Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Deuteronomy Ch.34 / 34 Ch.s
DE:34
* Moses views the promised land from mount Nebo. (1-4) The death
and burial of Moses, The mourning of the people. (5-8) Joshua
succeeds Moses, The praise of Moses. (9-12)
#1-4 Moses seemed unwilling to leave his work; but that being
finished, he manifested no unwillingness to die. God had
declared that he should not enter Canaan. But the Lord also
promised that Moses should have a view of it, and showed him all
that good land. Such a sight believers now have, through grace,
of the bliss and glory of their future state. Sometimes God
reserves the brightest discoveries of his grace to his people to
support their dying moments. Those may leave this world with
cheerfulness, who die in the faith of Christ, and in the hope of
heaven.
#5-8 Moses obeyed this command of God as willingly as any other,
though it seemed harder. In this he resembled our Lord Jesus
Christ. But he died in honour, in peace, and in the most easy
manner; the Saviour died upon the disgraceful and torturing
cross. Moses died very easily; he died "at the mouth of the
Lord," according to the will of God. The servants of the Lord,
when they have done all their other work, must die at last, and
be willing to go home, whenever their Master sends for them, #Ac
21:13|. The place of his burial was not known. If the soul be at
rest with God, it is of little consequence where the body rests.
There was no decay in the strength of his body, nor in the
vigour and activity of his mind; his understanding was as clear,
and his memory as strong as ever. This was the reward of his
services, the effect of his extraordinary meekness. There was
solemn mourning for him. Yet how great soever our losses have
been, we must not give ourselves up to sorrow. If we hope to go
to heaven rejoicing, why should we go to the grave mourning?
#9-12 Moses brought Israel to the borders of Canaan, and then
died and left them. This signifies that the law made nothing
perfect, #Heb 7:19| It brings men into a wilderness of
conviction, but not into the Canaan of rest and settled peace.
That honour was reserved for Joshua, our Lord Jesus, of whom
Joshua was a type, (and the name is the same,) to do that for us
which the law could not do, #Ro 8:3|. Through him we enter into
the spiritual rest of conscience, and eternal rest in heaven.
Moses was greater than any other prophet of the Old Testament.
But our Lord Jesus went beyond him, far more than the other
prophets came short of him. And see a strong resemblance between
the redeemer of the children of Israel and the Redeemer of
mankind. Moses was sent by God, to deliver the Israelites form a
cruel bondage; he led them out, and conquered their enemies. He
became not only their deliverer, but their lawgiver; not only
their lawgiver, but their judge; and, finally, leads them to the
border of the land of promise. Our blessed Saviour came to
rescue us out of the slavery of the devil, and to restore us to
liberty and happiness. He came to confirm every moral precept of
the first lawgiver; and to write them, not on tables of stone,
but on fleshly tables of the heart. He came to be our Judge
also, inasmuch as he hath appointed a day when he will judge all
the secrets of men, and reward or punish accordingly. This
greatness of Christ above Moses, is a reason why Christians
should be obedient and faithful to the holy religion by which
they profess to be Christ's followers. God, by his grace, make
us all so!