Moses Can’t Take Them In
“Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither. But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”Deuteronomy 1:37–38 (KJV)
Moses led Israel out of Egypt, through the sea and across the wilderness. But at the edge of the promised land, God told him, “Thou also shalt not go in thither.”
Someone else would finish the journey. “Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” The law-giver could bring them to the border, but he could not bring them in.
Hebrews uses the name Jesus for Joshua: “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.” And John says it plainly: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
The law is good, and it brings us to the edge. It shows us where we stand. But it can’t carry us into the inheritance. Only Jesus can do that. If you’ve been trying to get in by keeping rules, look at who God sent to take his people across.
Read it yourself
Read Deuteronomy 1:34–39. Who does God say will go in, and who will not?
Are you trusting the law to bring you in, or Jesus?
Lord Jesus, you bring your people into the inheritance. Thank you for grace and truth. Amen.