The View from the Mountaintop

In 2010, I wrote a piece about a chalk artist and the impact the drawing and the message had on my life. It was a beautiful, but sad picture of Moses on Mount Pisgah looking out over his beautiful promised land. He was given a chance to see it, but he could not go in. Why? Because he had disobeyed God’s command to speak to a rock rather than strike it. Angry and irritated with the very provoking and demanding group of people he was leading, he once again struck the rock to provide water in the wilderness when God had instructed him to simply speak to it. God in His great mercy, provided water once again to the thirsty group, however ungrateful and complaining they were. But Moses should never have struck the rock this second time.

Moses did not know at the time all that the rock represented. The New Testament explains in I Corinthians 10 that the Rock in the wilderness was Jesus who would be smitten for the sin of the world. And he would be smitten once only. Moses struck the rock twice. He didn’t need to know the details of these future events concerning Christ the Rock in order to obey. Yet in that moment, he allowed his frustration over the people’s ungrateful demands to get the best of him.

For many years I only saw in this situation what seemed to be so unfair. But the anger I experienced early on in my walk with the Lord at the thought of this apparent unfairness has long been replaced with love and trust in a Sovereign God who always acts with our good in mind and for His glory. There was still something about it all I didn’t fully understand, but I had let it go. And until Rog spoke on this very subject Sunday evening, I hadn’t really thought about it again. He presented a different perspective on the whole situation. And for the first time I saw God’s mercy at work in Moses’ life rather than judgment. And what a difference a change in perspective can make.

God had told Moses that because of his disobedience he would not be allowed to enter the land of promise. How terrible it would have been for Moses to remain on this side of Jordan knowing that the people he had led were living on the other side. Instead, God lovingly took him home from this mountaintop. Rather than focusing on what Moses had missed out on, I realized what he was given! He was given a view from the mountaintop, and that view must have been amazing. He caught a glimpse of all that was in store for those that would come after him. He had made a difference, and others were going to be blessed because of him and his willingness to be used of God as their leader.

What a revelation! And how humbling! How easy it is to focus on what I am not getting to do, what I don’t have, what I think I’m missing out on…and miss all that God has for me in the process. No longer do I feel sorry for Moses, or feel he was treated unfairly. I just can’t see any regret or longing on his face when I think of it now; only a deep contented peace and a joyful acceptance of God’s plan for him. He climbed that mountain, took in the view, and went home to be with his God.

And what a view it must have been.

Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-8
Questions to ask:
Am I making a difference for those that will come behind?
Am I content with all God has done and is doing in my life, or grumbling about what I think it
should or could be?
Is my life about acceptance and joy, or resistance and resignation to what I can’t change?