Have you ever
noticed the last words of Moses and the last words of Jesus are quite similar?
When Moses was about to die, he commissioned Joshua to take the Promised Land by saying:
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD is the one who goes
ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Dt.31:7-8).
Now when Jesus was about ascend into heaven, He commissioned His followers to disciple the nations by saying:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt.28:18-20).
Notice the parallel?
The only
significant difference is that the commission from Moses applied to a limited piece of geography in the Middle East... whereas the commission given by Jesus applies to the whole world.
The most important thing, though, is that both the Old and New Testaments show God's intent to reclaim the world through the faithful actions of His people.
And you have a part to play in that today as you faithfully fulfill what God has given you to do.