Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigour diminished. (Deuteronomy 34:1-7)

As I was preparing this message on Sunday afternoon, Joe was being transported back from Turkey on his 57th birthday. I couldn’t help, at the time, but think of how Jacob, the father of Israel, had also been transported back from Egypt for his burial in Canaan (Genesis 50:7-10).

But the difference is that Jacob was carried by the servants of Pharaoh, while Joe flew on SQ.

Decades after Jacob, the bones of Joseph, his son, would also be brought back from Egypt – this time by Moses (Exodus 13:19), the man of God, the prophet of God, the friend of God.

“I will smell the land of Moses”

Those of us who have worked with Joe in recent months would have seen how he increasingly identified with Moses. In fact, in one of his last messages to us, Joe wrote: “My service is done. I’m on my way to Cairo. The school leader is taking me to the pyramids tomorrow and I will smell the land of Moses.”

Why Moses? Why not Joseph, prince of Egypt, his namesake?

Perhaps he did, for a time. I remember when he became national director 12 years ago, Joe had a vision of Jesus asking him to remove his beautiful multi-coloured coat. 

Removing that to put on a garment of rags.

Humility, brokenness: This was God’s call for Joe as he began to lead YWAM into uncharted grounds of strength and significance.

But then came Moses, the humble deliverer who buried Joseph’s bones – the prophet who met with God face to face, the servant leader who refused to go unless God went with him.

And as I reflected on Joe’s growing attentiveness to Moses, I discovered a few more things. Joe, like Moses, had a traumatic childhood and spent his best years in the care of a foster family. Joe, like Moses, belonged to the tribe of Levi – Moses by birth; Joe by his priestly ministry of worship, be it by song or dance.

Then almost as a final act of association, Joe declared less than three months ago at his handover that “Moses is dead”.

Strange words

I must admit that those words sounded somewhat strange to me at that time, but I didn’t tell Joe. What has Moses being dead got to do with stepping down at YWAM and his new season with Antioch 21?

Moses died a long time ago. Joe, you are not Moses and you are not dead.

Then again, no one should argue with Joseph Chean when he has made up his mind. After all, this guy hears God so clearly. If God tells him Moses is dead, well, Moses is dead.

Then it happened.

Thursday, 16 November 2023: The day when our worlds turned upside down. This was when news of the unthinkable reached us from Istanbul.

That morning, another Joseph called me: “Kai Ming, Joseph Chean passed away.”

WHAT?

“Joseph Chean passed away.”

Moses is dead.

“This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants. I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there. I will give it to your descendants.” ’

Friends, these are the words not only for Moses, but also for Joe. 

Well, Joe, you have launched Antioch 21 at ACS two months ago. Your eyes have caught the vision. But you are not the one who will fulfil it. Your descendants and your disciples – they will.

Questions with no answers

One reason I had problem comparing Joe with Moses is this: Moses wasn’t allowed to enter because he struck the rock at Meribah.

But Joe – who or what did he strike, that his leadership in our nation was brought to a sudden stop?

This is a hard question for which we have no answers. But here’s what we do know.

Moses was a great man, but he was imperfect and broken. At the age of 120, he still had anger issues. God didn’t choose him because he was perfect but because he was humble and faithful.

Some of us might link Moses’ premature death to his single act of disobedience. Tonight I would like to offer a more nuanced understanding of that text.

What happened at Meribah was not so much the cause of Moses’ early retirement but the sign that Moses, like all human beings, had a limit. And Moses had reached his limit.

With that, his job was done.

He had led God’s people out of Egypt, across the wilderness, up to the entrance of the Promised Land. And so, Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Poar.

But no one knows his grave to this day.

Eulogy of honour

I used to read this as the sad ending of Moses, and wonder if Moses made it to heaven.

Then it occurred to me: Of course he did. Somewhere in the Gospels, the transfigured Jesus met with two guys on the mountain top, Elijah and Moses.

Reading the Bible, there is no indication whatsoever that Moses was considered a failed leader. Quite the contrary. The Jews held him in such high regard that the Gospel writers took pains to show them that one greater than Moses had come.

No, these last few verses of Deuteronomy 34 do not constitute a sad obituary. Instead, it was a eulogy of honour for a servant of God, for one who loved God and was loved by God.

Verse six says that “no one knows his grave to this day”. Do you know why? Well, many of you know the answers because Joe has already told us: Because God buried him personally.

