“And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.”
My Notes
What Does Numbers 27:12 Mean?
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel." God tells Moses to climb Mount Abarim and SEE the Promised Land — the land God has GIVEN to Israel. The seeing is the FINAL privilege. The entering is DENIED (verse 14 — because of the waters of Meribah). Moses will SEE but not ENTER. The mountain becomes the VIEWING PLATFORM for the gift Moses can't unwrap. The seeing without the entering is both MERCY (he sees it) and DISCIPLINE (he can't go in).
The phrase "get thee up into this mount Abarim" (aleh el har ha'Avarim hazzeh — go up to this mountain of Abarim, this crossing-mountain) commands Moses to CLIMB: the name 'Abarim' means 'the crossings' or 'the regions beyond.' The mountain named for CROSSING is the mountain from which Moses will see the land he can't CROSS INTO. The name carries the irony: the mountain of crossing is the mountain of NOT-crossing for Moses.
The "see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel" (ure'eh et ha'aretz asher natatti livnei Yisra'el — see the land which I have given to the children of Israel) makes the seeing SPECIFIC and POSSESSIVE: see the land I have GIVEN. The giving is ACCOMPLISHED — past tense. The land is already Israel's. The gift has been BESTOWED. Moses sees the COMPLETED gift — the land that's already been given — from the mountain he can't descend from into it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God given that you can see but can't yet enter?
- 2.What does the mountain of 'crossings' being where Moses DOESN'T cross teach about ironic geography?
- 3.How is the seeing without entering both MERCY (you see it) and DISCIPLINE (you can't go in)?
- 4.What does the gift being past-tense ('I have given') teach about promises being settled before you arrive?
Devotional
Go UP. SEE the land I've given Israel. The command is to CLIMB and LOOK — but not to enter. Moses will see the Promised Land from a mountaintop and never set foot in it. The seeing is the final mercy. The not-entering is the lasting discipline. The mountain named 'the crossings' becomes the place where Moses DOESN'T cross.
The 'get thee up' is the FINAL ASCENT: Moses has climbed mountains before — Sinai, multiple times. This mountain is DIFFERENT: there's no coming back down to continue leading. The ascent to Abarim is the one-way climb. The going-up doesn't produce a coming-down. The mountain Moses climbs is the mountain Moses dies on (Deuteronomy 34:5).
The 'see the land' is the SEEING WITHOUT ENTERING: God doesn't say 'enter the land.' He says 'SEE it.' The distinction is the discipline: Moses disobeyed at Meribah (20:12 — struck the rock instead of speaking to it). The consequence: you lead the people TO the land but not INTO the land. You SEE the gift but don't RECEIVE it. The seeing is the closest Moses gets.
The 'which I have given' makes the gift ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED: the land isn't 'which I WILL give.' It's 'which I HAVE given.' Past tense. The giving is DONE. The land belongs to Israel ALREADY — by divine decree, by covenantal promise, by accomplished gift. Moses sees what's ALREADY theirs. The reality is settled. The possession is guaranteed. Moses' exclusion doesn't change the GIFT. It changes who leads the ENTERING.
What has God given that you can SEE but can't yet enter — and is the seeing itself a mercy?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when thou hast seen it,.... Which was all he was admitted to; for to go into it and see it was not allowed him,…
Here, 1. God tells Moses of his fault, his speaking unadvisedly with his lips at the waters of strife, where he did not…
The command to Moses to view the land from a mountain is not obeyed till Deuteronomy 34 (P). This long postponement…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture