Mandy Baker Johnson

At choir practice this week, it dawned on me how much I love singing and harmonising (which sometimes sounds great and other times doesn’t) with friends.  We’re currently practicing How deep the Father’s love by Stuart Townend for our Easter services at Grace Church.  The words of the song lead naturally to thinking about Heaven and all that Jesus purchased for us by dying and rising again.

It reminded me of what I’ve been reading about Moses in the Bible.  At certain times, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write songs for the Israelite nation to sing.  The first time this occurred was after God supernaturally parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could travel through safely, but their pursuing enemies who had oppressed them for more than 400 years were drowned.  Moses and the people broke into spontaneous song, praising God for the wonderful way He had worked on their behalf.  It was a time of great rejoicing, and Moses’ sister Miriam led all the women in singing and dancing with tambourines.

Shortly before the Israelites were about to move into the promised land of Canaan, Moses was inspired with a song to teach the people so that they would remember God’s covenant with them.  (God also said that the song would be a witness against the people when they disobeyed Him.)

Just before his death, Moses bestowed a poetic blessing on the nation of Israel. 

From the fact that we have three recorded songs from during Moses’ lifetime, I think we can safely assume that he was gifted in this area and enjoyed singing and song-writing.  So I wonder what he’s up to these days…?  I think that maybe the Bible gives us a little insight into at least one of the things that Moses is doing now.

When the apostle John saw Heaven, he witnessed a number of people with harps in their hands, singing (present tense) the song of Moses and the Lamb.  This song is recorded nowhere else in Scripture, and the fact that it is introduced as the song of Moses and the Lamb seems to indicate that Jesus and Moses wrote it together at some point after Moses arrived in Heaven. 

Taking this into account along with Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels about Heaven, and the apostles’ teachings in their New Testament letters, I wonder if the God-given gifts and talents we enjoy using here will be transferred to Heaven and be used in a greater, more wonderful way that we can currently imagine?  I find it exciting to think that Jesus worked with Moses on that song.  It certainly dispels the boring myth of people sitting around on clouds.  No, we’re going to be thoroughly enjoying ourselves with Jesus for all of eternity!  And I for one can’t wait.