In our study of Deuteronomy chapter two, we look at the fact that God will take care of the giant problems in our lives and this will build us up in our faith.
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"Then we turned and began traveling into the desert along the road to the Sea of Suf, as ADONAI had said to me; and we skirted Mount Se'ir for a long time. Finally ADONAI said to me, 'You have been going around this mountain long enough! Head north,
Moses' parting words continues as he reminds the people of their wanderings in the desert. This lasted about thirty-eight years and then God had them turn to go towards the promised land.
and give this order to the people: "You are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the descendants of 'Esav who live in Se'ir. They will be afraid of you, so be very cautious, and don't get into disputes with them; for I am not going to give you any of their land, no, not even enough for one foot to stand on; inasmuch as I have given Mount Se'ir to 'Esav as his possession. Pay them money for the food you eat, and pay them money for the water you drink.
As Israel headed toward their place in this world, they had to pass through an area that belonged to Esau. This land had been given to Esau by God and Israel was reminded of that fact. This reminds us, as Christians, that the first step in facing our giants is recognizing the enemy. Although Esau had not been the one chosen by God to inherit the promises of Abraham, he had been given an inheritance. He had been a man focused on the material things of life and yet God had provided a place for him and his relatives. This also reminds us that it is God that sets the boundaries of the nations. In our world today, it seems that there are conflicts all around us concerning national boundaries especially in the Middle East. Unless and until man accepts the boundaries that God had prescribed, there will continue to be these struggles among men. As the Creator of all things (including the land), God has the right to give them to whoever he chooses.
For ADONAI your God has blessed you in everything your hands have produced. He knows that you have been traveling through this vast desert; these forty years ADONAI your God has been with you; and you have lacked nothing.'
Moses reminds the people that, even though they were in the wilderness, God was still in control and that He had watched over them. The same thing holds true for those of us who are in Christ. We may be in some difficult times and places but God is right there with us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
"So we went on past our kinsmen the descendants of 'Esav living in Se'ir, left the road through the 'Aravah from Eilat and 'Etzyon-Gever, and turned to pass along the road through the desert of Mo'av. ADONAI said to me, 'Don't be hostile toward Mo'av or fight with them, because I will not give you any of their land to possess, since I have already given 'Ar to the descendants of Lot as their territory.'"
As Israel headed north, they came to the land of the Moabites. These, too, were relatives as they were descendants of Lot through his daughter. Once again, Israel was not to mess with them but to pass through peacefully.
(The Emim used to live there, a great and numerous people as tall as the 'Anakim. They are also considered Refa'im, as are the 'Anakim, but the Mo'avim call them Emim. In Se'ir the Horim used to live, but the descendants of 'Esav dispossessed and destroyed them, settling in their place. Isra'el did similarly in the land it came to possess, which ADONAI gave to them.)
Moses reminds the people of the giants that were driven out of the lands of Seir and Moab. The Rephaim were a group of men that were controlled by demons and evidently were made to be huge by them. Moses reminds Israel that those giants were driven out by men. This is a reminder to us, as well, that no problem is too big to be overcome. God had decided to give these lands to these people and no giants could stand in the way.
"'Now get going, and cross Vadi Zered!' "So we crossed Vadi Zered. The time between our leaving Kadesh-Barnea and our crossing Vadi Zered was thirty-eight years - until the whole generation of men capable of bearing arms had been eliminated from the camp, as ADONAI had sworn they would be. Moreover, ADONAI's hand was against them to root them out of the camp until the last of them was gone.
The Zered Valley surrounds a stream that flows from the east and goes into the southern end of the Dead Sea. This was the border between the lands of Edom and Moab. The Israelites had wandered around for thirty-eight years so that all of those fighting men who had not trusted in the Lord would perish. At that time, God called Israel to cross the valley and to continue on their trip to the promised land. That is a reminder to us that it is only by faith that we can enter into the promised land. That promised land is walking with God on this earth as we wait for the coming new heaven and new earth.
When all the men who were able to bear arms had died and were no longer part of the people, ADONAI said to me, 'Today you are to cross the border of Mo'av at 'Ar. When you approach the descendants of 'Amon, don't bother them or fight with them, for I will not give you any of the territory of the people of 'Amon to possess, since I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their territory.'"
Once again, Moses reminds the people that they had passed through the land of their relatives the Ammonites. They had not fought there because it was not a part of their promised land. The Ammonites were relatives because they were descended from the relationship between Lot and his daughter.
