faithful and will lead this church into an exciting future. And with God in control there is no reason to fear this transition. Change in pastoral leadership can lead to anxiety, but if your focus is always on God’s Word and God’s presence in worship, then there is nothing for you to fear.

When Joshua went with the people of God into the Promised Land God told him that no one would stand in their way as they claimed God’s promises to their ancestors. God told Joshua to be bold and courageous in battle. God reminded Joshua that God would be with them throughout the war. God told Joshua not to fear the enemy because the Lord, God of his ancestors was leading the way. God also told Joshua to take the book of the Law that Moses had prepared and see to it that the people obeyed all these instructions. God promised his people success and prosperity in all that they would do if they just followed the commands he had given to Moses. And God fulfilled his promises blessing his people richly with the land God had promised. This promise is offered to us as well. Meditate on the Word of God and live your lives as God has instructed. Then God will bless you with success and prosperity in all you do. Let's pray.

Father in heaven we come to you today boldly in worship. We acknowledge your presence here with us, and this gives us confidence which overcomes our fears. We have meditated on your Word this day and pledge to you to follow these instructions as we live our lives. And we claim the promise of your blessing of success and prosperity as your obedient people. In your son’s name: Amen.