Only a Link In the Chain - By: Meditation on Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Alone, Moses climbed the rugged path to the top of Mount Pisgah in the land of Moab. Though preserved in body and mind, his 120 years (40 of them in the wilderness) made him worn in years and in battles. His last battle was his attempt to enter the Promised Land. He lost. He was to die after seeing the land from the mountain top.
From the peak, Moses cast his undimmed eyes across the Jordan to the city of Jericho 3500 feet below. God showed him the land that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These earlier patriarchs had lived in the land but did not possess it. Moses saw the land but did not enter it. That would be left to another. Joshua would lead the Israelites into their possession of the Promised Land.
When the visual tour was finished, Moses died and was “gathered unto his people” (Deuteronomy 32:50And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
See All...). The Lord buried him in a place unknown to men. The work of Moses on earth was done. He had received the mantle from Abraham and his descendants and had passed it on to Joshua. He did not begin the work and he did not finish it. He was chosen to be a link in the chain.
That is the way for all of us. We can do no work that does not build on something before us. And anything of eternal value cannot be completed in a lifetime. We pass on to the next generation what we received from the last one (Psalm 78:2-6 [2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
[3] Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
[5] For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
[6] That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
See All...). We learn from our teachers so we might teach others (2 Timothy 2:2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
See All...). There is no disgrace in being a link. The only disgrace is in failing to link to the next generation.