And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

(Deu 34:4)

Explanation:

As we have reiterated the past couple of days, Moses would not be able to enter the promised land.  Although some may see this as harsh, there several reasons why God’s dealings with Moses were  gracious.

God’s judgment was delayed.  God did not immediately cause Moses to die when he sinned against Him.  He still provided water for the people through the work of Moses.

God allowed Moses to see the promised land.  Even though He couldn’t go in he saw what God had promised.God assured Moses the people would enter the promised land.  Just because Moses didn’t go in didn’t mean the nation wouldn’t.  God kept His promises to Moses and to the people of Israel.

God provided leadership for the people through Joshua.  Joshua was a disciple of Moses. God had allowed Moses to groom a leader that He would use for the next generation.

God welcomed Moses in heaven after His death.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  Moses was justified by His faith in God and went to be with Him.  God is so gracious.

Application:

God is just and merciful.  He is both righteous and loving. These may seem to be paradoxical statements but they are true.  The best representation of this is on the cross.  He is so holy that He will not let sin go.  He punished His own Son for our sin.  Yet, He is so loving that Jesus took the punishment that we deserved.  We serve a gracious and loving God who is Holy and Just!

Response:

Take a few moments today to thank God for His grace to us!