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Moses was now a very old man, 120
years old. The Israelites were close to Canaan, and soon they were
to go there; but Moses must not go with them. He had sinned and
disobeyed God at the rock, and his sin must be punished. But God was
not angry with Moses now. No: Moses had repented, and he was
forgiven, and his soul would go to Heaven. But God must punish His
servant in this world; Moses could not go to the good land which God
promised to His people. God said to him, "Go unto the mountain
Pisgah, and there I will show thee all the land of Canaan; thou shall see
it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither." Then
God told him to take Joshua, and make him the leader of the people, to
guide them when Moses was dead. Moses did all God commanded.
He took Joshua, and laid his hands upon him, and blessed him; and God gave
him His Spirit, and made him wise and holy, that he might know how to
command his people in the right way. Then
Moses called all the people together, that he might speak to them for the
last time. They were the children who had grown up in the
wilderness; the rebellious parents were dead. Moses spoke to them of
all those wonders which God had done for them, and for their fathers, for
forty years. This last speech of Moses is written in the book of
Deuteronomy. He told them all their past history, since they went
from Egypt. He reminded them of God's kindness, and of their sins
and rebellions, and of all the laws which God had given them; and then,
when he had finished, he taught them a beautiful song of praise to
God. The Israelites felt very sad when they heard their friend speak
to them for the last time, and give them his dying blessing; and it was
sad, too, to Moses to say farewell to those he loved. But he knew
they had a friend in Heaven, who would never forsake them if they truly
served Him; and he told them to love and obey their kind and holy
God. Then he blessed Joshua again, and told him not to fear, because
God was with him to strengthen and protect him; and then he and Joshua
went together into the tabernacle. And
now God called Moses, and told him that the time was come for him to go up
to the mountain, and die. God showed him from the mount, all the
beautiful country of Canaan, with its hills, and fields, and water, and
corn, and vineyards. Moses could not go there; but he was going to a
better country, a heavenly one, where is no pain, nor sickness, nor
sorrow, nor sin. Moses lay down on the mountain, and died, and the
Lord buried him; no man knew where, nor how. Then all the people saw
that Moses was dead, and they wept for him in the plains of Moab thirty
days. Joshua was now their commander; he was full of wisdom which
God gave him, and the people obeyed him, as they had before obeyed Moses.
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