At the end of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses stands on a hill looking into the Promised Land from outside of it. He has followed God and led this people out of slavery, out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, up and down Mount Sinai, through grumbling and golden calves, serpents, and all sorts of problems.
They were always headed here - to the Promised Land. But Moses does not go into the land. He passes the torch to Joshua. Moses dies outside the land, seeing the promise, but never setting foot in it, never tasting the milk and honey.
One detail that we may overlook makes this reality so fitting in a way.
The tribes of Israel are given specific allotments of land with their borders laid out in the Scriptures. Except for one tribe. The tribe of Levi. This tribe is meant to take care of all the religious observances and rituals set forth in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The other tribes are meant to take care of the Levites through a tithe. Whatever the Promised Land produces, 10% goes to the Levites so they can live and eat and go about their work.
The Levites have no possession in this Promised Land. They must rely on what others give. They are stewards of what is gifted to them.
What tribe is Moses from? Levi.
The Promised Land Moses views before he dies is not one he would have owned a plot of. And that is strangely fitting. He has no possession in the land, nor does his tribe. It is the Levites’ task to shepherd people through life, providing for their religious and spiritual needs. It was Moses’ task to shepherd these people through the wilderness, to introduce them to the ordinances and instructions of the Lord.
It’s just odd to think that if God had let Moses go into the Promised Land, Moses would have set up shop on someone else’s land. Moses, who tried so hard to get people to rely on God and His provision would need to rely on others and their provisions in tithes and offerings.
I just thought that was interesting, fitting, curious.
Thanks for reading.
Stay curious. Ask Questions.
Andy