Day 137 Deuteronomy 32:48 – Chapter 34

Posted on Posted in: Daily readings, Deut-Josh-Judg-Ruth
We long for the comfort of place, but God always calls us to follow - and you can't follow without movement.

The end of an era
Deuteronomy 32:48 – Chapter 34 Read it here
Today’s reading ends with the death of Moses, and the people ready to enter the Promised Land.
In some ways the death of Moses echoes the pattern from the other patriarchs, with the final blessing and the report of burial—even though in this case it is that the location of his grave is unknown.
This is also the end of the first major section of scripture. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are considered the five books of the law. They are also known as the Pentateuch, the Torah, and the Books of Moses. It is on this foundation that all Jewish law and tradition is built, which in turn is the foundation for Christian belief and practice.
It is interesting that the whole of the revealed law comes during this era before entry into the Promised Land—the foundational law of Israel is in place long before there is a land of Israel, a Holy City or a Temple.
In our modern usage, we consider a “nation” to be synonymous with specific territory, but the identity of the nation of Israel developed before it settled in a place. Its identity came not from its land but from its God.
We tend to take our identity much more from geography and physical locations than the Israelites did.
In the New Testament, Jesus is also nomadic, not having a real home base. In an era when many people lived and died without ever leaving their hometown, Jesus’s family had at least three homes—in two different countries—before he was a teenager. As an adult, his ministry was on the road. “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” he said.
The early decades of Christianity were also characterized by travel, with the remaining apostles and Paul all in constant movement to spread the word of Jesus.
For God’s people, home has always been more about relationship with God than about a specific place. In fact, sin has often been strongest when life has been most stable. We long for the comfort of place, but God always calls us to follow—and you can’t follow without movement.

Thursday meditation

Proverbs 15:31-33
Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.
Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding. Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.

Prayer focus
Lord, let us seek the safety of home in your embrace rather than in a location.

-Rev. Mark Fleming

Leave a Reply