Christian pilgrims flock to where Moses stood

Imagine what Moses saw that fateful day, the last day of his earthly life. His goodbyes had been said. His faithful lieutenant, Joshua, had been entrusted with the mantle of leadership for the children of Israel. Moses, now 120 years old, had made a difficult climb from the valley floor, winding down to the Jordan River, to the top of Mount Nebo. 
   
From the top of this high peak, he could look back on past events. One can see Jahaz to the west, the place Moses and the children of Israel fought King Sihon because he would not let them pass toward the promised land. 
   
About halfway along the way from Jahaz to the Jordan on the valley floor grows a huge tree covered with green leaves. It is the only one like that for miles and miles in all directions. All the other vegetation is scrubby. Legend has it that this is the site where Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock to produce water for the Israelites instead of obeying God and speaking to the rock to bring forth water. 
   
No one knows, of course, if this is the place, but the huge tree testifies that there is something different about this place on the trail followed by the wandering tribes of Israel. 
   
From atop Mount Nebo, Moses could have seen the place, perhaps with a heavy heart. He may have wondered about “what might have been” as he watched the snaking caravan he had lead for 40 years inch around the hills as it wound down toward the valley. 
   
The sight that must have thrilled Moses’ soul was the view to the southwest, where he could see the Dead Sea. Even today, it is a glorious pale blue glowing like a jewel against the sandy colors of the desert. Moses could see the lush green of the Jordan valley as the river meandered from the north to its final destination. After decades of wandering in the dry, dusty, stony hills, it must have looked like a “land of milk and honey.” 
   
At the mouth of the winding valley followed by the Israelites lies Jericho. The Israelites had a few days on the eastern shore of the Jordan, but the only place the children of Israel could cross the river was directly in front of Jericho. The fording site has been used since before recorded history. Today it is still used. It is called the Allenby Bridge. 
   
In the distance, Moses could see the hills of Jerusalem. Whether he could see the city is unknown. On a clear morning today, one can see the shining dome of the Muslim Dome of the Rock. The hills around Bethlehem can be made out, as well. 
   
There is no indication that Moses had any inkling about what God would do in those places, but his eyes certainly glimpsed the sites where centuries later, God would give new meaning to the term promised land. 
   
On the western edge of Mount Nebo, Moses looked back on the faithfulness of God. He looked down on the power of God in the lives of the faithful. And Moses looked forward, in faith, to the future. Then Moses went to be with the Lord. The Bible says that God Himself buried His servant in Moab. No one knows exactly where. 
   
Christian pilgrims have journeyed to the edge of Mount Nebo for centuries. Jews have journeyed there much longer. The mountain rises above the area the Bible refers to as the plains of Moab. Today the area is called Jordan. It is only a short drive to Amman, Jordan’s capital. 
   
Looking west, a serpentine sculpture stands on the edge of the precipice. The sculpture has no relationship to the site itself, but it certainly is related to the life of Moses. A Franciscan church rests on top of the place where Byzantine churches dating from the a.d. 500s once stood. One of the modern-day attractions is mosaic floors dated a.d. 531. 
   
Pope John Paul’s visit to Mount Nebo in 2000 prompted many improvements in the area, one is told. There is a new parking lot, a marble walkway and a good road. Together, these have increased the number of tourists who visit the ancient site. 
   
It was after other members of the group I traveled to Jordan with had finished their pictures and gone on to see other attractions that I made my way back to stand on the metal platform where John Paul stood. Like him, I peered westward with physical eyes and tried to look forward with eyes of faith. 
   
It was impossible to stand atop Mount Nebo without recalling the faithfulness of God to Moses and God’s faithfulness to me. It was impossible to recall Moses’ faith in God without praying that my own life be marked by increasing faithfulness to the One who invites us to Himself through faith in Jesus Christ.