Deuteronomy
2:1-3:29
Introduction:
We have begun our life with Christ. In Him, God chose us as His
children, and as such, we have begun a new journey with one goal - God’s
kingdom. As we make this journey, we hope it will be joyful and successful,
with a clear sense of meaning and purpose.
Today’s passage is about Israel’s journey, beginning with their
time in the wilderness (Kadesh Barnea?) to the eastern side of the Jordan River.
During this journey, three things highlight this period: the death of the
entire first generation of Israelites, their passing through three kingdoms - Edom,
Moab, and Ammon - and their victory over two Amorites kings, Sihon and Og, on
the east side of the Jordan River, resulting in an enormous success for God’s
chosen people. This part of Israel’s journey serves as an example for us of how
to go about our life’s journey towards the kingdom of God.
What is the spirit that would conquer the land of God’s blessing?
God Himself spoke clearly that He was looking for ones who followed Him with a whole-hearted
mindset. I pray that we all may follow Him with this kind of perspective as we
look forward to conquering the land of God’s blessing.
1.
Set out on
the journey toward the land of God’s blessing (1)
Journey of
the past: Soon after the Covenant’s ratification at Mt Sinai, God led
Israel to the land of His blessing. At the door to the land (Kadesh Barnea), they
sent twelve men in to explore the land. During their exploration, they saw a
good land, flowing with milk and honey, but they were afraid, because the land
was occupied by many giant fighters and fortified cities. In their fear, they said:
"The
land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of
great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the
Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same
to them." (Numbers 13:32-33).
They were experiencing the fear of death, and complained against
Moses and God. However, God pointed out their problem:
“The
LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with
contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of
all the signs I have performed among them?”” (Numbers 14:11 NIV).
They had already seen and experienced God’s power and love for
them through such events as the ten plagues on Egypt, the destruction of the
Egyptian Army, their crossing through the Red Sea, Moses drawing water from a
rock, manna from heaven, and the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night to
lead them on their way. We can sum up all of this as the totality of God’s care
for them. Considering this, they still disbelieved and dishonored the Lord.
Practically speaking, this was a display of their contempt of His power and
glory. No one entered the land of God’s blessing while remained in unbelief and
showed contempt for His power and glory. It seems that the root of such
unbelief was the fear of death; however, at its root, it was an unbelief in
God, the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the One who saved them from
the angel of death and the Egyptian army. God is the God of Life; He had proved
Himself to be the God of Life through these acts. Regardless of how they lived
in ungodliness and sin, the only thing they needed to do was believe in Him as
the God of LIFE. But when they looked at their enemies’ size, strength and fortified
cities, they discounted His power and gave themselves over to fear.
Since then, the Israelites had roamed in the wilderness for
thirty-eight years, and had come back to Kadesh Barnea. Finally, God told them
to move on toward the land of His blessing.
“And
so you stayed in Kadesh many days—all the time you spent there. Then we turned
back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the
LORD had directed me. For a long time, we made our way around the hill country
of Seir.” (Deuteronomy 1:46; 2:1).
But at this time, God planned to lead them to the eastern side of
the land. So, they had to go east in order to cross the Arabah Valley (this was
an extension from the south of the Dead Sea to the Red Sea) and travel through
the land of Edom (Numbers).
Jesus demonstrated His love for us through his suffering, death,
and resurrection. Death’s power was overcome; God imparted this victory to us.
In this power, Jesus has called us to follow him on his journey towards God’s
kingdom, where he will sit at the right hand of God Almighty.
2.
Israel bypassed
the three kingdoms (2-23)
When Israel asked Edom
to
give them a pass through their land, the Edomites refused, even though Israel promised
that they would not do them any harm. Thus, Israel had no choice but to go
around the land of Edom, which meant a long journey of about two hundred miles.
First, they had to go south toward the Red Sea along the Arabah Valley. When
they got to Ezion-Geber, a village at the northern tip of Red Sea, God told
them:
“Then
the LORD said to me, "You have made your way around this hill country long
enough; now turn north.” (Deuteronomy 2:2-3).
They crossed the Arabah Valley there, moving to the eastern side
of Edom. From this point on, they headed north. This side was more likely a
desert, stretching all the way to the Zered Valley (along the northern end of Edom’s
eastern border). At this time, God gave them specific instructions as to how to
act as they were passing through Edom.
“Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass
through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in
Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war, for I
will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot
on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them
in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink." (Deuteronomy
2:4-6).
