Note: This sermon was given at a conference in the 1930's, and was never in print, as far as is known.
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The two great characters for the last days are Moses and Elijah. Moses was the greatest prophet of all time. Moses represents those who die and will be resurrected at Christ's second coming. And there is something about the Song of Moses that is especially for God's people, as it predicts here we are going to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb.
Moses, last in the Bible with Christ, the greatest of all Old Testament times and perhaps of all time. This man who talked to God face to face, would never have been heard of; his name would have gone out in Egyptian blackness except for his mother Jacobeth.
"Pharaoh charged all the people saying; `Every Son that is born, ye shall cast into the river'." When this decree was in full force Moses was born. His mother kept him hidden for three months at home and finally placed him in a basket on the bosom of the Nile.
Pharaoh's daughter was the daughter of the child's greatest enemy, but God gave her a mother's love; it was love at first sight.
Moses' mother lived near the Palace in a little house provided for her. She became a servant to her son, to win him for God. The Egyptian Palace with its Black Art, Witchcraft, Spiritism of the deepest dye, without a preacher, without a Sabbath School, without a Young Peoples Society, without a Church School; a lone woman in the mid-night darkness of the Egyptian Palace, prayed and wept and through her tears taught him of the things of heaven so well that the dazzling splendor of Egypt could not attract him. The Throne was his. It beckoned him with its Ivory Lions studded with priceless jewels. The greatest seat of authority and power in the world of his day.
On the other hand was a band of slaves that his mother had told him was his people. She took him out and showed him the Israelites, dressed only in their loin cloths with a bandana handkerchief wrapped around their heads; digging with their bare hands in the clay pits. Their bare brown backs cut-up by the taskmasters lash. There was a smell of garlic and onions about them, and Moses' mother told him, "These my son, are your people." "It can't be possible" he exclaimed, "Such a low strata of humanity with no high ideals?" But she had taught him so well that he chose that band of clay digging slaves as his future companions for life. He chose them rather than the throne of Egypt with the greatest cultural minds of ancient times. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. He knew what the choice meant. When your boy or girl comes to the great decision and the world offers them position, pleasure, honor; if they will only give up the faith. What weighs most with them? Do God's people look like a small insignificant people where there seems to be no future? Remember, while we may not be a great people, Moses had but a band of down trodden, clay digging slaves to choose as his people and he chose them with all his heart and loved them to the end. He never was sorry that he made that choice.
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Sitting in the wilderness with a few paltry sheep around him, you see a man with a high brow and a wonderfully intellectual face; and strangely out of place. Tending a few sheep that a lad could shepherd for a few cents a day. Why this greatest man in the world holding a shepherd boys job? It was because he was not ready for his greatest task. He was a quick tempered man who could whip out a dagger and could stick it into a man's back and then hide him in the sand. It took him forty years in the wilderness for him to learn his lesson. A long desolate experience. Forty years; while the people of God are crying for deliverance from the taskmasters lash. But they must wait 'till Moses is ready. The sheep have taught him, and when the forty years was past God said of him, "He is the meekest man in the earth."
Perhaps you have not understood your wilderness experience? It seems to you that your days are being irretrievably lost. But God has always been waiting in the burning bush to call you as soon as you have learned your lesson(s). And it didn't take long once Moses was ready to bring out Israel with a great deliverance.
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After this great sacrifice the people gave no response, no word of appreciation. People for whom he had forsaken everything. Nothing but murmering, backbiting, fault finding. He never could please them. They accused him of bringing them out into the wilderness to let them die of thirst. This rabble of nearly 2 million people, when they became thirsty and their children cried for water, arose like a storm cloud; he was alone, what could he do against two million ignorant maddened slaves, looking for stones to crush his skull? All he could do was flee to God for protection. No wonder it says he talked to God like a man would talk to a friend!
He would tell God that he must have water or they would soon be upon him with great rocks to heave at him. And God said, "I will bring water out of the rock." And the people calmed down. Then they were milling around again because they couldn't sow and reap amidst the sands of the desert. And God rained down bread from heaven. Then they complained about the manna that the angels eat, and they wished themselves back in Egypt with the garlic and onions. Their highest ideal seemed to be garlic and onions, and Baal and licensiousness. Moses heard nothing but complaint and murmer and threats to kill him among the people he had rescued from the hardest bondage. "Not a thank you," said Moses, "have I ever heard from their lips."
He came in among the congregation and expected to find a people ready for translation. We expected great appreciation for the sacrifice we made to take up the faith, and we were heart broken when we found ourselves criticized, (&) backbitten, with no end of fault finding and an apparent lack of sympathy for us in our struggles. And we were so grieviously disappointed that we perhaps exclaimed, "Is it possible that this is really God's people? Why the world appreciates me more than they do!"
