Do you ever wonder what kind of legacy you will leave after you pass away? This is kind of morbid to think about. As believers, we know this world is not our final home. So, how should we live our lives with the time we have on earth?
Thankfully, I have two sets of grandparents who have both left a spiritual legacy on our family. Both of my parents’ parents are Christ-followers that have raised their children in Christian homes. When I think about their legacy, I’m extremely grateful they chose to follow Jesus and model Christ in their homes. I don’t know what my faith would look like if it weren’t for my parents modeling walking with Jesus, which they learned from their parents walking with Jesus.
I can confidently say the best kind of legacy to leave is a godly impact on others. And that doesn’t mean parents are the only ones who can leave that legacy.
When I got to college, my faith was in a rocky place. I was living a double life with one foot in the world and one foot in with God. If you can relate, you know that living a double life is only sustainable for so long.
By God’s grace, a girl in my sorority sought me out and started talking about faith with me the first month of college. We met weekly for over a year. Through God’s Word and God’s Spirit, I repented from sin and turned fully to Jesus. I would argue that my sorority sister had just as much of an impact on my faith than my parents did. She met me with grace and truth in a time when I desperately needed it most. Now, I long to leave a spiritual legacy on women I get to disciple.
Moses’ Legacy
In our passage today, God shows Moses the Promised Land from afar, and Moses passes the torch to Joshua, his successor. Moses wasn’t perfect. He was punished for his sins, and he ultimately wasn’t able to enter the Promised Land. In spite of this, Moses set a godly example for the Israelites and walked intimately with the Lord.
Moses’s example in the Old Testament foreshadows Jesus in the New Testament. Moses is a prophet, lawgiver, mediator of the covenant, and shepherd. These are all titles that also belong to Jesus.
One of the most unique comparisons between Moses and Jesus is that both knew God intimately in a way that others did not. In Exodus 33, Moses asks to see God’s glory, and God allows His glory to pass in front of Moses. God’s presence came tangibly near to Moses.
In Matthew 17, Jesus’s personal appearance is changed into a glorified form as He meets with God on top of a mountain. This encounter, known as the Transfiguration, reveals Jesus’ deity as the Son of God. He is the better Priest, the better Prophet, the better Lawgiver, the better Mediator, and the better Moses.
The Legacy We Leave
Let’s go back to Exodus for a moment. As Moses is passing away, he commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. God commands His people to obey Joshua, just as they obeyed Moses. God Himself says there was no other prophet like Moses. He knew the Lord intimately, did signs and wonders for God’s people, and revealed God’s power (Exodus 34:10-12). Moses left a huge legacy!
God doesn’t have to, but He delights in using imperfect people as part of His redemption story. How does God want to use you to leave a legacy? Join me in taking time today to consider what kind of legacy you want to leave on others. You were created by God, chosen by God, and equipped by God to do the good works He’s prepared before you.