God told Israel how to handle the Edomites;
even though the people of Edom were fearful of them, the Israelites must not
provoke them at all, because God had given Esau the hill country of Seir and
Israel wouldn’t receive even an inch of their land. Since the Edomites refused
to give Israel a peaceful passage through their land, meaning Israel had to go another
two hundred miles, it is understandable that Israel may have anger or hostility
against them. However, God said NO; instead, Israel must respect the Edomites’
right and unwillingness to allow them to pass through their land. Furthermore,
Israel must pay them for any food and water supplies they used.
As we can see from looking at a map, Edom
spread along the entire region of the Jordan River Valley, from north to south.
As Israel passed through their land, they reached the Moabite border.
“So we went on past our relatives the descendants of
Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from
Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab. Then the
LORD said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I
will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of
Lot as a possession."” (Deuteronomy 2:8-9).
Next, they passed through Moab, which was at the northern part of Edom, along the eastern part of
the Jordan River Valley. As Israel was heading north, they came to Moab. God
told them that this land had been given to Lot and his descendants, and that He
would not give any part of their land to Israel. Therefore, Israel must not harass
them or provoke them to war. So Israel passed through and went on to the Zered Valley,
which formed the boundary between the Moabites and the Ammonites.
“When
you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I
will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have
given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot." (Deuteronomy 2:19).
Along Moab’s border was the Ammonites, who were also Lot’s descendants.
God did not give this land to Israel; He had already given it to the Ammonites.
Therefore, Israel must not harass or provoke them to war.
In this way, Israel passed through three nations’ territories: Edom,
Moab, and Ammon. Even though these nations were greatly afraid of Israel, the
Israelites should still treat them kindly and not provoke them to war.
What was God’s purpose for these nations? Though He does not explicitly
address His purpose for them here, we can see a glimpse of it through the
editor’s notes (vv.10-12 and 20-23). God helped these nations to drive out the Rephaites,
the most powerful nation that occupied most of the land of His promise. The Rephaites
were one of the nations that God had promised to destroy (Genesis 15:20-21).
This was also the nation that Israel feared so much after their exploration of
the land, for they were giants.
How Edom, Moab, and Ammonites acquired their land is described in
these two parenthetical statements (vv. 10-12; 20-23). God helped these nations
drive out the people who lived there, mostly the Rephaites, who were giants
like the Anakites, in order for the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites to dwell
there. In other words, He used these nations to drive out or destroy the Rephaites,
for their sins had come under His judgment.
Israel’s journey was towards the land of God’s blessing. Our
journey is towards God’s kingdom. Just as Israel did, we encounter three kinds
of people while on our journey: our companions, friendly people who are on different
journeys of their own and have different life goals, and enemies. King Sihon and
Og belonged to this final group of people. What do we have to know and how do
we need to engage with them?
a. We must
acknowledge and accept that God had specific purposes for each of these groups, even though
it may not be known at this time what those purposes might be. As the editorial
notes explained, God gave each of them their land and used them to drive out
and destroy the Rephaites.
b.
We must respect their territory and their
rights, and treat them kindly, as we would with our fellow believers.
Edom would not allow Israel to pass through peacefully, and they had a reason
to be angry and upset, since this meant that they had to go more than two
hundred miles out of their way. Nevertheless, Israel was commanded not pick a
fight with them just because she had more power and they were fearful of her.
Likewise, we must be willing to go two hundred miles around, even if it is a
very treacherous terrain, a desert and parched land where simple survival would
be difficult. God is with us, and we can go through all of these hardships of
life with joy and singing. In addition to this, we are to serve them with a
good will and good purpose, and be willing to repay them for the materials we
receive from them.
(““You
are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink." The
LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched
over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your
God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.”” (Deuteronomy 2:6-7)).
c.
We must accept that the journey we take is not
only a personal journey for our personal purposes or goals. This
is a journey with the Lord, for we are moving towards the land of His blessing,
His kingdom. God told Israel why they must be willing to take a long
route and must treat Edom with kindness. No matter how hard the road was, God
was with them and would supply for all their needs; their life would be
protected and preserved, just as He had done for them over the last forty
years. Likewise, God, out of His love for us, saved us from death’s power,
through Jesus, and gave us a clear hope for entering His kingdom. Since then, He
counts us as His children, and is leading us on our way, through the grace He
has given in Christ. Even if we are to go through very treacherous terrain and a
parched desert, we must be willing and joyful to do so, for afterwards, we will
certainly reach the land of God’s blessing.
