“[Moses] was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do against the land of Egypt—to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land— and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” ~Deuteronomy 34:11–12
Can we talk? Are we alone? Good, because there’s something I need to say to you, and it would be better if there were no distractions: you and I are going to die.
Take just a moment and let this sink in. Someday our eyes will close, we will draw our last breath of air, and our heart will squeeze its last beat. Our skin will turn gray and cold. It will be over.
A day later our loved ones will sit down with a minister to discuss our funeral service.
They’ll decide which music should be chosen and who will deliver the eulogy. Then, prior to this service, there will be a time of visitation. People will file past. They’ll stop and gaze at our respective bodies. Some will shed tears. The brave ones will touch our cold hands.
Regardless of how old you and I are today and how healthy and strong we are feeling at this moment, death is a sure thing for you and me.
Death happened to Moses. Today’s verses tell us about it. And like a good eulogy, we read some pretty remarkable things that were said about this man when he died: “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” (v. 10); “He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do against the land of Egypt . . . and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (vv. 11–12).
There were also some sobering things about Moses’s death. In spite of his tireless leadership from the brave days back in Egypt to standing on the cusp of Canaan, Moses was not allowed to set foot in the promised land because of his public display of disobedience to God (see Num. 20:1–12). He was only given the chance to see the land from a distance; his feet never stood on Canaan’s soil. This also must have been mentioned about him when he died.
It’s amazing, isn’t it—a summary of a man’s entire life compressed into just a few words. It hardly seems fair, does it? But that’s just the way it is.
So back to our funerals . . . what will people say about us? What are you and I going to do today that will be completely forgotten when we’re gone, and what will be remembered? What trivial things should we overlook, and what should we pay special attention to?
The powerful challenge this brings is the challenge to live each day with a new perspective. Someday our earthly lives will end. So it would be a good idea to take an extra moment to tell your family how much you love them. Remind the people you work with how grateful you are for their hard work. If you live for many more years, these things you say today will still make these people happy.
But just in case you don’t have a tomorrow, imagine how thankful these people will be because you took the time to tell them how deeply you love them.