Impact - Day 6

Day 6 – Dismount

Deuteronomy 34:5-12
So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. The LORD buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. The LORD sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.

There is a big difference between celebrating your history and being stuck in the past. As the Native American Tribal saying goes, “When the horse is dead, dismount.” In a literal way, Israel is faced with this challenge. They need to mourn and to let go.

Today’s passage from Deuteronomy is the prologue to Joshua’s coronation. Moses has died. Yet, Joshua is barely mentioned, and even then, it is an excuse to share that Moses had laid his hands on him. 

I grew up with an older brother. He was always bigger, faster, and stronger than me. This story reads like my teenage experiences when someone would introduce me by name only to launch into glowing stories about my older brother. Come on, man. Dismount. Israel needs a new leader. Moses is gone. But they can’t stop talking about how great he was… “There’s never been anyone as good. Do you remember how he humiliated Pharaoh and led us to freedom? Moses was so powerful. Our enemies were terrified. Oh, and did you hear? God was his pallbearer.”

It is one thing when history inspires us to action. It is quite another to become paralyzed by the allure of going backward. The time has come to move forward with a different leader. Dismount. The horse that got you this far has died.

Even so, as the book of Joshua begins, our new leader needs to be spurred forward. So, God speaks directly to him, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead…” Dismount the former ways, the expectations of the past, and the customs of the good ole days. Lean into the new thing God has been planning.

Could we be as mesmerized with our pasts as the Children of Israel? Do we glorify the victories of yesterday? Do we wallow in what was done to us? Are we idolizing the good and perpetuating the bad? What is it that needs to be dismounted and buried?

1. What experience is dead that you need to dismount?
2. Are you more likely to be paralyzed by memorializing good history or rehearsing painful experiences? What could you do to move past this?