WHAT SAW FROM MOUNT NEBO 3. Well, Moses too was promised the land of (Deut 34:1-4) for his inheritance.

Exo 6:8 – I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, A. We see Moses climbing Mount Nebo, just prior to Isaac, & Jacob; & I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord . His death, to view the of Canaan.

4. But 39 years later, that promise was withdrawn. Deut 34:7 – Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished . Deut 34:4 – Then the Lord said to him … I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there .” 1. Canaan was the Promised Land because God promised to give it to the descendants of

Abraham, which He did! a. We’ll talk about the reason for that in just a moment, but it certainly wasn’t because Moses was too feeble to make the journey. Josh 21:43-45 – So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers , & they took possession of it & dwelt in it. 44 The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good B. In this lesson , we want to emphasize the Mountain thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel . ALL CAME TO PASS . upon which Moses viewed the Promised Land.

2. However, to keep the land they had to obey the 1. In the Bible, mountains were often used by God Lord, a matter in which they failed ( Deut 28:63 ). to convey His word to man.

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a. Mount Sinai for the giving of the Law. c. Though he was able to see it from the lofty heights of Mount Nebo, he was not permitted b. Mount Gerizim for the blessings promised to to set foot in that land. Israel if they obeyed the Law.

c. Mount Ebal for the warnings given to Israel if d. For the simple reason that he did not obey a they disobeyed the Law. single command from the LORD (Num 20:2-12 ).

d. Mount Carmel for the demonstration of God’s power over idol gods like Baal. [We can imagine what Moses saw with his eyes from the top of Mount Nebo, but what did he see in the sense of e. The Sermon on the Mount ( vicinity of Capernaum ) understanding from that vantage point?] for issuing the bylaws of the kingdom of God.

f. Mount Tabor (in Galilee ) for the transfiguration of Christ into His glorified divine nature. I. MOSES SAW A LAND OF REST

Heb 3:8-12 – Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial 2. Our study has to do with Moses on Mount Nebo . in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, & saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, & said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, & they have not known My ways.’ 11 So I a. It was on this mountain that God allowed swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ (Psa 95:11; Deut 34:1-4) Moses to view the beautiful Promised Land.

A. From what we know about Israel’s history, this land b. But for Moses, the “Promised Land” became of rest was certainly not a land of idleness . the “Prohibited Land”.

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1. Canaan was a land in which the Israelites worked 1. The Lord’s house , of which the prophet speaks, very hard for the physical blessings of God, & He is the church Jesus built ( 1 Tim 3:15 ). rewarded them accordingly.

2. The mountain of the Lord’s house is the authority 2. Canaan was called a land of rest because Israel of that house: Jesus Christ & His word, which would have nothing to fear from the forces of began to be preached from (Acts 2 ). nature OR man – if she obeyed (Deut 28:1-14 ).

3. The promise is a land of rest, & we are given a view of that land in His word (Rev 21:22—22:5 ). B. Moses was not the only one who could see a Land of Rest from the top of a mountain. [From Mount Nebo, Moses saw an impressive view of the Land of Rest, but it cannot compare to our view from the 1. Every Christian has been given that view. mountain of the Lord’s house.

Because from our perspective (at the mountain of the 2. But our view is not from Mount Nebo; we have a Lord’s house) our Land of Rest is eternal, & we have a better perspective, a clearer view to a better land right to enter that land if we are faithful to the Lord.] from a better mountain.

Isa 2:2-3 – Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of II. MOSES SAW THAT ANGER CAN CAUSE ONE the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, & shall be TO LOSE HIS REWARD FROM GOD exalted above the hills; & all nations shall flow to it - 3 Many people shall come & say, “Come, & let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways , & we shall walk in His paths .” For out of Zion shall go forth the law , & the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

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A. God gave Moses a simple command, which he b. Did Moses have the right to be angry? Yes! refused to carry out because of his anger ( Num 20:7 ). But did he have the right to disobey God? No!

1. Rather than speak to the rock, to bring the c. Was there any justification for what he did? murmuring Israelites the water they needed, Not when you consider the consequences. Moses struck the rock twice with his rod.

d. The outburst of Moses’ anger also made God 2. Then he badgered them, “Hear now, ye rebels; angry & that cost Moses dearly. must we bring you water out of this rock” (20:10 )?

Deut 1:37 (Moses) – The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes , 3. He was so angry that he could have yelled at the saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there’. rock & struck the people.

a. But the result of his anger was a sin that B. Rebellion against God begins in the heat of anger. carried greater consequences than Israel’s rebellious murmuring.

1. Se we need to learn how to douse the flame of anger before it causes us to sin. Psa 106:32-33 – They angered Him [God ] also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses on account of them; 33 Because they rebelled against His Spirit , so that he [Moses ] spoke rashly with his lips . Eph 4:26-27 – “Be angry, & do not sin”. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. Num 20:12 – Then the Lord spoke to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you Psa 4:4-5 – Be angry, & do not sin . Meditate within your heart on your bed, shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them .” & be still . 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness , & put your trust in the Lord.