DON'T FORGET THE SONG OF MOSES AND THE LAMB
Moses was not only not appreciated and continually found fault with, but his life was in peril from stoning again and again. Your bretheren aren't really as bad as that are they? When you are tempted to leave the people of God, I wish you would keep in mind what I am about to tell you now. The people of Israel finally sank so low and became so rebellious and lisencious and fault finding that God became discouraged with them and said, "I will make an end of this travesty! on religion. I will sweep these ungrateful wretches off the face of the earth. I will destroy all, including Aaron."
The Lord said to Moses, "Let Me alone that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great nation." Moses might have thought, "You can't make anything of these low-brows; this garlic loving un-cultural mob. With me as the beginning of a new people; now you are going to get somewhere. I have culture, education, and everything to found a new nation upon." Some people leave the faith because they loose a job in the church. Suppose God gave the leaders of these kinds of off-shoots that offer; wouldn't they jump at it?
They will not sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb.
Moses was not thinking of himself, his fame, or honor. He had given up everything for God years before and he had united his heart and soul to this people. And he learned to love them. Because they were God's people he would not give them up. His love for them was so wonderful, like God's love for unworthy men. Immediately he began to interceed for them. He reminded God of His love for this people and how He could not bear to be separated from them. Over and over he repeated it. But his case was desperate; God's decision to destroy the people was apparently irrevocable. Moses held on, pleading for forty days and forty nights, eating nothing and drinking nothing.
One of the hardest things for people to do is pray. They can work and visit all day. But pray all day? That seems an impossible task. Did you ever pray all day and then all night that God would spare His people? Or do you find it easier to find fault with them? Moses prayed for them not a day or a week, but for forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking; and then when he apparently could not move God he prayed for forty days and forty nights more.
Eighty days and eighty nights. He placed before God every reason he could find for urging God to save them; and yet they were a people who again and again were ready, at a moments notice to take up rocks and stone him and leave his body rotting in the wilderness for the Vultures to devour. Are you prepared to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb? Moses loved a people a hundred times more unloving than our people, but he would not give them up for all the world.
Do you admire Moses' love for God's people or do you allow some small insult to drive you away from loving God's people today?
REMEMBER THE SONG OF MOSES.
Finally he saw that his pleading could not change God's decision to destroy the people and blot them out. Their sin was a great sin. Moses knew that; this was fully impressed upon his mind. You see, it was apparently the unpardonable sin, committed by a whole nation, for which there was no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come. They had attributed to the golden calf, the sungod of the Egyptians, their deliverance by a mighty hand from Egypt. They said that to the god of their enemies, was the great power that delivered them from Egyptian slavery. Apparently God could not let this pass so there was no remedy. Moses had one thing left and he did not hesitate to use it. He had his name in the book of life and as a last resort he threw his own eternal life in the balance to save the people. God could not prevent him from doing it. Everyone is given the right to choose life or death. God cannot take away from anyone that choice.
As you read Exodus 32:32, you will notice in the middle of the statement there is a dash; it stands for a pause. Moses is sobbing out his heart, he knows how impossible it has been. God may accept his challenge and wipe him out, but he says, "God please forgive, forgive I pray thee, or blot me out with the people." Rather than lose Moses, God forgave their sin and saved the people.
Moses was willing to go down to destruction; his love for them was so great. An echo from Calvary; one man willing to give eternal life for others. Others have been willing to give up life for others; Moses was willing to give up perpetual life. No wonder his name is linked with Christ's name forever.
And they shall sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
Are you offended at the slightest affront and are you ready to shake the dust off your feet and leave God's people today? Do the criticisms of the enemies and offshoots turn you against them? Or like Moses of old, can you say, "They are God's people and I will stay by them till the heavenly Canaan appears"?
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But Moses had a great disappointment come to him. When the people were crowding around him threatening to stone him, he lost himself for a minute, and he smote the rock. "Ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?" He took the glory to himself. Immediately after he had uttered the words he realized his great mistake. God said, "You failed to sanctify Me in the people's presence. You shall not go into the Promised Land." God holds leaders responsible for more than the people. If you are anxious to be a leader, remember God holds you more responsible than other people.
But Moses had set his heart on going into the Promised Land. It was the one thing that cheered him when the people railed against him. "Wait 'till they see that marvelous country, flowing with milk and honey. Will it not be glorious at last to hear them shout for joy?" But this great consolation was denied him. It is more than he can bear, all looked forelorn and dark; but he still has hope. "I will talk it over with God. God never refuses."
