Deuteronomy 2
History continued with return to wildernessverse 1
Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness
by the way of the Red sea
as the LORD spoke to me
and we compassed Mount Seir many days
Esau’s territory off limitsverses 2-8
And the LORD spoke to me
saying
You have compassed this mountain LONG ENOUGH
turn you northward
And command you the people
saying
You are to pass through the coast of your brethren the
children of Esau – which dwell in Seir
And they shall be AFRAID of you
take you good heed to yourselves therefore
meddle not with them
FOR I will not give you of their land – no
not so much as a foot breadth
BECAUSE I have given mount Seir to Esau
for a possession
You shall buy meat of them for money – that you may eat
and you shall also buy water of them for money
that you may drink
FOR the LORD your God has blessed you in all the
works of your hand – HE knows your walking through
this great wilderness
These FORTY YEARS the
LORD your God has been with you
you have LACKED NOTHING
AND when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau
which dwelt in Seir – through the way of the plain from Elath
and from Ezion-geber – we turned and passed by the
way of the wilderness of Moab
Moabite territory off limitsverses 9-15
AND the LORD said to me
Distress not the Moabites
neither contend with them in battle
FOR I will not give thee of their land for a possession
BECAUSE I have given Ar unto the children of Lot
for a possession
The Emim dwelt therein in times past
a people great – and many – and tall as the Anakim
Which also were accounted GIANTS – as the Anakim
but the Moabites called them Emim
The Horim also dwelt in Seir beforetime
BUT the children of Esau succeeded them
when they had destroyed them from before them
and dwelt in their stead
as Israel did to the land of his possession
which the LORD gave to them
NOW rise up said I
and get you over the brook Zered
And we went over the brook Zered
And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea
until we were come over the brook Zered
was thirty and eight years
until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out
from among the host
as the LORD swore to them
For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them
to destroy them from among the host
until they were consumed
Ammonite territory off limitsverses 16-19
So it came to pass when all the men of war were consumed and dead
from among the people That the LORD spoke unto me saying
You are to pass over through Ar the coast of Moab this day
and when you come nigh over against the children of Ammon
distress them not nor meddle with the
for I will not give you of the land of the children of Ammon
any possession BECAUSE I have given it to the
children of Lot for a possession
LORD defeated giantsverses 20-23
(That also was accounted a land of GIANTS
GIANTS dwelt therein in old time
and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim
A people great – and many – and tall
as the Anakim
BUT the LORD destroyed them before them – and they succeeded them
and dwelt in their stead – as HE did to the children of Esau
which dwelt in Seir – when HE destroyed the Horim
from before them
and they succeeded them – and dwelt in their stead even to this day
and the Avim which dwelt in Hazerim – even unto Azzah
the Caphtorim – which came forth out of Caphtor
destroyed them – and dwelt in their stead)
LORD gave children of Israel Amorite landverses 24-25
Rise you up – take your journey – and pass over the river Arnon
behold I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite
king of Heshbon – and his land – begin to possess it
and contend with him in battle
This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you
on the nations that are under the whole heaven
who shall hear report of you – and shall tremble
and be in anguish because of you
Moses asks for safe passage king Sihonverses 26-31
And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon
king of Heshbom with words of peace
saying
Let me pass through your land – I will go along by the high way
I will neither turn to the right hand nor to the left
You shall sell me meat for money – that I may eat
and give me water for money – that I may drink
only I will pass through on my feet
(As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir
and the Moabites which dwell in Ar did to me)
until I shall pass over Jordan into the land
which the LORD our God gives us
BUT Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him
FOR the LORD your God HARDENED his SPIRIT
and MADE his HEART OBSTINATE
that HE might deliver him into your hand
as appeared this day
AND the LORD said to me
BEHOLD – I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you
begin to possess – that you may inherit his land
Israel defeats Amoritesverses 32-37
THEN Sihon came out against us – he and his people
to fight at Jahaz
AND the LORD our God delivered him before us
and we smote him and his sons – and all his people
And we took all his cities at that time – and utterly destroyed the men
and the women – and the little ones – of every city
we left none to remain – only the cattle we took for a prey
to ourselves – and the spoil of the cities which we took
From Aroer – which is by the brink of the river of Arnon
and from the city that is by the river – even unto Gilead
there was not one city too strong for us
the LORD our God delivered all to us
ONLY to the land of the children of Ammon you came not
nor unto any place of the river Jabbok
nor to the cities in the mountains
nor to whatsoever the LORD our God forbade us
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 7 For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the works of your hand: he knows your walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. (2637 “lacked nothing” [chacer] means want, fail, have need, be without, cut short, do without, or destitute)
DEVOTION: How long have you been a Christian? Has it been forty years? Have you ever been destitute while you have been faithful to the LORD? Has it ever felt like the LORD has left you?
