When Moses was 120 years old,
Acts 7:23 Acts 7:20
Numbers 14:32-34
God gave one last great gift to Moses,
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, … and the LORD showed him all the land … The LORD then said to [Moses], “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.” Deut 34:1-5 see also Numbers 20:12 Numbers 27:12-14
God did this to Moses even though …
The LORD (had) said to Moses, “… you are my intimate friend.” Exo 33:17
Why do I call this a gift?
Remember:
God … established [human beings] in his friendship. …# 306
However… [human beings] can live this friendship only in free submission to God. # 396
When God gave Moses the huge, emotional disappointment, of seeing, but not entering the Promised Land, Moses had a choice. Moses could have chosen to say “But I wanna!!”, or Moses could, and did, choose to say, “Yes, Lord.”.
To obey … in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, # 144
By this painful experience of submitting freely to God, Moses reaffirmed and strengthened his humble, obedient, honest friendship with God. And any opportunity to strengthen your friendship with God is indeed a gift.
So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said; Deut 34:5