Leflore Baptist Association

A Glimpse from Mount Nebo

A couple of months ago, Susan and I made a trip to Egypt and Jordan. Most of you are aware that Susan teaches Old Testament and Humanities I at Carl Albert. One of the things that I enjoyed most about our trip was watching her get so excited at many of these historical sites. She expected the highlight of the trip to be Mount Sinai, but instead it was Mount Nebo.           

It was the last full day of our trip and a beautiful day in Jordan as we made our way in a van, not on a camel, up Mount Nebo. When we reached the top, Susan began moving quickly toward the steep edge of the cliff, giving me a little fright. She stopped just short of the edge, took a deep breath, and kicked into Turbo Teacher. She said, “Think, just think of it. Moses will die somewhere around here but not before he takes in this view of the Promised Land.”  Then she started pointing and saying, “Look in this valley. This is where the children of Israel were camped before entering the Promised Land. This is also the area where Balaam tried his best to curse Israel but could only bless them. Oh, and over there is where the Jordan River will part to let the Hebrews pass through before they defeat Jericho, and those waters will part 700 years later to let Elijah and Elisha pass through. Another 700 years later and John will baptize Jesus in those waters!” Susan kept pointing, despite the fact that pointing is frowned upon in this culture.  The more she talked, the more excited she got. 

This made me think back to the first time the children of Israel caught a glimpse of the Promised Land from Kadesh Barnea. I’m sure they were kind of excited but not enough to cross over. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the next glimpse of the Promised Land was a different story. This new generation may have been nervous, too, but their excitement to follow God outweighed their fears.

Today, we don’t want our fears to keep us from the amazing things God has in store for us. The excitement that Susan displayed on Mount Nebo, that should be our natural reaction when we think about what God has promised. Like the children of Israel, we have much to look forward to. Let’s not let fear stand in our way. God wants us to have more than just a glimpse of His good plan.

Excited to be His,

Bentley Hill