It was because of Moses’ act of disobedience that he died and was not permitted to take the Lord’s people into Canaan.  Numbers 20:7-12 tells us, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”  It was in Moses’ anger and frustration against the Lord’s people that he acted in unbelief…not trusting the Lord to bring water from the rock simply by speaking to it.  As the leader of the Israelites, this was a grievous act, one which prevented him from taking the people into the Promised Land.

However, in spite of this, we must never forget the great leader that Moses was, and the intimate relationship he had with the Lord.  Numbers 12:3 says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”  We then read in Deuteronomy 34:10, “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”  We cannot overemphasize the importance of this man whom the Lord used to accomplish great things.  Perhaps it was because of the life that Moses had lived for the Lord, that although he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, he was permitted to see it.  We read in Deuteronomy 32:51-52, “Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. YET THOU SHALT SEE THE LAND before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.”

The Lord was faithful to His promise and Deuteronomy 34:1-6 gives us the account of Moses’ death.  Let’s read verses 5-6, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.”  Even to this very day…no one knows exactly where the Lord buried Moses.  It was said of Moses in verse 7, “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.”  At 120 years old, Moses had not lost his sight, and his strength was still that of a young man. 

Perhaps Moses’ death seems to be a harsh consequence for a moment of unbelief.  However, types in the Bible are so important and this rock that Moses was commanded to speak to is a type of Christ as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.”  Moses was instructed to strike the rock in Exodus 17:6, a type of how Christ was crucified once as we read in Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.”  When Moses struck the rock the second time, he destroyed this scriptural typology and, it became in effect, a picture of Christ being crucified again.

So, why did God personally bury Moses?  First, so that Moses’ burial place could remain a complete secret from any that would seek to honor him above that which was proper.  Even Satan, who obviously knew where Moses was buried, tried to take up his body.  We read in Jude 9, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”  So, the Lord took particular care in the burying of Moses.  While we are not told the exact reason that Satan wanted Moses’ body, had he been able to reveal to the Jews the place where Moses was buried, they would possibly have caused many to honor his remains in an idolatrous fashion.  This would have gratified his Satan’s evil purpose to have made Moses an occasion of worship after his death, thus replacing God who said previously, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3).  (CC)  (708.6)