Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson

Why Moses Never Entered the Promised Land by Autumn Dickson Moses was not allowed to go into the promised land with the rest of the Israelites. He wandered in the desert with them for 40 years, saw the promised land from a mountaintop, and returned to God before he could step foot into that land. Deuteronomy 34:4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. The event that caused Moses to be barred from the promised land came at a time when the Israelites needed water. At one point in their sojourn, Moses was commanded to smite a rock in order to provide water for the Israelites, and it worked. At another time, Moses was commanded to speak to the rock in order to provide water. Instead, Moses hit it again. Because of this, the Lord told Moses that he would not step foot in the promised land. And the Lord was true to His word. Moses never did enter the promised land that he had led the Israelites to. Despite the miracles and work and lessons that Moses had in his life as he led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness, Moses didn’t get to help them take those last steps into the promised land. Seems a bit harsh for those of us who are also not exactly obedient. Everything that Moses contributed was not enough to earn him entrance into the promised land. Despite its seeming cruelty, this consequence handed down by the Lord is not harsh. It’s true to life and important to understand. There are two portions that we need to understand in relation to Moses being barred from the promised land. 1) When we are not exactly obedient, it can bring lifelong consequences. It was such a small thing. Moses hit the rock instead of speaking to it. He was supposed to hit the rock the first time. Was it really such a big deal that he hit it a second time? I wonder how Moses came to accept this punishment handed down by the Lord. Perhaps Moses accepted his punishment meekly and perfectly, but I’m going to show you a couple of potential responses from Moses that might reflect how we sometimes receive our own consequences. “It was such a small thing. Why am I being punished so severely? I’ve done so much good. Isn’t that enough for the Lord?” “I have to live with this the rest of my life. Every step I take towards the promised land is a reminder that I can’t ever go in. It’s too much to bear.” “Why am I even walking towards the promised land if I can’t go in? Why can’t someone else lead them? What’s the point of me wandering for forty years if I can’t ever step foot in there?” Sometimes the consequences of our disobedience seem too much to bear, but the fact remains that the Lord warned us. He doesn’t control us, and honestly, we would likely rail against Him if He tried. People rail against Him even when He merely tells them to stay away from certain behaviors and actions. He doesn’t want to control us, and we don’t want Him to control us, not really. So He warns us, and then He leaves us to decide whether we want to risk it. No amount of service to the Lord is going to erase a DUI that hurt you, another passenger, or someone in the other car. Even if you’re doing everything right, pausing to look at pornography has the power to destroy your marriage or your happiness in marriage. Breaking the Law of Chastity just once can carry disease or bring a baby into the world who deserves two parents. None of these are things that you can’t overcome, and yet, these consequences follow you even when you continue walking towards the promised land. All of these little commandments handed to us by the Lord are meant to protect us because they carry potential consequences that will

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson is an episode from Mormon FAIR-Cast by FAIR.

This episode is 8:49 long.

This episode was published on May 11, 2026.

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