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his last summit

Deuteronomy 32:48-52 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 32:48 On that same day Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said:
Deuteronomy 32:49 “Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim range in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession.
Deuteronomy 32:50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.
Deuteronomy 32:51 For both of you betrayed me among the Israelites at the Water of Meribath-kadesh in the open country of Zin by failing to treat me as sacred in their presence.
Deuteronomy 32:52 Although from a distance you will view the land that I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there.”

his last summit

As a long-distance hiker, I have gone up a lot of mountains. Sometimes I am enticed by the prospect of a spectacular view at an overlook. I have seen a lot of those. Sometimes I go up just because the trail leads there, and I just have to tick off another summit on my long list.

Moses was getting ready to ascend a mountain that he would never come down. This was his last summit. He had led his people through the long distance hike to Canaan, but he would never reach the promised land himself. He faces an end that he doesn’t want, but knows that it is his fault.

If it were me, I would probably say to God that if he’s going to kill me anyway, I would just as soon skip this last climb. But that is not Moses. He may have failed at a lot of things in his life, but he was not going to fail here.

Lord, give us the courage to follow you, even if it is into the darkness.