So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. He was one hundred twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
Moses dies at the right time. Not in weakness and loss of faculties. In strength. His eye still sharp. His vigor intact. God took him at his peak, not in decline.
I'm in my early sixties and thinking about how I want to die. Not morbidly, but honestly. I want my faculties intact. I want to still have something to give. I don't want to linger past usefulness.
Moses' death is characterized as good - full of years, in full strength, at the right time. There's a biblical vision of a good death. Not morbid, but accepted. Living well and then finishing well.
The way it's written, Moses is ready. He's completed his work. He's handed over the torch. He's fulfilled his calling. And then he rests.
That's how I want to live - with intention and purpose right up until it's time to stop. And then with the grace to actually stop. To not cling to influence or existence past the time when I still have real contribution to make.
The description is beautiful: his eye was not dim. He could still see. His natural force had not abated. He still had power. That's aging well, by Biblical standards. And then, death. Both are gifts.
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