Joshua 1:1-9
“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.”
When I was a little boy, I remember going to the funeral of a great pastor in our area. I will never forget it, because it lasted over two hours. Nothing wrong with it, but that funeral and this passage made me ask how long a funeral should last. Maybe less than two hours, but surely more than one sentence.
This is the funeral of the great Moses, and God is the special speaker at the funeral. What words are appropriate? Listen close, it will be amazing! And here it is: “Moses my servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go…” That’s all! “He’s dead, now let’s go.”
Listen, this may seem short and a bit lacking, but I would love for God to say this about me. Here is why.
- God said “My Servant” – Moses belonged to God. This revealed his Faith and his Father
- God used another man to replace Moses – “Joshua, Arise and Go” – that was Moses’ Function
I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I am His. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I was a servant of God. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that my function on earth was useful enough to be continued. That my life was actually God’s undying life in me and would be passed on to the next generation. The only thing left to be said was for Joshua to be courageous when he moved forward with the task.
What will be your legacy? What do you want God to say at your funeral? We must decide now. Our funeral is too late to leave a legacy. That is where the legacy is declared.