Deuteronomy 31:14,19,22-26,30; Deuteronomy 32:48-50
And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge.
Now therefore write ye this song and teach it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel…Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: thou salt bring the children of Israel into the land which I saware unto them: and I will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Mose had made an end of the writing the words of this law, until they were finished, that Moses command the Levites, saying Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the convenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee…And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.
And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people.
CHARLES SIMEON (1759-1836): “To man there is an appointed time upon earth,” Job 7:1. But the precise measure of our days is in mercy hid from us. On some occasions, however, God has been pleased to make it known, and to declare with precision the near approach of death, that so the persons whose fate was made known might employ their remaining hours in perfecting the work which he had given them to do.
THE EDITOR: As commanded, Moses taught the children of Israel the song written in Deuteronomy 32:1-43, which is much too long for us to quote here. Then, in verses 46-47, Moses said, “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.”
G. CAMPBELL MORGAN (1863-1945): It is very beautiful to see Moses in his last days on earth attempting in every way in his power to impress on the people the fact that only one thing mattered—that they should remember God and obey Him.
ROBERT HAWKER (1753-1827): When Moses had finished his song, which he delivered not only in the hearing of the people, but particularly of Joshua, his successor, that he might be a witness both for the LORD and for himself, he makes a short observation upon the whole: and as a dying pastor, again and again, affectionately entreats them to be wise unto salvation after his departure. See a beautiful example of this kind in Paul, Acts 20:28-37. Reader! it is a blessed thing, to be as the Apostle, who died daily, 1 Corinthians 15:31. Is it your case? How stands your heart affected to death! If in Jesus, surely you know somewhat of this spirit.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): Wherefore, though our carnal sense may be averse from death, let our faith prevail to overcome all its terrors: even as Paul teaches that God’s children, although they desire not “to be unclothed,” still long to be “clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life,” 2 Corinthians 5:4. This, however, was remarkable obedience, to prepare himself no less willingly for death, than as if Moses had been invited to some joyful banquet. Thus it is plain that these holy men had so consecrated themselves to God, that they were ready to live or to die, according to His pleasure.
THOMAS COKE (1747-1814): The very day on which his work is completed, Moses is ordered up to mount Nebo. Note: when God has accomplished all His will in us on earth, He will not fail that same hour to take us to Himself.
CHARLES SIMEON: The intimation here given to Moses, we shall consider as applicable to every child of man. What if God were now to issue the command to any one of us, “Go up to thy bed, and die?” How would it be received amongst us? Should we welcome such an order? Should we rejoice that the period was arrived for our dismission from the body, and for our entrance into the presence of our God? Such an order will assuredly be soon given to every one of us: the old and the young, the rich and the poor, those who have travelled all through the wilderness, and those who have but just entered into it, may have it said to them within a few hours, “This night is thy soul required of thee.”
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): Even those that are most ready and willing to die have need to be often reminded of the approach of death.
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): Psalm 90 was penned by Moses, as appears by the title. We have upon record a praising song of his Exodus 15:1-19, which is alluded to Revelation 15:3; and an instructing song of his in Deuteronomy 32. But Psalm 90 is of a different nature from both, for it is called “a prayer.”
EDMUND BARKER (1621-1688): Mark what Moses prays for in Psalm 90:12—only to be taught “to number his days.” But did Moses not do this already? Was not his daily work this constantly and continual employment? Yes, doubtless it was; and he did it carefully and conscientiously too. But yet he thought he did it not well enough, and therefore prays here to be taught to do better. See a good man, how little he pleaseth himself in any action of his life, in any performance of duty that he does. He can never think that he does well enough whatever he does, but still desires to do better. There is an affection of modesty and humility which accompanies real piety; every pious man is an humble, modest man, and never reckons himself a perfect proficient, or to be advanced above a teaching, but is content and covetous to be a continual learner; to know more than he knows and to do better than he does; yea, and thinks it no disparagement to his graces at all to take advice, and to seek instruction where it is to be had.
AUGUSTINE (354-430): “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” We can never do that, except we number every day as our last day.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): Men are led by reflections upon the brevity of time to give their earnest attention to eternal things; they become humble as they look into the grave which is so soon to be their bed, their passions cool in the presence of mortality, and they yield themselves up to the dictates of unerring wisdom; but this is only the case when the Lord Himself is the teacher; He alone can teach to real and lasting profit. Thus Moses prayed that the dispensations of justice might be sanctified in mercy, Psalm 90:14,15.
THE EDITOR: In Psalm 90:16,17, Moses was considering his own mortality, and all God’s work yet to be done in the strength of the Lord, not only by himself, but also by future generations—“Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”
ALEXANDER MacLAREN (1826-1910): So, brethren, let us set our faces to a New Year with thankful remembrance of the God who has shaped the past, and will mould the future. Let us remember our failures, learn wisdom and humility from our sins, and trust in Christ. Let us set our ‘hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.’
CHARLES SIMEON: That “the day of death approaches” we are sure: at what precise distance it is, we know not. It is true respecting every child of man: for we no sooner begin to breathe than we begin to die: and the life, even of the longest liver, is “but as a span long.” “Our time passeth away like a shadow,” Psalm 102:11. But should not this thought stimulate us to improve our every remaining hour? Yes, verily.