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2. If Moses had let himself cool off, if he hadn’t And though Moses lost a lot, we have a lot more to lose acted in haste, if he had obeyed the command, if than he. Heaven would be a greater loss than Canaan if he had put his trust in the Lord’s sense of justice. we allow anger to manage our lives.]

a. Then Israel’s problems wouldn’t have become Moses’ problem, Israel’s sin wouldn’t have III. MOSES SAW THAT TO BELIEVE GOD YOU caused Moses to sin. MUST HALLOW HIM (HIS WORD)

b. But the way it worked out, ironically, was that Num 20:12 – Then the Lord spoke to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not the thirsty murmuring Israelites were permitted believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” to go into the Promised Land, while Moses died standing outside. A. When Moses chose to “strike” the rock instead of “speak” to it, he made a revealing choice.

Prov 16:32 – He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty [ Moses was not mighty on that day ], & he who rules his spirit [is better] than he who takes a city [Moses lost his right to a country on that day ]. 1. He revealed – to himself & everyone watching – a degree of his unbelief in God. Prov 19:11 – The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger [ Moses showed no discretion on that day, he used poor judgment ], & his glory is to overlook a transgression [ Moses attempted to glorify himself, but he was not glorified on that day ]. 2. Moses couldn’t enter the Promised Land for the same reason those Israelites 40 years early couldn’t – because of unbelief ( Heb 3:19 ). [From Mount Nebo, Moses saw that anger can cause you to lose your reward from God.

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B. A lot of people claim to believe in God, but they do IV. MOSES SAW THE RESTRAINING POWER OF not hallow or sanctify Him as the Holy God He is. SIN

1. Therefore, their so-called belief is counted as A. Sin restrained Moses ; it held him back, from unbelief , so far as God is concerned. entering the Promised Land.

2. When people use His Name in jest, in common 1. Now let me put your minds at ease, Moses will slang & profanity. be in Heaven, spiritual Canaan (Matt 17 ).

3. When they treat His word as if it were a school a. When God confronted Moses with his sin, textbook where you can highlight the words you Moses must have sought God’s forgiveness. like & ignore everything else.

4. When they put the interpretations of men on par B. Sin also has the power to restrain us; to hold us with NT revelation, then they are not regarding back, from entering Heaven (Rom 6:23 ). the true nature of God; they do not actually believe [in] God . 1. But leading up to that final eternal restraint, sin has other restraining powers. [From Mount Nebo, Moses saw that to believe [in] God you must treat His Word with the greatest respect, & then you must do exactly what He says.] a. Sin can restrain us mentally (Isa 57:20; Lk 15:17 ).

b. …from serving God ( Psa 51:13 ). 6

c. …from unity (Eph 4:1-3; Phil 2:1-4). A. Throughout the Bible , God drives home this point: “I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal 3:6 ). d. …from fellowship with God ( Isa 59:1-2; 1 Jn 1:7; 2 Jn 9 ).

Psa 119:89 (David) – Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven .

[From Mount Nebo, Moses saw the restraining power of Prov 30:6 (Agur) – Do not add to His words , lest He rebuke you, & you be sin; it held him back from everything he ever truly wanted found a liar. out of life.

Sin will do the same to us.] 1. On the Judgment day, many will find out too late that the word of God is inflexible ( Matt 7:21-23 ).

V. MOSES SAW THAT GOD’S WORD IS 2. God’s inflexible standard of judgment will be the INFLEXABLE ( IMMUTABLE, UNCHANGEABLE, FIXED ) word of Christ ( Jn 12:48; Heb 9:27; 2 Cor 5:10 ).

Deut 3:25-27 – I pray, let me cross over & see the good land beyond the [From Mount Nebo, Moses saw the inflexibility of God’s , those pleasant mountains, & Lebanon. 26 “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, & would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: word; He will not change it for anyone: Grandpa Moses or ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter . 27 Go up to the top Grandma (fill-in your last name). of Pisgah, & lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, & the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan .’

Deut 34:5 – So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of , according to the word of the Lord . CLOSING

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A. What would it have been like to stand with Moses on Mount Nebo?

1. I can’t help but wonder if while Moses was looking out over the Land of Promise he was also thinking about the lessons he learned so late in life – too late in life.

• There was a land of rest just beyond his grasp

• Because of a fit of anger

• Because of his unbelief in God’s word

• Because of the restraining power of sin

• Because God’s word is inflexible

B. The real question is will we see what Moses saw from Mount Nebo, will we learn the lessons he learned too late.

1. The Promised Land of Heaven hangs in the balance.

a. I’d say that’s a pretty good incentive to learn from the errors of Moses (Rom 15:4 ).

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