And it’s certainly on display as we approach the end of Moses' life in the book of Numbers.

The story goes that God tells Moses he’s going to die soon, specifically after avenging the Israelites against the Midianites. "Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people," God says (Numbers 31:2). It sounds like a direct connection: war, then death. But what's really going on here?

According to Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, Moses wasn’t exactly thrilled with God’s timeline. Imagine being told you're about to die after all you've been through! Moses pleads with God. "O Lord of the world! Is it right that death should so soon overtake me, that have seen Thy ways, Thy actions, and Thy path?"

God responds, in essence, that death is a part of life, even for the best of us. "Moses, if a long life were better for men, surely I should not then have permitted thy ancestors to taste of death; but it is better for thee if thou are taken from this world than if thou wert to remain in it." Basically, God’s saying, "Trust me, this is for the best."

But Moses isn’t buying it. He pushes back. And this is where it gets interesting. God then offers a sort of…compromise. "Well then," God says, "thou mayest live many years longer, yea, thou shalt live even to a thousand years, but know thou that Israel will not then conquer their foes, and that Midian will not be brought under their yoke."

Think about that for a moment. God is essentially saying, "Okay, Moses, you can live longer, but there's a catch. Israel won’t be victorious." It's a profound moment, highlighting the weight of leadership and the sacrifices it demands.

Moses is faced with a tough choice. Does he prioritize his own life, even if it means a less secure future for his people? Or does he accept his fate for the sake of Israel's triumph?

Moses chooses the latter. He thinks, "Whether I die to-day or to-morrow matters little, for death will come to me at last. I would rather see Israel conquer their foes and bring Midian under their yoke than that I should live longer." It’s a powerful act of selflessness. He’s willing to sacrifice his own desires for the greater good.

So, God instructs Moses to avenge Israel against the Midianites, knowing that Moses is now ready to accept his own death.

What does this story tell us? It's not just about a war or a death. It's about priorities. It’s about the difficult choices leaders sometimes have to make. And it's about the idea that sometimes, the most meaningful life is the one lived in service to something larger than ourselves. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what we would choose in a similar situation? What are we willing to give up for the sake of others?