Remembrance

Then Moses went up from te plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, an The Lord showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan, all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev, and the region from te valley of Jericho, the Ciry of Palms, as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him: "this is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I will give to your descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it."

So Moses the servant of The Lord died there in the land of Moab, as The Lord had said. He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-Peoria, and no one to this day knows where his grave is. Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plain of Moab for 30 days. Deuteronomy 34:1-8

Today in Australia is ANZAC Day. Today we hold memorial services to remember all those killed in wars protecting our country. One place of prominence is Lone Pine in Turkey where the Australian and New Zealand armies met the Turkish enemy and thousands of young men died. As I watched the services I could see how we love to remember our fallen soldiers and then my thoughts went to another man who asked us to remember. Jesus instituted communion as a ceremony of remembrance. The big difference was in the result. Both died for a cause but only one dealt with a price, once and for all and only one rose from the dead giviing new life and empowering all who remembered him.

One week apart we remember two events. One we rejoice in the price paid and remember the victory the other we honour and mourn those we will never see again.

Both were important and necessary but only God can give new life. I am grateful that I serve a living God.

Moses, also, was a great man, a friend of God, he gave his life for his people but he died and had to be mourned.

Jesus turned mourning into dancing.

He paid the final blood price. We now can be restored to the Father.

Our soldiers will continually have to put their lives on the line as new enemies are constantly arising. I am so grateful to them and I pray my Lord covers and protects them and draws them to Himself. Amen!