Captivating Bible Stories for Young People, Written in Simple Language

Sixteenth Sunday.

THE DEATH OF MOSES.

FIRST READING.

"They angered Him also at the waters of strife."—Psalm 106:32.

AFTER all the forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel were quite close to their home in the promised land. There was only the river Jordan between them and the hills and valleys there. But Moses was not to go with them. Once when the people were crying out for more water, and God told him to command the stream to come out of the rock, Moses was so hot with anger that he did not attend. He said, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" And he struck the rock with his rod, instead of speaking to it.

The water came out as it had done before; but Moses had been so hasty that he had not thought how to obey God exactly, and so he was not to be allowed to lead the people in as a great warrior, lest he should fail again. God was not angry with him, but had forgiven him; only he had his punishment because he had done wrong.

Joshua was to lead the people, instead of Moses. So before Moses was taken away, he called Joshua and all the chief men of each tribe, and put them in mind of all that God had done for them, and warned them very solemnly, that if they broke their promise and did not keep the Commandments, God would punish them—first a little, and then more and more, and would even cast them out of the good land at last. For, mind, God always keeps His promises; and as surely as He gives the good all that is best for them, so surely He will punish those who turn from Him.

MOSES GIVING HIS CHARGE TO JOSHUA.—Num. 27:22, 23.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the Israelites? 2. How long had their journey lasted? 3. Where were they going? 4. What lay between them and the land of Canaan? 5. Who had led them? 6. But what one thing had Moses done? 7. What was he not to do? 8. Who was to lead them in? 9. What did Moses tell the Israelites they must be careful to do? 10. What had they promised to keep? 11. What would happen if they broke the promise? 12. What would happen if they kept the promise? 13. What promises have we made?

MOSES VIEWING THE PROMISED LAND.—Deut. 34:4.

THE DEATH OF MOSES.—Deut. 34:5, 6.

SECOND READING

"So Moses the servant of the Lord died."—Deuteronomy 34:5.

IT was not God's will that Moses should lead the Israelites into the promised land, but he was to die on the east side of the river Jordan; and so he would have his rest above instead of in the land of promise.

But first God told him he might see the land. So he went up into a very high hill: and there God made him able to see all the home of his people—the snowy hill of Hermon, and Mount Lebanon where the cedar trees grow, and the hills and valleys where Abraham had wandered and Isaac and Jacob had lived, and which he had hoped for all his life; and green fields, and corn-fields, and vineyards, on to the great blue sea stretching out to the westward.

That was where his people were to live; but there was a better home for Moses. Nobody saw him any more after he went up into the mountain. There he died, and the Lord buried him, and no one knows of his grave—only the children of Israel wept and mourned for him.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where had the Israelites come? 2. Who had led them? 3. But where was Moses not to go? 4. But what did God allow him to see? 5. Where was he to go? 6. What did God show him there? 7. What kind of place was it? 8. Where had he brought the people from? 9. Who was to lead them in? 10. What was to happen to Moses? 11. Did any one ever see him again? 12. What does no one know? 13. Why do we think so much of Moses? 14. Where did he speak with God? 15. Was he not the greatest man of all in the Old Testament?

THIRD READING.

"Be strong and of good courage."—Joshua 1:6

AFTER Moses had gone out of sight on the mountain, God Himself told Joshua that Moses was dead, and that he must lead the children of Israel into the good land God had promised them. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua's head, and God's Holy Spirit had come to help him to see what was right, and to lead the people. He must be strong and brave, and do all that God commanded, and then he would be quite sure to be able to drive away all the strange people out of the land, and to make a home for the people in the land that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had loved so well.

All the people promised they would do as Joshua bade them. So he was their captain instead of Moses.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the old leader of the children of Israel? 2. Where had Moses led them from? 3. Where were they going? 4. Where did Moses go? 5. What became of Moses on the mountain? 6. Whom did God make captain instead of Moses? 7. What did God tell Joshua? 8. What did God promise him? 9. What is the way to be helped by God? 10. What were the Israelites to be helped to do? 11. Who were to be driven away? 12. Why did the children of Israel wish to live in the land of Canaan? 13. What had God promised Abraham? 14. And does God always keep his promises?

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