The people did the wake, but God conducted the funeral.

And God kept the location of the tomb an eternal mystery. No one else, to my knowledge, ever had such a privilege.

No accident

Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigour diminished. (Deuteronomy 34:7)

A Singaporean would read this as: “Aiyah, sayang.” (Vernacular for “sigh, what a pity”.) The body is healthy and strong. What a waste.

But no, we must read this text as an ancient Hebrew would. An unnatural death. A divine barrier. A eulogy of honour.

Moses has died. God will be glorified.

Joseph Chean has died. God, too, will be glorified.

But why must he die in a car accident? So sudden, so tragic.

These were my questions to myself for a couple of days. Again, I don’t know, but this I know: There are no accidents.

Our God is sovereign. Nothing happens without His knowledge, nor His permission.

Screengrab from slides shown at Joseph Chean’s wake service, November 21, 2023.

Then could it be the devil? Spiritual warfare? Perhaps. We know the devil will do anything to destroy Antioch 21.

And he couldn’t give Joe a heart attack or terminal illness because the man is as strong as a lion, like Moses. So, no choice. A highway sabotage.

‘Tis mystery all 

Well, if this is so, the devil made a mistake. A big mistake.

This death will not end Antioch 21. In fact, it will empower and accelerate it. For that one seed that falls to the ground and dies, a thousand seedlings will come forth.

But must it be so tragic? Why?

Perhaps it has to be this way. Sudden. Heart-rending and heart wrenching.

Perhaps this is the only way to awaken hearts that have gone cold.

Perhaps this is how the Great Commission will be fulfilled sooner rather than later.

Perhaps this had to become national news. In one unnatural, tragic death, more Singaporeans than ever before have been introduced to a missionary who died for the cause of Christ. Many are asking:

• What is YWAM?
• What is Antioch 21?
• Who is this Joseph Chean and who is this God whom he worships?

We know the God whom Joe worships. This God is the one whose death was also untimely and tragic. His body was broken, His blood spilled, not by accident, but for atonement and the saving of sinners loved by God.

This same God, we are told, was the rock that Moses struck in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4). And from that rock gushed out the waters of life.

This is the God we worship, Jesus Christ is His name. By his life, his death, He’s given all of us an eternal gift.

If any of you here tonight have not received this gift, please do so. Do approach any Christian that you know and tell them you are ready. When you are ready, he or she will gladly show you the way.

Priceless gifts

Moses was a gift to his people, but he could only do so because he had received from God the gift of worship, friendship and leadership. He was not perfect, but he was true.

Joe was a gift, still is a gift, to all of us.

But he did so only because he had received from God the gift of worship, friendship and leadership. He was not perfect but he was true.

The gift of Moses was also the gift of Joe.

What would we do with this gift?

There is at least one other gift that Joe has given us: The gift of discipleship.

I’m not sure about you, but even in his death Joe continues to disciple me and mentor me.

In the last five days, something shifted in my soul as I reflected deeply on Joe’s life. As a result, a few things happened. Number one, I said yes to doing something that I usually would avoid or refuse to do, and I’m too embarrassed to tell you what that is.

Secondly, I began to think of one or two people in my life that I had been avoiding and refusing to love. And so I decided to reach out, because I knew that Joe would do the same.

Then, yesterday I extended grace to a leader who had sinned against many, and I took the risk of trusting him again.

Something shifted in my soul and I believe it’s not just emotional. It’s permanent.

The gift of Joe. The gift of Moses.

Our final verse, verse 9: “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him.”

Joseph Chean Chin Loon has finished his one long mission trip. But 10,000 Joshuas shall arise.

Those of us whom Joe has touched, has laid his hands on, and those on whom our hands shall lay, the Holy Spirit Himself will fan the flame of this gift until the knowledge of the glory of God fills the earth as waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)

Meanwhile, Joe, enjoy your heavenly fellowship with Moses, Saint Paul, Loren Cunningham, Rick Seaward, Jim Elliott, Hudson Taylor, and all the other God lovers.

See you in the new Kingdom. Amen.

This sermon, entitled The Gift of Moses, was delivered by Rev Lai Kai Ming, Barker Road Methodist Church pastor, at the November 21, 2023, wake service of Joseph Chean, held at St John’s-St Margaret’s Church.

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