(This too is considered a land of the Refa'im: Refa'im, whom the Emori call Zamzumim, used to live there. They were a large, numerous people, as tall as the 'Anakim; but ADONAI destroyed them as the people of 'Amon advanced and settled in their place -
Moses reminds the people that God had cleared the land of its giants and given it as an inheritance to Lots' descendants. That is a reminder to us, as Christians, that we all have our different giants to face but God will handle them all.
just as he destroyed the Horim as descendants of 'Esav advanced into Se'ir and settled in their place, where they live to this day. It was the same with the 'Avim, who lived in villages as far away as 'Azah - the Kaftorim, coming from Kaftor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
Why are the details like this included in Moses' parting words to Israel? We, like the Israelites, are strengthened in our faith as we see God do things in our lives. But, what do you do when you do not have those past experiences? You hear the testimony of others and what God has done in their lives. This, too, can strengthen you and help you stand strong in facing your giants. The Israelites were on their way to face their first battle. As they passed through the lands of their relatives and saw what God had done for them, They would have had a stronger faith and hope that He would be with them. Moses reminded the people that it was God that had done the work and secured the victories.
"'Get up, get moving, and cross the Arnon Valley! Here, I have put in your hands Sichon the Emori, king of Heshbon, and his land; commence the conquest, begin the battle! Today I will start putting the fear and dread of you into all the peoples under heaven, so that the mere mention of your name will make them quake and tremble before you.'
The Arnon Gorge is in the modern country of Jordan where the locals call it the "Grand Canyon of Jordan". At this time, it was the boundary between the land of the Ammonites and the Amorites. We see that, before they crossed this massive gorge, God assured them that He had already gave them the land on the other side. They had already passed through lands that God had taken from others and given to their relatives. Because of that fact, they would have had a stronger faith and trust in the Lord. We also see that their victory was going to be a testimony of God's power to the nations of the world and a reminder that, as the Creator of all things, He has the right to set the boundaries of the nations.
"I sent envoys from the K'demot Desert to Sichon king of Heshbon with a peaceable message, 'Let me pass through your land. I will keep to the road, turning neither right nor left. You will sell me food to eat for money and give me water to drink for money. I only want to pass through. Do as the people of 'Esav living in Se'ir and the Mo'avim living in 'Ar did with me, until I cross the Yarden into the land ADONAI our God is giving us.'
Moses continues his parting words to the Israelites by telling of his shortcomings in following God. As we see here, he did not do as God said and simply lead the Israelites against Sihon and his army. Instead, he did what seemed safe and right to his thinking by sending messengers to the king. Moses' actions may seem like a good thing but they were not what God had told Israel to do. We often forget that Moses was a simple man much like we are. He had his own weaknesses and failings in faith but God still used him in a mighty way. In the same way, God can use our failures as a testimony to others.
"But Sichon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through his territory, because ADONAI your God had hardened his spirit and made him stubborn, so that he could hand him over to you, as is the case today. ADONAI said to me, 'See, I have begun handing over Sichon and his territory before you; start taking possession of his land.'
God knew what was in the heart of Sihon even though Moses did not. Therefore, when the offering of peace was presented to him, he refused and the true nature of his heart was revealed. This is a reminder to us, as Christians, that we are to seek God's guidance in our dealings with the people of this world. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 7), we are to seek God's guidance before we end up casting our pearls to pigs. In a sense, Moses was casting the pearl of peace to the pig and it was trampled underfoot.
Then Sichon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Yahatz; and ADONAI our God handed him over to us, so that we defeated him, his sons and all his people.
Moses reminds the people of Israel that God had did what He said He would do with Sihon. They are reminded of the past faithfulness of God to prepare them for the future struggles of walking with Him in the promised land.
At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed every city - men, women, little ones - we left none of them. As booty for ourselves we took only the cattle, along with the spoil from the cities we had captured. From 'Aro'er, on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the city in the valley, all the way to Gil'ad, there was not one city too well fortified for us to capture -ADONAI our God gave all of them to us.
Moses reminded Israel that the victory over Sihon was a complete victory. They did not have to compromise or settle for a partial victory as God had given them all that He had promised. That same promise is ours in Christ. God has given us the total victory and we can have it all as long as we do not settle for less.
The only land you didn't approach was that of the descendants of 'Amon - the region around the Yabok River, the cities in the hills and wherever else ADONAI our God forbade us to go.
Moses reminds them (and us) that their success in the campaign was due to the fact that they had stayed within God's plan. They did not get proud because of their victory and then try to take what God had not given them. This is the same for us as Christians and speaks of our contentment in Jesus Christ. We trust that God is good, He knows what is best for us, and that He wants the best for us. With this in mind, we can accept what He gives us and not envy those that have been given something different.
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