The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-09-20
DEATH OF MOSES,
LESSON XIII, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TEaNATiONAl SERIES, SEPT. %.

Text of the Lesson, Deut. xxxiv, 1-I2.
Commit Verses 5-7-GoIden Text, Prov.
iv, IS Commentary by Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission of H. S. Hoffman, Philadelphla,
publishePl
And Moses went up" Many tiulc had
Moses gone up on mountain to meet and
talk with God, but never before had he gone
up not to return. There is something SO
mysterious eSodt the going out of person
from the tabernacle in which one has So
journed Oh e-G,h, either for few or many
years, that though one may have witnessed
many such evonts it is ever most solemn
sight. When the one called upon to depart
can cheerfully say, Even so, Father, / am
ready, and quietly arrange all earthly mat
ters, then joyfully await the call, 1t il indeed
a glorious sight. Blessed be God that lie has
taught us in His word, and by the lives of
many of His saints, that it is possible, and
our privilege, 50 to walk with Him here that
we may lose ali fear of death and daily re-
joice in the prospect of being absent
from the body and present with the
Lord whenever He shall see that our
work here is finished. Moses had long
ago forsaken all the pleasures and
vanites of this world, choosing rather to
suffer aflliction with the people of God than
to enjoy the pleasures Of sin for season; es-
teening the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures In Egypt: and for
at least eighty years he had endured, as see
ing Him who is invisible (Heb xl, 4-27).
But now his work in a mortal body was fin
ished; it was the eleventh month of the for
tieth year since they left Egypt Deut j, 81,
and he had rehearsed to them all the way by
which they had been led, and all the COM
mandments Of the Lord; he had given them
another song, and had blessed the tribes Chs
xxi, xxxlif), both song and blessing reach
ing on TO the time of their, to us, still future
glory; he had appointed his successor and
laid his hands upon him, and given him a
charge in the sight of all the congregation
(Num. xvii, 1929 and now he is to be gath
cred unto his people.
1-3 "And the Lord Showed him all the
land" He is now alone with God, the people
all left behind, his earthly work laid down;
but before he departs from earth he Is per-
mitted to see that good land which, on 40
count of sin, he was not permitted to enter.
He had besought the Lord to let him go over
1t suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this
matter; thou shalt behold it with thine eyes,
bnt thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
Deut. iii, 23-27) When Paul besought the
Lord thrice for the removal of the thorn In
the flesh, tho Lords answer was, my grace
( is sufficient for thee" In Paurs casesthe de
nial of the request and tho continuance of
the infirmity was lest he should be exalted
above measure; in tho case of Moses, his re-
quest was denied because of his sin (Nun.
xvii, ID, which, although forgiven, still
left a present unpleasant. result Fourteen
hundred years later Moses did stand IN that
good land when with Elijah he talked with
Jesus of His decease about to be accom-
plished
A. This is the land which / swore unto
Abraham" The promise had been made
nearly 500 years before Gen. xii, y, yet Abra
ham had received no Inheritance in 1t; no
not so much as to set his foot on (Acts vii, s.
His seed, which has grown from one to mill
ions, is now atjcut to take possession of it, but
: they did not possess il fully, nor use it wei
when they got it, and now for more thar
1900 years they have been out Of it, and YET
it is their land, and God will make good tt
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, personally, hi
personal promise to them God lives, the
persons live to whom the promise was made
Jesus lives who died and rose again, all th'
promises of God in him are yea and in Hin
unen; one day is with the Lord o. THOUSAND
years, and a thousand years as one day; b
patient be trustful, be steadfast, be fully
persuaded, and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God; the resurrection will make it al
plain, sec that you take part in tue first one
a g. $50 Moses, the servant of the Lord, died.
Although before the deluge people Hvet
seven. eieht and nine hundred years. yet il
duo time they died, 'lt is appointed unit
men once to die" (iIeb. *. 2D, and yet ther
is common saying to this eifeot-one thln'
is sure we must all die-whch is not cor
rect, for the Spirit says through Paul Il
I Cor, XIV, 81, SO that we shall not al
sleep Tor die, but ia the twinklin
of an eye be changed at the sound
ing of the trumpet So says the 6piri
also in Thess. iv, 16-1S All true believer
, who are alive when Christ returns shall fo
Mis- sake be excused from keeping their al
pointment, aud being instantly changed
shall be caught up to meet Christ in the all
6. "And lie buried him" Most uniqn
death and burial ever accorded to mortal
God and angels welcome him TO the spiri
world and the Lord buries his body. Whel
we bury the bodies of our loved ones. thoug
we Law away the form we have looked upon
our friends with form and features JUS
as real have passed beyond our reach
md from the dust of the corrupt
ible body shall come at tie resurrectio
an immortal, incorruptible body With tn
same form and features, glorified, in whie
the spirit shall again take up its residence
berewarded tor service done in tho morti
body, be at the marriage of the Lamb, an
then with Christ reign over the earth. Ho'
lone thebody of Moses remained buried W
are not told; but that he had the risen bod
on the Mount Of TRANSPORTATION seems ev
dent from Jude tx, for not only does til
devil hate to give up soul 10 Christ but
also hates to have TO give up the body OF
saint from the grave. And If the Man Chll
of Rev xii, 5, includes the risen saints {
Israel, we can understand something of til
cause of the war in heaven there referred
between the same two parties
g. "The children of Israel wept for Most
thirty days" If departed friends hav
gaiued by their departure we cannot mour
for them. "If ye loved me-said Jesus
tho night of his betrayal-ye would have T.
joiced because go unto the Father" (Joh
xiv, 2S. If we believe that our loved on
are with Christ i'll paradise we cannot but
glad Tor them. we sorrow because Oh OF
loss and because of this enemy death, whic
because of sin continues its fearful work vii
q the bodies of men. But let us look up, fl
death itself shall be destroyed
o. Joshua was full of the spirit of wi
,lomV Joseph is spoken of as one in who
was the'spirit of God Gen. xii, SS); wh'
seventy were appointed to assist Moses, G(
took of the Spirit that was upon him and p'
it upon them Mum. ii, ~; Bezaleel w
dllcd with the Spirit to execute the work f
the Tabernacle (Ex. xxi, 81 /; all the prophe
spake by the Spirit; the Spirit spake ei
wrought all that Jesus Himself said and di
the apostles had to wait at Jerusalem un
they received the baptism of the Spirit; al
uulcss we today are, filed with the SAL
Spirit of God We shall be barren and unfru
ful in His service.
e 81 q