MOUNTAINS - WEEK 4 MOUNT PISGAH IT’S GOD’S STORY Deuteronomy 32:48-52 Deuteronomy 34:1-12

INTRODUCTION What is something God has been showing your during our MOUNTAINS series?

READ TOGETHER Take some time as a group to read Deuteronomy 32:48-52, Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (and if you want: Numbers 20:7-12 and Acts 13:36)

DISCUSS TOGETHER What stuck out to you or that you were challenged by from this week’s message?

On Mount Pisgah we are reminded of 3 TRUTHS

THE DEVASTATION OF SIN - What is your response to God not allowing to enter the ? Why? - How do you define SIN? - Why do we all have such a tendency to minimize our sin or to excuse our sin away? - What is the danger in not dealing with YOUR sin?

THE GLORY OF GOD Through Moses, we see clearly that God’s Glory and God’s Work is most important - If you were honest about the way you live life, are you living for YOUR glory or for GOD’S glory? Why is that? - Look at what was said about David in Acts 13:36. What does that tells us about how David lived his life? What is the implication for you and I? - What does it look like for someone to invest their life in joining God in His work? How are you doing that? What happens if we don’t?

THE HOPE FOR A SAVIOR - If we strip away all the ‘right church answers’; how should the reality of Jesus as our Savior impact our lives on a daily basis? - How is your life different TODAY because Jesus is your Savior? - What needs to happen in your life in order for you to worship Jesus in the manner that He deserves?

NEXT Based on what we’ve looked at on Mount Pisgah What is something you need to DO What is something you need to CHANGE What is your NEXT (or FIRST) step towards Jesus look like?

What is going to keep you from doing that?

How can we help each other?

CONNECT Take some time to CONNECT together and PRAY for one another - Are there any areas of your life that we can celebrate? - Are there any areas of your life where we can help? - Are there any areas of your life that we can be praying about?

FURTHER READING

The "very same day" that Moses gave his song to the Israelites, God directed him to prepare for his death (v. 48; cf. Num. 27:12-14). "" is one of the peaks in the mountain range, that stands to the east of the Arabah, northeast of the Dead Sea. This mountain range runs generally from north to south. People in that culture associated heights with nearness to deity, so perhaps both Aaron and Moses died and were buried— on mountains—in orded to symbolize their nearness to God.477 God permitted Moses to "see the [whole] land" of Canaan "at a distance," even though his sin at Kadesh prevented him from entering it. "The Lord had told him to speak to the rock (Num 20:8), the mere act of speaking being designed to demonstrate the power of God who creates by the spoken word. To strike the rock was to introduce an interruptive element and thus to diminish the significance of the powerful word. By doing this, Moses betrayed not only anger and disobedience but he correspondingly reflected on the God whom he served by implying that God could not bring forth water by the divine word alone."478 Moses' sin lay in his failure of forgetting to honor God as He deserved ("you broke faith with Me . . . you did not treat Me as holy"). This is essentially the warning of the Song of Moses (vv. 1-43): "Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just . . . You neglected the Rock who begot you, and forgot the God who gave you birth . . . See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me." Moses had failed God just as Israel had failed Him. So Moses warned Israel against failing Him again in the future. Dr. Thomas Crawford; Soniclight.com; Commentary of Deuteronomy

Moses had prayed that God would repent and allow him to enter the Promised Land, but God had refused (Deut. 3:23–29). God knew that Joshua (“Jehovah is salvation”) would lead the people into their earthly rest, just as the heavenly Joshua, Jesus Christ, would lead His people into spiritual rest. This the Law (Moses) could never do. However, Moses did visit the Promised Land on the Mount of Transfiguration, with Elijah; and he discussed with Christ the “exodus” (decease) He would accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:27–31). God permitted Moses to view the land, which is all the Law can do when it comes to holy living. The Law sets forth a divine standard, but it cannot help us to attain it. Apart from the death of Christ and the gift of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1–4), we cannot have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in our lives. We can view the land but never enter it. Those who follow Moses (legalism) will never enter the land of blessing. God alone was present when Moses died, and God buried him. If people knew the location of his grave, they would undoubtedly make it an idolatrous shrine. Jude 9 suggests that Satan wanted the body of Moses, perhaps arguing that Moses was a murderer (Ex. 2:11–12) and had sinned at Meribah when he smote the rock. The people wept for Moses for thirty days. Often a leader is more appreciated after death than during his or her life. The book closes by reminding us of the unique character of Moses’ ministry—he was a man to whom God talked face to face.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Dt 34). Wheaton, IL: