Can We Stumble at the Finish Line and Still Finish Well?
A neighbor stopped by this week while they were walking around the block. They’re a young couple, and they’re about to have their first baby. They’re pretty excited about that. We chatted about their upcoming adventure for a little while, and then they asked how we were doing.
I said, “Well, we’re doing pretty good. We’re just getting old.”
They laughed and said, “Well, you’re not THAT old.”
I said, “Well, we’re on the younger side of old. It’s kind of like we’ve been invited to the party, but we’re not sure we want to go.”
That got me thinking a little bit about the stage of life we’re in and a concept I’ve been working through for years: FINISHING STRONG.
When I was a young Christian, I ran across an idea that I really liked. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before in some of my writings because it’s one of my favorite ideas. The idea is this: Many aspire, but few attain. (Click HERE to read the booklet)
Meaning, many people start off well but don’t finish well. Many people want to do the right thing, but they don’t always follow through.
I learned that idea in the context of faith and faithfulness related to walking with Christ. The zeal of youth can sometimes overshadow the difficulty of continuing to walk with Christ in a daily, monthly, annual, decade-by-decade march toward finishing well.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the story of Moses.
Moses spent his first forty years in the palace of Egypt, growing up in Pharaoh’s household, and yet somehow discovering that he was indeed a Hebrew. In fact, he belonged to the very people who were enslaved by the Egyptians.
I wonder what was being whispered in the secret places of Hebrew homes. Would God send them a deliverer? Someone who would take the nation of Israel out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land of their forefathers?
I don’t know much about what those conversations might have sounded like. One only has to watch Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments to imagine a little bit of what it could have been like. The Hebrew people desired to be delivered, and they were looking for someone to deliver them.
Moses, in a failed attempt to rescue one Hebrew, found himself exposed not as a deliverer but as a murderer and a traitor to Pharaoh’s household.
I can imagine how that went down. Pharaoh, or perhaps others in the royal court, saying things like, “After all we’ve done for you, here you are raising your hand against the Egyptian people!”
Moses knew that wasn’t going to go well.
And so Moses finds himself on the backside of a desert, wondering, thinking, tending sheep. I’m sure he had days when he couldn’t believe that he had failed so miserably in his attempt to be a deliverer. Perhaps he was certain that his days of delivering anyone were over.
Whether he thought of himself as the deliverer or simply someone who had attempted to help, he nevertheless found himself the keeper of sheep. A shepherd to a flock of followers, but definitely not his Hebrew people.
If you had approached Moses at that point, when he was coming up on eighty years old, and asked, “Moses, did you finish well?” I wonder what he would have said.
Perhaps something like, “Well, I didn’t start well, and I certainly didn’t finish well. Now I find myself listening to all these sheep.”
But you see, finishing well doesn’t always consist of doing things perfectly. Finishing well sometimes has to do with taking stock of your weaknesses, evaluating where you’ve come from, and asking the question, “Is God done with me yet? Is there anything else, Lord, that You would have me do?”
We don’t know what Moses was thinking, but we do know that in the midst of his ordinary day, he found himself looking at a burning bush.
A burning bush that would redefine for him what it meant to finish well.
Just when Moses might have felt like it was over for him, God had other ideas. He would take this now-seasoned wilderness adventurer and send him back to Egypt to bring His people out.
There was a tremendous power struggle. You’ve probably heard about it. Plagues and personal confrontations with the most powerful man on earth, Pharaoh of Egypt.
God would eventually prevail through His servant Moses, and they would go through a number of unbelievable experiences.
They would see Pharaoh’s army drowned in the sea. They would head up to Mount Sinai, where God would speak with Moses and give him His Law. They would experience many victories and many, many more failures.
Eventually, they would find themselves all the way to the brink of the Promised Land, ready to go over.
Maybe now Moses was finishing well. Finishing strong as he led the people into the land God had promised. Maybe he could finally say, “Yes, I finished well.”
But he sent twelve spies.
Twelve spies who couldn’t come to a consensus about whether they should move forward and overtake the Promised Land. Later, we see Joshua sending only two spies into the land. Perhaps he had learned something from Moses’ experience.
