The River of Disappointment

 

Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793. Mackenzie's earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set out in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn't empty into the Pacific, but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the "River of Disappointment" (Daily Bread, July 1, 1990.)

When the promise keeping God (Num.23:19) delivered the Israelites from Egypt, he gave them a promise. He said “I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord’”(Exod.6:8). The journey was not smooth and they kept sinning against God through grumbling, rebellion, disbelief and idolatry.

So the LORD vowed never to let that generation see the land he had sworn to give their fathers (Joshua 5:6). He swore “those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness...every one of you twenty years old or more... not one of you will enter the land ... except Caleb and Joshua (Num.14:19-31). The Israelites “wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died”(Joshua 5:6). All those Moses led out of Egypt and with whom God was angry perished in the wilderness” (Heb. 3:16-17).

In Exodus 17:5-6 Moses was commanded to strike the rock to get water, which he did. In Numbers 20:7-11 God commanded him to speak to the rock to get water, but he struck it. In response to Moses disobeying, God said to him and Aaron, “you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them” (Num. 20:12). Later, at the Lord’s command, Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died. He was 123 years old when he died (Num. 20:22-29; 33:38-39). All the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

During the final phase of Israel’s journey to the Promised Land, they camped in Moab. Deuteronomy is Moses record of what happened there. In Deuteronomy 3:23-28 he wrote  “ I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying:  ‘Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see’”.

Moses' act of pleading indicates a deep, earnest prayer. The original word “plead” used here implies a sense of desperation or urgency. It highlights Moses' strong desire for God's favour and change of mind; it had happened before. In Exodus 32:9-14 God had told Moses that he would destroy the Israelites. Moses pleaded with him to ‘“turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people”.  Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened’.

In Deuteronomy 3, Moses approaches God as a servant who has walked with Him for decades, confident in God’s grace and mercy. We are told that “God spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exod.33:11). God testified that “Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles” (Num 12:7-8). In Deuteronomy 3, Moses is acting on the friendship he has with God. He pours out his deep longing before the Lord.  

Moses is 120 years old; reflecting on God's faithfulness, he addresses God in prayer. He says “Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand”. At the end of his long life Moses can only feel that God has begun to show His greatness. This acknowledgment comes after the Israelites have witnessed numerous miracles, such as the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and victories over powerful kings.

He reflects on God's mighty works and expresses awe at His power and uniqueness. No rival exists; His acts are unmatched across heaven and earth. Moses has already seen God’s greatness, yet he knows that there is much more to discover. He is sure that God can do more and will do more than he has already done. Moses does not argue against God’s justice; he pleads to experience more of God’s wonders.

Moses bold requests rest on a clear memory of God’s past faithfulness. God’s promises remain desirable and worth pursuing to the very end of life. He had faith that the work which had been assigned to him was now in God’s hands; though his part in it was all over, God’s was only beginning. Generation after generation passes, men grow old and die in the work of the Lord, yet that work is ever beginning.

The “good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains” refers to the land of Canaan. The description of the land as "pleasant" emphasizes the abundance and prosperity associated with it. God had described Canaan to them as “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey”(Exod.3:8). Moses' strong desire to see it reflects the hope and anticipation of the Israelites who had wandered in the desert for 40 years.

The Jordan River was a significant geographical boundary for the Israelites. Crossing it symbolized leaving the wilderness and entering into the land of their dream. Lebanon, known for its majestic cedar trees was located to the north of Israel. It was renowned for its natural beauty and resources. Moses has faithfully led Israel to this threshold and now longs to experience personally what, it now appears, he has only guided others toward.

 “The good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon” was the one place on earth that Moses longed to see. Canaan was in a sense the heaven of Israel’s hope.  Entering Canaan was the strongest desire of his soul in regard to anything earthly. It was the goal of forty years’ wanderings and it was so near. He had taken great pain in bringing the rebellious Israelites through the wilderness for forty years and finally they were about to enter Canaan.

The Lord had clearly told him that he would not set foot in the land. He was hoping that the Lord would change his mind. The answer was definite, “that is enough. Do not speak to me anymore about this matter”(Deut.1:26). God's response is definitive and final, teaching that there are times when his decisions are irrevocable. There is a time to stop begging God as Moses discovered. When he says "enough" that should be the end of the matter!

Moses was a great intercessor, perhaps one of the greatest in the Bible. Yet, God would say “no” even to Moses in prayer. God will sometimes say no even to His mightiest intercessors (Jeremiah 15:1). The New Testament gives two strong examples of unanswered prayers: in anguish and his sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground, Jesus pleaded three times for God to "take this cup from me" (Matt.26:38-44). Three times Paul begged God to cure the "thorn in my flesh"(2 Cor.12:7-8). Both requests were not granted.

When we ask God for anything we must remember that we are not the only people concerned. Nobody can possibly live entirely to themselves. Our lives are intricately bound up with those of other people. Moses’ request seems innocent and natural enough; something which affected him only and nobody else. But four issues were at stake: what was best for Moses, right for the people, good for Joshua and pleasing to God.

What we want may not necessarily be best for us. Moses believed that there was still some useful work for him to do; with all his experience it would be good for him to see the people safely established in their new home. Even with the purest motives, the things we seek are not necessarily wise and right. With our naturally limited vision, it is impossible for us to see the total picture; only God is capable of that. Moses could not think of anything more wonderful than entering Canaan: God’s plan was that he should enter heaven which is the ultimate Canaan.

This request was not simply a personal matter between Moses and God. The Lord may have responded to the prayer with such a definite ‘No’ because by Moses’ exclusion he wanted to both warn and protect the people. By denying Moses access to the land, God was saying something to the people. It was a perpetual reminder that God’s commands are to be taken seriously by all people regardless of their position.

The Lord may have been protecting the people. Moses was an immensely popular figure; when he died the people wept for a full month (Deut.34:8). Their intense admiration for him is eloquently conveyed by the eulogy which brings Deuteronomy to a close. There were great leaders, before and after, but ‘none like him’ (Deut.34:10–12). By taking Moses to heaven before he entered Canaan, God may have deliberately prevented the veneration of his tomb with all its attendant dangers.

On two occasions in the book when the refusal is mentioned, Joshua’s responsibilities are given special prominence (Deut.1:38; 3:21–22, 28). Moses’ work for the Lord was to lead the people across the desert. It was not his job, however, to settle the people in the land. God had chosen a different man for that task. One man’s work had ended; another’s was about to begin. People who have worked effectively for God do not always find it easy to leave and let others enjoy the fruit of their labour.

Notice that as he begins his prayer, Moses is more concerned to exalt God than seek anything for himself. Two key words are important in the prayer, Sovereign and servant (Deut. 3: 24). Throughout his life Moses had been God’s willing servant. Therefore, the decision as to where and when that service should end was not the servant’s concern; it was in the far safer hands of a wise, loving, sovereign Master who would not make any mistakes.

When you pray and the answer is not what you expected accept God’s answer with trust and worship. Like Job do not sin by charging God with wrong doing (Job 1:20-22).   Keep serving faithfully even when requests are denied. Moses continued to shepherd Israel until death. Persist in prayer with confidence that God always hears. When His answer is “No,” remember this: God’s refusal never nullifies His faithfulness. Rest in the certainty that every divine decision is wise, loving, and ultimately for your eternal good (Rom.8:28).