The last group we will encounter is the enemies who hamper and
obstruct our and efforts to reach our final destination. Likewise, Israel faced
their enemies, Kings Sihon and Og, who were descendants of the Rephaites.
3.
Israel
passed through two important landmarks (13-15)
At Edom’s northern boundary, was the Zered Valley. The other
side of this valley was Moab and then Ammon. As Israel crossed this valley, God
gave them this word:
“And the LORD said, "Now get up and cross the Zered
Valley." So we crossed the valley. Thirty-eight years passed from the
time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire
generation of fighting men had
perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. The LORD's hand was
against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.” (Deuteronomy
2:13-15).
God prompted the time when they were to cross the valley. The
implication of this was that Israel was in that area for a while, waiting for
something. This something is revealed in v14. God wanted to make sure that none
of Israel’s fighting men, who had joined in the rebellion against Him at Kadesh
Barnea, could cross the valley. His hand was actively against them; they were
to be eliminated completely from Israel’s camp. We may understand this as
evidence of both God’s fierce anger against their rebellion (Numbers; Deuteronomy
1:34-35) and the fulfillment of His solemn declaration and judgment.
Before making such a hurried assumption, I would like to look at
what happened next. Soon after they passed through Moab, they came to the
boundary of the Ammonites. This boundary was marked by a prominent landmark,
called the Arnon Gorge. As soon as they crossed the Gorge, they would meet the
Ammonites. However, there were also the Amorites, of which God had said that He would give them over to Israel
(Genesis 15:19-20). This was very important information for God’s purpose, because
the Ammonites were totally different from the Amorite king, Sihon. His purpose
was revealed in what He said at this time:
"Set
out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the
Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and
engage him in battle. This very day I will begin to put the terror
and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports
of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you."(Deuteronomy
2:24-25).
The Zered Valley was marked by the death of an entire generation
of Israel’s fighting men.
a. This might
simply refer to the older generation, who were twenty years old and older at
the time of Israel’s rebellion against the Lord at Kadesh Barnea. However, God
did not call them “the older generation”. Instead, they were called, “the
generation of fighting men”. These were the same Israelites, who had been
caught by fear when they received the spies’ report that the land was filled
with mighty men, like the Rephaites, and fortified cities. These people thought
that they had to physically fight and destroy the strength of their enemies’ forces.
The moment when one thinks that he or she must fight against enemies, the first
thing they think of is what resources they have versus what their enemies have.
When these Israelites’ minds were captured and arrested by these physical facts
of war, they could not escape their fear, nor could they could see God, the
Almighty.
b.
God waited for this older generation to pass
away, because the fight in which Israel was to engage was a totally different
fight. The older generation must pay for their sins of unbelief, and the other Israelite
people who were of a similar mind shall also not join in this fight. God gave
Israel this word: “This very day I will
begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven” (Deuteronomy
2:25). This was God’s fight, and as such, it was also a spiritual fight. This
means it was a fight to earn God’s favor. God would fight for those who earned His
favor or grace. For the last thirty-eight years, ever since they left Mt Horeb,
God had been with Israel; He punished them for their sins and disciplined her
with the Law of Moses. By this time, as the fighting generation had passed
away, Israel was finally pure and godly enough to regain His favor.
c. In other
words, Israel’s second generation saw their fathers die for their unbelief in
the Lord and how they were well discipled for their wrongs. As a result, they
came to have enough faith in the Lord in order to give Him full honor as
their LORD (*see the note at the end). In this respect, it was not a war of
weapons and armor, but rather a war of faith. When our mind is focused on real
warfare, we come to think of powers (i.e. powers of money, knowledge, information,
technology, etc.). However, these are only tools. The real power is our faith
that God is with us, and His purpose for our lives is made clear in us.
Next, Israel faced two enemies. In their fight against these
enemies, God showed them how to fight and what He meant when He said that He
would put the fear of them on all of the pagan nations under heaven.
4.
God’s holy
hands delivered the two Amorite kings into Israel’s hands (2:26-3:11)
Immediately after this, Israel asked King Sihon for a peaceful
passage through his land; however, King Sihon refused this request. Because of
this, a war between Israel and Sihon was inevitable. At this time, it is noted
that God hardened the king’s heart. The reason for this was obvious; God wanted
to destroy King Sihon and the Amorites for their hostility against Him. God’s
will in this is well revealed in this word:
“The
LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and
his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land."”