As you know, ten of the twelve spies came back saying, “No, we can’t do this.” Only two (Joshua and Caleb) said, “Let’s go!”
And the people pulled back from the blessings of God because they were afraid.
So for the next forty years, Moses served as the tour guide for a generation of faithless people.
He would hear about or preside over the funerals of an entire generation who had decided they would not follow God. They definitely didn’t finish well.
And Moses was left to lead these rebels.
There’s nothing worse than having to lead a group of people who are discontented, frustrated, and disobedient to your leadership. Their ire rises up against you, even though it was their own decisions that created the circumstances you’re all having to live with.
But God had called Moses to lead this group.
And yet they rebelled against him. They moved their discontent and frustration back and forth between Moses and God. They were frustrated with God, then with Moses, then back to God, then back to Moses.
I’m sure there were days when Moses was thinking, “I wonder if this is what it means to finish well?”
And yet there was still the hope of the Promised Land.
For every funeral, there was a new birth. There was still life. A group of people was still learning from the mistakes of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. And now they were getting ready to move into the land.
In fact, you could almost begin to sense it. Maybe there was a new season blowing in.
Maybe Moses was finally going to get to lead this generation into the Promised Land. Better late than never, they say. Maybe his season had been one of perseverance, and now he would actually finish well by taking this group into the land instead of their parents.
But he would soon find out that this was not going to be part of his story.
God would take a younger leader, his understudy Joshua, and make Joshua the leader.
Now, I don’t know that Moses was thinking about any of this on the day he woke up and there was yet another need for water.
His sister, Miriam, had recently died, and Moses was dealing with grief. I’m certain the years of pressure from leading these people weighed heavily on him. Difficulty sustained over time can make one’s fuse short.
And yet Moses had tried to keep walking with God, representing God well, honoring Him in front of the people, and showing them how to walk with Him.
On this particular morning, unbeknownst to Moses, his life and legacy would take a difficult turn.
He woke up like he did on so many other days. He went through his morning routine, trying to set his heart for the day’s challenges.
And on this particular day, the challenge was familiar.
How does one deal with a water shortage in the desert? Again!
God decided to provide miraculously, as He had before. He told Moses to take his staff, gather the people, and speak to the rock. God would bring forth water for the people and their livestock.
What should have been another real milestone for Moses and the people turned into a pretty bad day for Moses. A really bad day.
Nobody knows exactly what happened, but Moses snapped.
When someone read this passage recently in front of me, it sounded like a real dad moment.
It sounded like a father figure who had just had it with the people and needed to rant a little bit. Maybe slam a door. Do something that would bring to the attention of the children that he was sick and tired of them acting the way they were.
We’ve all had those moments if we’re fathers. And I suspect mothers have had a few of them too.
You know the kind.
“I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU PEOPLE!”
Well, when you’re representing God to millions of people, you don’t get to just have a dad moment. At least not in public. Evidently, you’re expected to have a Moses moment. A deliverer moment. You’re supposed to represent God well.
So, in the presence of the people, Moses approaches the rock, staff in hand, and for some reason launches into a tirade about this rebellious group.
“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them. – Numbers 20:8-13
And instead of speaking to the rock, he strikes the rock.
Now, that seems innocent enough because God had done something similar before. He had previously instructed Moses to strike a rock to provide water for the people. But this time, God had specifically told him to speak to the rock.
So Moses strikes the rock. Twice.
Water gushes out, and I’m certain Moses doesn’t think much of it.
Crisis averted. Once again.
But something was different.
God was displeased with how Moses responded, and He determined that Moses had gone too far.
It’s interesting when you look at the different recountings of this event. From Moses’ standpoint, he remembers that God was angry with him and that he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. But God specifically identifies the problem as Moses’ failure to trust Him and honor Him as holy in front of the people.
Moses’s Account
“I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. ‘Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. -Deuteronomy 3:23-27
The Lord’s Account
The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. “Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. “For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:48-52.
And so Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.
