Reading through the Bible 2025: Deuteronomy 32 and hallowing God

At this point, I have finished up the first five books of the Bible (plus the Book of Job and small portions of 1st Chronicles and other similar areas where they have done a recap of early Biblical history). My goal is to continue to periodically share things I've been learning this time through the Bible (as I've only successfully gone through it twice now, and this is my fifth attempt). At this point, I've read through the Bible's first five books five times now (obviously I've read through certain passages more times than that), so I have a decent sense of this portion of Scripture. By contrast, my knowledge of parts of the middle sections of Scripture aren't as deep, and to my surprise I didn't know as much of the New Testament (including portions of the Gospels) as well as I had assumed. This is why it's important to stay connected with the Lord through His Word, because one can lulled into a false sense of security thinking we know the Lord well when in reality we don't. Similarly, this is why I periodically will write a blog post sharing with you all whatever happened to jump out at me.

One of the main topics in the Bible that has troubled me for years (although I now know the facts which helps a lot) has been what transpired that led God to tell Moses he was no longer permitted to enter the Promised Land. There are certain hard moments in Scripture, and this is one of them. It's good to know the truth, and yet it still takes time for its full weight (both the good and the bad of it) to sink in. It's why I'm making a big deal out of finding passages that jump out to me around this topic, because the only way to be able to move through the "hard"-ness of this event is to keep seeking God. With that, I submit the below:


The ultimate reason why God forbade Moses from entering the Promised Land


Yes, Moses struck the rock when God told him to speak to it, and yes, it was because Moses lacked faith. But the below verse explains the fundamental reason:

“because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭51‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/deu.32.51.NKJV

For context, here are the surrounding verses:

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭48‬-‭52‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/deu.32.48-52.NKJV

Moses was set to pass out of this mortal life, and the people of Israel were set to cross over the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land. And, knowing Moses’s overall relationship with God, their conversation was nowhere close to ending, even though his time on earth was. Their relationship would continue even after Moses passed away, and so would their conversation.


Amid all this, God still made a promise to Moses:

“Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭52‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/deu.32.52.NKJV

And of course that promise stood. And knowing what I know now about the moment of Jesus’s transfiguration, the fact that Moses was there alongside Elijah meant that he did in fact eventually get to enter the Promised Land, even if it meant only in the next life.


But one question remains: what does it mean to “hallow” God?


I took a couple screenshots of my query into ChatGPT, and below is what I got.

In case the print is too small to make out, here are the main bullet points:

• Reverencing and honoring God
• Living out our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior
• Avoiding profanity and any other wrong talk
• Recognizing Jesus as Lord
• Living to honor God
• Inclining your heart toward God
• Putting your hope in God
• Obeying God
• Sharing about God with others

Amen, in Jesus’s name.