And I besought the Lord at that time ,.... When he was told he should die, and Joshua should succeed him; or when the two kings were slain, and their kingdoms conquered; this being the beginning, pledge, and earnest of what God had promised to do for the people of Israel; Moses was very desirous of living to see the work completed, and therefore sought the Lord by prayer and supplication: saying ; as follows. read more
Verse 23 23And I besought the Lord. (239) Others have, “I besought;” but I have preferred using the pluperfect tense, because, in my opinion, Moses interrupts himself to show why he had resigned his office to another, and did not rather declare that he would be their leader, as heretofore, and at the same time an example to the people of courage. He says, therefore, that when he had prayed that he might be permitted to enter the land, he received a refusal. For it is not probable that, after he... read more
CONCLUSION OF HISTORICAL RECAPITULATION . Deuteronomy 3:18-29 . read more
Prospect of death. In the full career of triumph, Moses has inward presentiment, and external announcement, that his end was near. Nature has a greater repugnance to death when we are enveloped in the bright sunshine of prosperity. The contrast is more marked. Decay and disease are natural forerunners of dissolution; but in Moses these were wanting. With him, the grave men of the trial was that his life-work was incomplete. The closer we approach to the final stroke of an undertaking, the... read more
Moses' longing to enter the Promised Land refused. The two conquests over Sihon and over Og had filled Moses with a sense of God's matchless power. With a warrior's instinct—for he had had a warrior's training, it is believed, in Egypt, in his youth—he saw in this first portion of the fight the assurance of a glorious invasion. He longed to be at its head, and to see the land which God had promised actually won. Will he not get complete the work he has been instrumental in beginning? He... read more
(See Homiletics, Deuteronomy 32:41-52 , and Deuteronomy 34:1-12 .) HOMILIES BY D. DAVIES read more
Prayer of Moses . Moses knew that he was not to enter the Promised Land with the people; but, reluctant to relinquish the enterprise which he had so far conducted until he should see it successfully finished, he besought the Lord that at least he might be permitted to cross the Jordan, and see the goodly land. This prayer was presented probably just before Moses asked God to set a man over the congregation to be their leader to the promised land ( Numbers 27:15-17 ); for the command to... read more
God's refusal of man's wishes. We have in this singularly pathetic passage of the private history of Moses— I. AN AFFECTING ENTREATY . "I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land," etc. ( Deuteronomy 3:24 , Deuteronomy 3:25 ). In this speaks 1. The man . How hard to flesh and blood to be cut off just then! To see the goodly land ( Deuteronomy 3:27 ), but not to enter it. Yet not an uncommon experience. Few things are more painful than to be removed when just... read more
Deuteronomy 3:23-24. I besought the Lord We should allow no desire in our hearts, which we cannot in faith offer unto God by prayer. Thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness Lord, perfect what thou hast begun. The more we see of God’s glory in his works, the more we desire to see. And the more affected we are with what we have seen of God, the better we are prepared for further discoveries. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 3:21-29
Here is I. The encouragement which Moses gave to Joshua, who was to succeed him in the government, Deut. 3:21, 22. He commanded him not to fear. This those that are aged and experienced in the service of God should do all they can to strengthen the hands of those that are young, and setting out in religion. Two things he would have him consider for his encouragement:?1. What God has done. Joshua had seen what a total defeat God had given by the forces of Israel to these two kings, and thence... read more