The LORD spoke to Moses, “Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people” (31: 2). Miriam and Aaron have already died (20: 1, 28). Moses has already received divine notice of his impending death (20: 12). The wilderness wanderings are about to end and preparations for possessing the land are about to begin. Moses is told he has but one major task to perform before he dies. He must avenge the heavy death toll of Peor (25: 1 – 18). This was heavy lifting for a 120- year-old man but Moses proved he wasn’t ready for retirement just yet.
Moses proved equal to the task and faithfully discharged his duty once again. Not only did he organize the people for battle but he even took the leadership to task when they permitted the women to live (31: 15). Just as he had been faithful for forty years Moses was faithful as death approached.
Centuries later the apostle Paul would write his final witness. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4: 7). Paul declared he had been faithful to the fight, faithful to the faith and faithful to the finish! Moses could have testified to the same and no one could have contradicted him. Someone once observed, “The faith that fizzles at the finish was faulty at the first.” Moses wasn’t faulty and he didn’t fizzle. He carried out the final assignment of his ministry with the same commitment to excellence as he did the first assignment.
Too often men and women retire before they resign. They keep their position but surrender their perseverance. They hold a job but no longer do it. They are just treading water. They are just waiting for the golden parachute to open so they can settle to the ground safely. The gleam in the eye, the spring in the step and the quickening of the heart rate are sadly missing.
This just wasn’t the case with Moses. We know it was true of other biblical heroes. Some like Noah (Gen. 9: 20 - 3), Uzziah (2 Chr. 26: 16 - 21) and Demas (2 Tim. 4: 10) didn’t finish well. Moses did. I want my last day to be my best day for Jesus. How about you?