Deuteronomy 34 · a question people ask
Israel wept for Moses for a whole month. Is grieving that long a lack of faith?
The chapter tells it without blame: "The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended" (34:8). They did the same for Aaron: "they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel" (Numbers 20:29). Joseph "mourned for his father seven days" (Genesis 50:10). When Lazarus had died, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Paul writes "so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13), and gives the hope: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Paul doesn't tell them not to grieve; he writes of grieving not "like the rest, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The verse also says the weeping came to an end (34:8), and the next verse turns to Joshua (34:9).
The verses
“The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended. Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. The children of Israel listened to him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.”
“When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.”
“They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.”
“Jesus wept.”