Moses had not started particularly well, and now, after all these years, it appeared that he was definitely not finishing well.
Now, the thing that strikes me here is that even after Moses made a mistake that had tremendous consequences, Moses continued to serve the Lord. He could have pouted. He could have quit. He could have just moved into a passive waiting on death. He could have retired. But Moses continued to serve the Lord.
He accepted his punishment. He embraced his new role of preparing Joshua and speaking to the people about their new adventure.
I would love to know what kind of attitude he had. But if it’s true that Moses was one of the humblest men on earth, I suspect that he did it with a good heart.
He still needed to finish well.
He would give great speeches to great fanfare. He would charge Joshua to be strong and courageous. And then he would climb the mountain, where, even at 120 years old, his eye was not dim, nor was his vigor abated.
He looked into the Promised Land and saw what could have been.
We don’t hear much about Moses after that.
There’s that strange passage in Jude where Michael the archangel disputes with the devil over the body of Moses. I have no idea what all that’s about.
But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you – Jude 9
Then, when Jesus is transfigured before His disciples, we see Moses and Elijah appear with Him in glory. Two of the greats representing the Law and the Prophets with the Messiah Jesus, who would fulfill both law and prophets and take his people into a new era of grace. Moses’ legacy of being God’s chosen instrument to accomplish His will is on display for some to see and some to read about.
Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. Matthew 17:1-8
So I guess Moses actually did get a quick touch of the promised land.
Everything we hear about Moses in the New Testament points to the faithfulness of his walk and the tremendous job he had done leading the people.
He made it into the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 and got quite the glowing report, and we have every reason to believe he is with the Lord as one of God’s redeemed children. So that is pretty good landing space.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. Hebrews 11:23-29
So the question remains.
Did Moses finish well?
Maybe the bigger question is: What does it mean to finish well?
Is it a lack of mistakes? I think not, because we are all prone to mistakes. Moses certainly demonstrates that.
Is it finishing on an upside? An accomplishment?
For Moses to finish well, did that mean he needed to lead the people into the Promised Land and, like in so many movies, ride off into the sunset having accomplished his greatest achievement?
Or is it possible that finishing well has more to do with the totality of one’s life? Faithfulness over a period of time marked with cycles of good and bad, faith and doubt?
When I think about my own life, there are so many bad things, so many good things, and so many nothing things.
Sometimes I wonder, “Am I finishing well? Do I even know what that means for me?”
I know that I feel a certain level of comfort around the idea that God knows, and I know, that over these last forty years I’ve at least tried to walk in faithfulness. I’ve tried to do what He wanted me to do.
And maybe that’s the answer.
I’d like to think that’s the answer.
That finishing well has to do with continuing. Continuing to press forward. Continuing to walk with God. Continuing to attempt to love people.
One of the scariest things I can imagine moving forward is the final chapter of life and the health concerns that can accompany it.
Even today, I discovered that a friend is dealing with a type of dementia that will be difficult to manage. He will probably spend the rest of his days with diminished capacity, being cared for by his wife, children, and loved ones.
Can he finish well?
I wonder if some of the realities of old age don’t challenge the main premise that I’ve been living with for all these years.
Is the true secret of the Christian life to finish well?
I don’t know.
Somehow it feels different now.
Somehow the idea of aspiring to greatness, aspiring to a life of service, aspiring to a life of faithfulness, with the idea that somehow you could mark it, measure it, or see it, seems a little different.
Now it seems somewhat out of one’s control.
And while I don’t discount the original idea, it makes me wonder if there is a different way to think about it.
I think this because sustaining momentum throughout an entire lifetime is harder than it seemed to me a few years ago.
I have to admit, I like the way Moses finished.
Faithfulness after a huge failure.
Continuing to plow forward, moving ahead in the midst of changing times, disappointment, and the realization that the ending was not going to look like he had imagined.
Maybe there’s something there for those of us who have been invited to the party called old age but aren’t quite sure we want to go.
So, as you can tell, I have more questions than answers.
If you’ve got answers, drop them in the comments below. I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks for reading this muse.
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