Now the LORD has promised to never leave the children of Israel. HE is with them in good times and bad. HE was available when they called on HIM for deliverance.
Can you imagine walking in a wilderness for forty years and not been without food and clothing? What about enemies around them? Their enemies were conquered by the LORD. The ones who didn’t attack them didn’t attack because the LORD was watching over them.
Could they have conquered the giants? YES!! Their lack of faith and trust caused them to wander for the forty years. Have you been wandering in your Christian life? Do you think the LORD has not answered your prayers?
The Christian life should be one where we know the answer to a lot of the questions, we might have concerning our care by the LORD. The Bible informs us that the LORD was with the children of Israel all the time. The New Testament gives us a promise that HE will NEVER leave us or forsake us.
I have been dealing with an individual who thinks the LORD is not listening to him. We need to assure one another that the LORD is listening and HE is working in the lives of all those who are genuine believers in HIM.
Obedience is always key to our walk with the LORD. That means that every believer needs to have a personal time in the Word of God. Every believer should be attending a good Biblical church. Every believer needs to take his questions to the LORD in prayer. One thing that helps is also having someone to turn to when we are struggling.
Are you available to those who are struggling or if you are struggling do you have someone you can trust to help us during this time in your life?
CHALLENGE: If you are maturing in the faith are you encouraging someone else? If not find someone to help!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 And the LORD said to me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give you of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession. (6696 “Distress” [tsuwr] means to show hostility to, be an adversary, treat as foe, to press with siege, make actions of harassment or opposition to another)
DEVOTION: The LORD wanted the children of Israel to follow all HIS instructions regarding other nations that were going to be around them. HE didn’t want them taking over nations that He had given land to because of their relations to one of HIS servants.
At first, the LORD wanted the Moabites to be left alone because they were decedents of Lot but it ended up that HE allowed them to defeat them because of their actions against the Israelites’.
The LORD intends to bless some and to defeat others because of their treatment of HIS people. HE continues to do that today in our society. HE will bless those who bless HIS people throughout the ages.
Today we have many people who oppose the teachings of Christ. One day there will be a judgment given to these people. The judgment will be final as they will spend eternity in hell for their rejection of the message of Jesus Christ.
Our responsibility is to obey the LORD and reach all those who are in our world with the true message of the LORD, so that, HE can bless them.
CHALLENGE: Are we spreading the right message to those around us. We need to warn them of the coming judgment if there is no commitment to the LORD.
: 19 And when you come nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give you of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession. (1624 “meddle” [garah] means contend, strive, stir up, to provoke, begin a dispute, or resist)
DEVOTION: Sometimes God forbids things in our life. They are things that we think we can have but the LORD says NO. We pray and pray and pray for something and the door seems to be closed. It is only the LORD that can open a door and close a door. We need to understand that when HE closes a door it is for our good. Remember HE only does things for the good of HIS children.
Here we have the children of Israel coming into the land of the Ammonites who are descendants of Lot. The LORD will not at this time allow them to conquer the land of Ammon. HE promised them the land and HE is keeping HIS promise.
During the travels of the children of Israel they came to the lands of the Edomite, Ammonites and the Moabites. These three nations were descendants who were related to Abraham.
Their lands were not to be conquered by the children of Israel. There are things or people in our lives that are not going to be given to us. When we ask the LORD always says NO.
