Upholding his holiness

I am continuing to study the word holiness in the Bible.

Moses is about to die. He has had an amazing life. The book of Deuteronomy ends with the words, "No prophet has risen in Isreal like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt to Pharoah and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the might power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did." (Dt 32:10)

Yet despite all of this achievement as he makes his way up a mountain in Moab where he knows he will die it is not his exploits that Moses is reminded of but his sin. He is told again why it is that he cannot enter the Promised Land.


"You broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

Back in Numbers 20:12 he is told why he cannot lead the people of God into the Promised Land "Because you did not trust me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

It is tempting to think that God is being a bit unfair on Moses, after all he had had to put up with, in leading the people of Israel through the desert, not to let him take them into the Promised Land because he made one slip up.

However there is a crucial issue here. Moses represents the law. It was through him that God revealed to his people the way that they should live holy lives in order to honour the holy God they were dependent upon and whom they were called to serve.

Moses gave the law but even he did not keep it. He was probably one of the most righteous men that have ever lived but he failed to do the very thing that the law said he should do, honour God's holiness by complete obedience. Moses did not and could not do that.

What does this say to me? It says to me that it is complete obedience to a holy God that is required of me as a servant of God and as a leader of God's people. It is a necessary reminder in these days of celebrity Christians and mega ministries. Any amazing exploits for God mean very little if I am compromised somewhere in my obedience to God. If Moses one of the most righteous and powerful leaders that ever lived could not make it, then I am not likely to either.

This would be a very sad story, if becasue of the failure of Moses and the Law the Promised Land was never entered by the people of God. It is a very sad thing for me if holy living is required for me to enter into all that God has promised in the Bible but there is no way that it can be achieved.

But this story does not have a sad ending. The people of God did enter the land. They didn't do it through Moses but through Joshua, whose name means "God saves." In other words, they didn't get there because they passed the grade but because God sent a Saviour!

We enter our spiritual inheritance through a Saviour, by whose Spirit we are enabled live a life of obedience which is honouring to a holy God.

"Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance but just as he who called you is holy so be holy in all you do for it is written; "Be holy for I am holy."

God bless

Carol