I read this from Dennis Olson’s Deuteronomy and the Death of Moses and wanted to share it with you.

The death of Moses and the crossing over of the new generation into Canaan then leads to the lesson: “So be careful not to forget the covenant that the LORD your God made with you, and not to make for yourselves an idol” (Deuteronomy 4:23). The lesson is two-sided. On the one hand, follow the covenant that God made. On the other hand, don’t follow any idols that you make. But what do idols have to do with Moses’ dying outside the promised land? The connection is subtle but suggestive. The narrative preceding chapter 4 made clear Moses’ dearest wish to set foot on the promised land (3:23-27). Had the land itself in a sense become Moses’ idol? Did the land threaten to become more important to Moses than Moses’ relationship and trust in God? Or more importantly, did Moses have to die outside the land as a reminder that he himself was not a god, an object of worship for the people? Moses’ death shifts Israel’s allegiance from a human like Moses to Yahweh, the true God of Israel.

I’m reminded of the importance of not equating the gifts and blessings of God with God Himself. Far be it from us to turn God’s gifts into idols that lead us away from complete devotion to God and God alone.

“The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” — Deuteronomy 6:4.