(Deuteronomy 2:31).
The king already harbored hostility toward the Lord; God made this
evident by hardening his heart. While all the nations of the world were gripped
with terror and fear because of Israel, Sihon dared to come out to fight them.
“When
Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at
Jahaz, the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down,
together with his sons and his whole army.” (Deuteronomy 2:32-33).
The destruction of Sihon’s army was thorough; Israel seized all of
his towns, destroyed them completely, and there were no survivors. It was God’s
will to eradicate everyone who rebelled against Him; He would not leave anyone
behind, not even a child.
Even after seeing what happened to Sihon and his kingdom, Og, the
king of Bashan, another Amorite king, also dared to come out to fight against
Israel.
“Next we turned and went up along the road
toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in
battle at Edrei.” (Deuteronomy 3:1).
But God said this to Israel:
“The
LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have
delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land.
Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in
Heshbon."” (Deuteronomy 3:2).
Here, God repeated the same phrase again, “I have delivered him
into your hand”. He wanted to make sure Israel understood that it
was the Lord who destroyed their enemies. When God repeats Himself
twice, we must listen.
Israel defeated Og and his entire army, just as God had said. The
thoroughness of their destruction was vividly noted:
“So
the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army.
We struck them down, leaving no survivors. At that time
we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we
did not take from them-- the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. All
these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there
were also a great many unwalled villages. We completely destroyed them, as we
had done with Sihon king of Heshbon,
destroying every city-- men, women and children.” (Deuteronomy 3:3-6).
Og was the last of the Rephaites and the biggest man of all. His
bed was nine cubits long. However, God handed all of them over to the Israelite
army. In this way, God led His people to victory over the two mighty Amorite kings.
This is what He meant when He said, “This
very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations
under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish
because of you."(3:25). The result of defeating these two mighty
Rephaite kings was remarkable.
“So
at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of
the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon.” (Deuteronomy 3:8).
About thirty-eight years before this, ten of Israel’s leaders
feared the giants and their
fortified cities. They thought that there was no way for them to
win against those pagan nations who already occupied the land of God’s blessing,
including the Rephaites and Amorites. Now, God was teaching a new generation to
fight a war that relies on His word and power.
Next, I would like to look carefully at what God did to the Raphaite
kings. He delivered them into Israel’s hands, and they were totally eradicated
from the land. This raised so many questions about why God did this. Before we
jump into a quick conclusion, let’s carefully look at the message that God wants
to impart to us today.
First, unlike the previous three nations
Israel had faced, the Raphaites took an out-right offense against the Lord, because
He had demonstrated His power in and through Israel. If they took offense at
Israel, they were also offended by God’s authority and power, as seen through
His people. Therefore, we need to discern whether our opponents are setting
themselves against God or just against our personal preferences and choices.
When we clearly stand on God’s truth, it will become much clearer who His
enemies are.
As we will see next, these lands were given to two and a half of the
Israelite tribes as a part of their inheritance. They occupied the land that
God was giving to His chosen people. This was the land which belonged to the Lord,
and He would reside among them in the land as their Lord. He would not
let anyone who dishonored Him enter His land. Such people would surely be
destroyed and annihilated completely. This points to the ending point of human
history, when God will restore all the kingdoms of the world and establish them
under His power. Jesus gave this to his disciples as the sign of God’s coming
wrath:
"So when you see standing in the
holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the
prophet Daniel--let the reader understand.” (Matthew 24:15).
God will not allow any men of unbelief and ungodliness enter His
kingdom.
Lastly, God waited for over four hundred years for these
people to change their ungodliness, even displaying His judgment in their midst
upon those who were evil, i.e., the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Yet they persisted in their sins, and even when they faced direct confrontations
with God’s power, as displayed in His people Israel, they persisted in their
hostility against the Lord. That is to say, the volume of their sins had
finally grown enough to be destroyed totally. What God did within the periscope
of the land of Israel, otherwise known as Palestine, the land of promise, is also
what He will do in the coming years for the world, since the entire world is
His. This is as much to say that what God did for Israel is what He will also do
for His chosen people throughout the world.
God is patient with sinners, because He wants to save all. However,
He will not tolerate evil nor allow it to continue forever. In His time, at the
right time, He will surely destroy all evil, and that destruction will be
thorough and complete. No one can do anything about this, for God is the King
and this is accomplished at His sole discretion and prerogative. Be fearful and
humble, lest you fail to enter the land of God’s blessing because of your
filthy and ungodly life.
