Today I read Deuteronomy 31 where the Lord finishes giving the law to Moses and commands him to give it to the Levites and that it be read every seven years at the feast of the tabernacle to remind the people of Israel of their laws. Moses also tells the people in this chapter that he would not be going into the land of Israel with them but that Joshua would lead them from now on.
I feel really sorry for Moses. He has been with these people for forty years and they have caused him a lot of trouble and sorrow. And he has no faith in them at all. He straight up tells them that once he is gone they will turn to their wicked ways and false gods and will abandon the Lord their God. He tells them he knows it will happen because they have already done it when he was with them and still around. I imagine he feels like a parent with a wayward child. He loves them very much and wants them to do well in life and is extremely saddened by when they do poorly and make wrong choices, just like a parent would do with their children.
And he is right. The Israelites turn from their God almost immediately. The one consolation that Moses has is that he has done everything he can for them and like Jacob in the Book of Mormon, his garments are washed clean of their blood and sins. You can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink. In this life all we can do is what is required of us and to look out for the well being of those we have stewardship over. We will be held accountable for those we were meant to help but if we have done our part, like Moses has with the children of Israel, then their sins will be upon their own heads and not their leaders. And that is all we really can do because everyone has the ability to choose for themselves. Until tomorrow.
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