We don’t understand why HE says no but HE does. HE refuses to let Paul go to certain places that he wanted to go to preach the gospel but God said no. Do we understand HIS reasoning? NO! Should we accept HIS NO? Yes!
Remember obedience is the key to our life in Christ. Does God ever turn a NO into a YES? There may be some things that we are not ready for now but will be in the future. CHALLENGE: Be open to the LORD giving us more blessings than we could even ever ask for from HIM. HE knows what is best for us. HE wants to give us that!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you. (2342 “anguish” [chiyl] means to twist or whirl, to writhe in pain, fear, fall grievously in pain, shake, or tremble)
DEVOTION: The LORD took care of the children of Lot and Esau. HE gave them a portion of land that the children of Israel were not to even think about taking. HE was not going to give it to them.
The children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. It took two years for them to get to the Promised Land and they didn’t enter because of unbelief. Then for another thirty eight years they wandered in the wilderness until the LORD told Moses it was time for them to enter the land.
A new generation was going to enter the Promised Land. The people of the land had heard what had happened in Egypt. They had heard of what the children of Israel did to some of their neighbors. Now they were going to enter their land and the LORD was sending a spirit of fear among the people.
The words used in this verse show that God meant business. This final word means that they were shaking in their boots at the prospect of the children of Israel coming. They had waited forty years for the children of Israel to come and destroy them. Now it was just about to happen. The LORD prepared the people of the land for defeat.
Remember that the ten spies were afraid of the giants in the land. Well this chapter explains that there were giants in the lands of the Edomites and the Moabites and the LORD defeated them there. If the children had learned from history that the LORD was able to destroy giants, they might have entered the land sooner.
One of the promises that the LORD gives us today is that HE has not given us the spirit of fear. HE has given us the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. There are giants in our lives that we need to have defeated and the LORD is able to defeat them if we will trust HIM.
Are we using the power HE has given us over our enemies or are we running from them? Too often we don’t strike fear in our enemies because of our passiveness. Too often we allow our flesh to be weak. It is time to realize that we have power and need to use it to reach our world for the LORD. Reach out and touch those who need the LORD!!!
Are you facing a giant in your life today? Do you trust the LORD to help you defeat him or it? Too often we say that we can’t handle life.
CHALLENGE: It might be that we need to trust the LORD more and watch HIM work.
: 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as appeared this day. (1624 “obstinate” [garah] means harden, be stout, strong, bold, alert, or strengthen)
DEVOTION: The LORD knew the hearts of every person who ever lived or will live in the future before the creation of the world. For us it is hard to comprehend the knowledge of God. HE is omniscient. HE is all knowing. HE knows the past, present and future of every individual.
HE knows those who are HIS followers before the foundation of the world as well. HE is not limited. So when it says that HE made Sihon stubborn and defiant it means that HE let him do what he wanted to do without the LORD having to change him. It seems that every individual has a natural bend in their life. They can’t blame God for it but many do.
We first heard of this in the life of Pharaoh in Egypt. Pharaoh didn’t want to let the children of Israel go and the LORD allowed him to have a defiant heart as well.
We might have questions regarding people we know who have this type of heart in them as well. I have husbands married to wives that love the LORD. They don’t seem to want to change. They don’t want to listen to the Word of God. They are just defiant when they are presented the Word of God from good Biblical men.
No man or woman can blame God being placed in the lake of fire for eternity. Every person has a chance to hear the Word of God and the message of salvation but they make a willful choice to reject Jesus Christ.
This king couldn’t blame God for his willful defiance of God. God gave the Israelites victory over their enemy. HE will give us victory over our enemies when we turn the battle over to HIM and not try to do it ourselves.