Moses knew what prayer could do. So he begins to plead with God. "God, let me go over and see the goodly land. Let me go over God. O, Father let me go over. You know how hard pressed I have been with these people all these years, especially was I hard pressed that fateful day! O, let me go over and see the goodly land."
Moses had such a hold on God's heart and he was tugging so hard at His heart strings that God could not let him go on praying; for he might have given in. So God's only alternative was to tell Moses to stop asking. And when Moses learned that, he sobbed out the words; "But I must die in this land?" And while standing there on top of Nebo the night of the disappointment kept gaining power over him until he fell backward dead. He died of a broken heart for his strength was unimpaired and his sight was perfect.
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By Nebo's lonely mountain, on this side Jordan's wave,
in a veil,
In the land of Moab there lies a lonely grave.
And no man knows that sepulchre and no man saw it there;
For the angels of God turned up the sod.
And laid the dead man there.
That was the grandest funeral that ever passed on earth.
No man heard the trampling or saw the train go forth.
Noiselessly as the daylight comes when the night is done,
And the crimson streak on ocean's cheek
grows into the great sun.
Noiselessly as the springtime her crown of verger weaves
And all the trees on all the hills open their thousand leaves.
So without sound of music or voices of them that wept,
Silently down from the mountains crown
The great procession swept.
Perchance a Bald old Eagle, on grey Bethpeours height,_
Out of his lonely eire looked on the wondrous sight._
Perhaps the Lion, stalking, still shuns that hallowed spot._
For beast and bird have seen and heard_
That which man knoweth not._
But when the warrior dieth his comrads in the war,_
with arms reversed and muffled drum_
Follow the funeral car._
They show his banners taken, they tell his victories won._
And after him lead his masterless steed,_
while peals the minute gun._
Amid the noblest of the land we lay the sage to rest._
And give the bard an honored place with costly marbled trest;_
In the great minstered transcript,_
where lights like glory fall.
And the great choir sings and the organ rings
Along the emblazoned wall.
Yet this was the truest warrior that ever buckeled sword;
This the most gifted poet that ever breathed a word.
And never earth's philosopher traced with his golden pen
on the deathless page,
Truths half so sage as he wrote down for men.
And had he not high honors? The hillside for a pall?
To lie in state while angels wait,
with stars for tappers tall?
And the dark Rock Pines, like tossing plumes,
over his beard to wave.
And God's own hand in that lonely land,
To lay him in the grave.
In that strange grave without a name;
Whence his uncoffined clay would break again,
O, wonderous thought; BEFORE the judgement day.
And stand with glory wrapped `round,
On the hills he never trod.
And speak of the strife that won our life,
With the incarnate Son of God.
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Yes Moses died of a broken heart; but God was broken hearted too when Moses died. And He sent Jesus to bring Moses to heaven. He loved him so dearly he could not wait, but said, "Jesus, raise him up and bring him to me that I may clasp him in My arms." And when Christ was discouraged, God sent Moses to speak words of comfort to His soul. Moses was alone also in life; on the mount he sat beside Jesus and rehearsed the story of his great disappointment and how his great sacrifice for the people brought nothing but heartbreak, with little appreciation; and Christ took courage and went forward to save you and me.
I love Moses for the great comfort he gave to my Jesus, when Christ was needing the help of a heart that understood. No wonder those two hearts that were broken will be together in that blessed country.
AND WE SHALL SING THE SONG of MOSES and the LAMB!
Will you be there to sing that song when all haven stops to listen as we unite our voices in song that make the angels stand spellbound? What a thrill - what a thrill that will be when Christ raises His lovely hands and the great chorus begins to sing in the land where song was born. On the sea of glass mingled with fire, and the glory of God shines into the calm crystal sea; all storms passed, safe at home. Will you join the great chorus at last? Now is the time to learn that wonderful song of experience. Soon, very soon, that chorus will be going home to the glory country. Are you ready to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb; Love the unloveable, the ungrateful, the unappreciative, even those who take up stones to stone us today with words?
Through the great radio lanes of eternity the smallest planet on the outer rim of the universe will stop and wonder at a people who could love and forgive even unto the end.
THAT is singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
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O, lonely grave in Moab's land, on dark Bethpeours hill.
Speak to these curious hearts of ours
And teach them to be still.
God has His mysteries of grace; Ways that we cannot tell.
He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep,
of him he loved so well.
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Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for the wonderful love of God demonstrated in the life of Moses. Thank You for the hope and comfort it brings to our hearts today.
Please help us to learn the faith and the experience, the love and the forgiveness that Moses knew through association with You.
We pray in Jesus name.
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GET YOUR OWN