Glancing at Man but Gazing at Jesus – kenbarnes.us

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord,  and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Deuteronomy 34: 1, 5-6 ESV

No one knows exactly where Moses is buried, and God wanted it that way.

I once spoke in a church in an evening service. It was a huge sanctuary, but only fifteen to twenty people were in attendance. They were not a particularly happy-looking group of people. After the service, I learned why they were not happy. Their previous Pastor was a very dynamic leader and built a thriving Church, but God called him to another Church. If you cannot function after your Pastor leaves, you may have been gazing at man but glancing at Jesus.

Moses was a great man. He is said to have been the meekest man on Earth at the time (Numbers 12:3 ESV), but he was not a perfect man. The only perfect man to walk the face of the earth was the Jewish carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. Any time you look to a person for your security more than God, that person has become an Idol. Idols always disappoint those who worship them.

Why was Moses’ grave kept obscure?  God likely knew his people’s propensity for idolatry, as seen in the golden calf they made during Moses’ absence on the mountain. Most Christians don’t make golden idols; yet it would behoove us to remember that our hearts are just as susceptible to worshiping false gods as ancient Israel. The false gods of fame and fortune can entice one away from the worship of the one true God.

The great Methodist missionary statesman to India, E. Stanley Jones once said, “I have learned to glance at man but gaze at Jesus.”