CHALLENGE: When we meet people, who are stubborn and defiant we need to pray for them. Only the LORD can answer our need.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 2, 7, 9, 14, 15, 17, 21, 29-31, 33, 36, 37
God (Elohim)verses 7, 29, 30, 33
LORD thy Godverses 7, 30
Hand of the LORDverse 15
LORD our Godverses 29, 33, 36, 37
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Children of Esauverses 4, 8, 12, 22, 29
Moabitesverses 9, 11, 18, 29
Emimsverses 10, 11
Anakimsverses 10, 11, 21
Horimsverses 12, 22
Children of Ammonverses 19, 20, 37
Children of Lotverse 19
Avimsverse 23
Caphtorimsverse 23
Sihon – king of Heshbonverses 24, 30-32
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Hard heartverse 30
Obstinate heartverse 30
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Blessedverse 7
Presence of the LORDverse 7
Lacked nothingverse 7
Deliveranceverse 36
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Fear of Israel in the nationsverse 25
LORD hardened heart of Sihonverse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Defeating the Amorites (v. 24–3:11). Sihon and Og were powerful kings in the region of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan, and the Lord had determined to destroy them and their people. God’s orders in 2:24–25 and 31 summarize the pattern Israel would follow in their conquest of the Promised Land. God would tell Joshua which city or people to attack; He would assure them of victory; and He would go with them to help them win the battle. Israel’s defeat of Sihon and Og was especially important because it would send a message ahead to the nations in Canaan and bring fear to their hearts (11:25). By the time Joshua was ready to enter the land, the news of Israel’s invincible march had already gone before them (Josh. 2:8–11; see Ex. 15:14–16). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (pp. 20–21). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
2:24–25 Resuming the travel narrative again, the historian recalls the command of the Lord to the people that they press on to their destination. They had by then arrived at the Arnon River, a deep ravine that formed the traditional border between Moab and the land of the Amorites to the north (cf. Num 21:13). This time the instructions were altogether different, for the Amorites, far from being a “brother” people, were inveterate foes of the Lord and his people, a nation of hopelessly unrepentant squatters who had to be removed from the lands promised to Israel’s forefathers (cf. Gen 15:16; Exod 3:8; 13:5; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11). Thus the command was to engage Sihon, king of the Amorites, in battle and liberate the land that he illegitimately occupied (Deut 2:24). In all this there are the clear overtones of holy war. Yahweh said that he had already delivered the Amorites over to Israel and that he had already instilled in them and other antitheocratic nations terror and fear. When they learned of Israel’s exploits, they would tremble and writhe with uncontrollable anguish, a state of affairs frequently associated with holy war contexts (cf. Exod 15:14–16; Josh 2:8–11). (Merrill, E. H. (1994). Deuteronomy (Vol. 4, pp. 98–99). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
2:24–25. God’s command to dispossess Sihon the Amorite king of the city of Heshbon is another illustration of God’s sovereignty over all nations. The terror and fear God would put in those nations constituted an essential “weapon” for Israel in this war and the Conquest (cf. Ex. 15:15; 23:27; Num. 22:3; Josh. 2:9, 11, 24; 5:1; 9:24). (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 266). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 25. This day will I begin to put the dread of thee, &c.] And so fulfil the prophecies delivered by Moses in Exod. 15:14, 15, 16. and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven; not only the neighbouring nations, the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, and Canaanites, but nations more remote even throughout the whole world: who shall report of thee; of what was done for Israel in Egypt, and at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; and particularly of the delivery of Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and of their kingdoms into their hands: and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee; lest they should proceed on, and make conquests of their lands also; see Josh. 2:9, 10, 11. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 11). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
24–25. Here the Lord begins to give Israel an earnest of his promises. But what a delightful subject is this, when realised to the true believer in Jesus: when after all the skirmishes, conflicts, and trials, through the wilderness, the Lord gives his people to see that they are more than conquerors, through his grace helping them. Oh! for the earnest of the Spirit, which brings the believing soul, through faith, into the very suburbs of heaven! 2 Cor. 5:5.
