Moses’ Last Charge (An article by Christian Henry)

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

 “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

These are the words of Moses, the leader of Israel and author of the Pentateuch, when he was near his death. They make up a part of what has been called his “swan song.” While not really a singer (though he wrote one song in the Bible) like the fabled swan, he began to sing around his death.

We should notice the focus of this address. It’s that of a saint who has spent his life lovingly caring for the people under his command, and his ruling passion is unyielding. He knows he is about to depart from them – he has already received his marching orders and knows he must follow. Knowing that he is about to leave the people, he is very anxious about their welfare and addresses them with deep earnestness.

Note, also, how practical his advice is. He knows how likely the people are to fall into the thoughts and superstitions of the day’s culture, how likely they might be to turn again to graven images and strange gods or fail in other ways. With his dying breath, he pleads with them to observe all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, and to cleave to Him.

Then, like a soon-departing old man, he talks about the past. The Lord has preserved him for a hundred and twenty years, and during the last forty years, he has been king in Jeshurun, and he cannot help reminding the people that the marvels God has truly accomplished must not be dead things to them. Instead, they must be treated as living mercies since they came from a living God, and these mercies must continue producing living gratitude and living service in them. This thought teaches us how, as we mature in life, we should become more and more inclined to practical holiness, drawing it from our own experience of the goodness of God. May we remember with gratitude all the lovingkindness of the Lord in our lives.

On top of how this charge applies to the Israelites; it is also a refreshing reminder for all of us. Over the forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites had faced numerous trials in less-than-ideal living conditions. But Moses encourages them to remember how the Lord led them – to humble and prove that their hearts are truly set on Him. We should not forget this charge when we face trials in our lives.