26–29. Some have thought, and perhaps not improperly, that the offers and proposals made to Sihon, are not unsimilar to the proclamation of peace in the gospel of Jesus. When men are brought under the preached word, and see the privileges and enjoyments of the Lord’s people, are there not evidences sufficient to shew the most carnal, that there must be somewhat very interesting in the joyful sound. Ezek. 2:7. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Deuteronomy–2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
2:25 The mighty acts of God through Israel would fill the nations with dread and fear (Ex. 15:14–16; Josh. 2:9). The deliverance of Israel from Egypt and God’s subsequent acts of protection were known abroad. The fear of the nations would soften them for the time of conquest. But the dissemination of knowledge about God’s works would glorify Him (4:6). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Dt 2:25). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
FROM MY READING:
The church should care for widows, and the elders who lead the church should also receive respect.
INSIGHT
There are those in the church who feel that they have the gift of confrontation, and others the gift of rebuke. While we may smile at this, there are indeed those who have an acute sense of justice, gravitating toward exhortational ministries. These people provide an important balance in the church, but they must be cautious to wield their words with truth and grace. Paul writes that we should “not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity” (vv. 1-2). The point is that such ministries are always to be done in a spirit of grace, truth, and love. (Quiet Walk)
1 Timothy 5
The church should care for widows, and the elders who lead the church should also receive respect.
INSIGHT
There are those in the church who feel that they have the gift of confrontation, and others the gift of rebuke. While we may smile at this, there are indeed those who have an acute sense of justice, gravitating toward exhortational ministries. These people provide an important balance in the church, but they must be cautious to wield their words with truth and grace. Paul writes that we should “not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity” (vv. 1-2). The point is that such ministries are always to be done in a spirit of grace, truth, and love. (Our Daily Bread)
PRIDE
O wretched man that I am!
Romans 7:24
Self-sufficiency, self-consciousness—oh, to get away from the self!
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). How can I get away from this wretched, ugly self I am always thinking about? Isn’t that the cry of every man and woman convicted of sin by the Holy Ghost? Now the effect of 1 John 4:9-10 is to expose all that, and I really am not prepared to listen to people who tell me that they glory in the revelation of God’s love unless they have dealt with themselves. There is no value in any striving to keep the tenets of the Christian faith unless those tenets have made you see yourself in the world, unless they have flashed upon you in such a way as to make you see the manifestation of self; that is what the love of God always does. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” It is incredible that God could love such a person as I have been describing. That is the amazing thing! That is love, says John.
Therefore, if you believe and know all that, it makes you see yourself as you are, and do you see what happens at once? The moment you see yourself like that, you cry with John Bunyan:
He that is down need fear no fall,
He that is low in pride.
John Bunyan meant that when I see myself as I really am, nobody can insult me. It is impossible, because they can never say anything that is bad enough about me. Whatever the world may say about me, I am much worse than they think. When we see ourselves in the light of this glorious gospel, no one can hurt us, no one can offend us.
A Thought to Ponder: Self-sufficiency, self-consciousness—oh, to get away from the self! (From The Love of God, p. 70, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Family Structure: Children
“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20)
It is certainly worth noting that the command for children’s obedience is in the context of a godly wife and mother and strong leadership by a godly father. If and when both parents are setting a godly example, then children are given greater freedom to obey and a more likely outcome of stable maturity.
However, this instruction is part of the timeless Ten Commandments and therefore independent of the internal circumstances of the family. Children are to obey their parents “in all things.” And even though the parallel verse in Ephesians 6:1 includes the qualifier “in the Lord,” the emphasis throughout is on obedience. That is, when children obey their parents, the outcome is a longer life than otherwise (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:3) because obedience is “well pleasing” to the Lord.
This most basic of behaviors begins in the home and is either enhanced or disdained by the parents. However, the responsibility lies directly with the children to obey those who have the initial authority over them. Broken homes, single-parent homes, and absent parents aside, obedience lies at the core of all human relationships. If a child embraces obedience in spite of circumstances, his or her life is more likely to succeed in school, in business, and in all social endeavors.
Obedience is an “ornament of grace” and “chains about” the neck for godly children (Proverbs 1:8-9) and will bring “favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:1-4). Abraham is cited for his godly care for his children, who because of his leadership would “keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19).
It is the obedience that “is well pleasing unto the Lord” and brings about the fulfillment of life “long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:3).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation research)
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