5.
The LORD
will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going (3:12-22).
We will discuss this point in four parts.
a.
Israel
distributed portions of the land to two and a half of their tribes (3:12-17).
Moses allotted this part of the land (the eastern side of the
Jordan River, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon) to two (Reuben and Gad) and
a half of their tribes (Manasseh). This was an exuberant moment, because they
had been waiting for this for a long time. Israel had suffered slavery in Egypt
for a long time (hundreds of years). Even after they had escaped, they went
through many hardships while living in the desert. Many times, they faced death
or near death, and their lives were pushed to the limit, beyond their ability
to tolerate. For the first time, they had their own land, the land God had blessed
and promised to them. In it, they would settle and enjoy the richness of the
land, experiencing all peace and joy. This promise was not just for these two
and a half tribes, but also for the other tribes as well, who could see and
sense the reality of having their own land. Also, it was amazing that God led
them to victory over such fortified cities and mighty warriors. They literally arrived in the land of God’s
blessing, and the abundance of that blessing was ready at hand for them to
enjoy.
b.
All able-bodied
men were to go fight against all the enemies until all of the Israelite tribes
had settled in the Promised Land. (3:18-20)
First, the entire nation of Israel must unite
to fight the battle. In his address to the two and a half Israelite
tribes, Moses told them that all their able-bodied men must go
ahead of the other tribes to help them conquer their own portions of the land. All
the able-bodied men of the tribes of Rueben, Gad, and the half tribe of
Manasseh must go to fight with their brothers as they waged war against all the
pagan inhabitants of the land of God’s blessing. This reference to ‘able-bodied
men’ was another description of those who were age twenty years old and above
(Exodus 38:26; Numbers 1:3, 45). We may say that these men were conscripted to
fight.
However, this may not reflect the full significance of ‘the men
above twenty’. They represented everyone who was mature and had an able body to
fight, who must participate in the war to conquer the land of God’s promise. Simply
speaking, the entire nation of Israel was an army, whom God had united to engage
in the wars to conquer the land of His blessing; only the women and
children were exempt from engaging in the direct fighting.
Strategically, it was not wise to leave the women and children unprotected,
but Moses said that all the men from these tribes must go ahead of the other Israelite
men, leaving their wives and children behind. This would not be possible if God
had not put the terror and fear of them on all the nations of the world (2:25).
In other words, He would be the protector for their families who were left
behind, while ‘all the able-bodied men’ were fighting against their enemies. They
should fight until God gives all of their fellow tribes rest. The ending point for this war was the time
when God would give rest to the entire Israelite nation, completely driving
out or eradicating all the enemies of the land. Until that time, these two and
a half tribes must fight alongside the rest of the tribes.
This bears an enormous implication for us, since the world is God’s
and, in Christ, we are called to fight against all the world’s ungodliness. Missionary
Moses came to the United States in response to God’s call for him to engage in missions.
He came here a second time, in his old age, to join the fight against all the ungodliness
in Belize. You are the fruit of his prayers. Now you can join with him,
actually with the Lord, in the fight against all ungodliness of Belize, Central
America, or even the world!! As much as you broaden your hearts or as much as
you understand the Lord’s heart, who said
“Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew
28:19-20 NIV),
you can pick up and move
along with all your other brothers and sisters who are already engaged in the
spiritual warfare against the world. It is in our neighboring nations, in North
America, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and even Oceania!
Last week, we met a missionary family in Zambia, a nation in
southern Africa. They are Cyril and Mary Boyd and their three little children.
In this country, there are many students who are hungry for God’s words. Minister
Cyril said that they could only serve as many as they had the resources to help.
We cannot and should not let our brothers fight until they become weary. We
prayed for them and decided to join in the spiritual battle with them. If you
are able-bodied, yes, you can also join in God’s fight, because He is with you!
For He has said that He has handed the enemies over into your hand already!
Second, the word ‘able-bodied’ appears here first.
Those who had rebelled at Kadesh Barnea were called, ‘the generation of fighting men’.
They were Israelites who were over twenty years old at that time, for all the people
above twenty were conscripted for the war, to conquer the land of God’s
promise. So it is more proper to understand this group of people not as those
who were over twenty, but rather as those who were commanded to fight. If God
called anyone to be His people, then they were to engage in the war against
those who ‘occupied’ the land of His blessing. In this regard,
God’s people are to be fighters, engaging in many wars. In this warfare
to which God called them , their genuine character or quality to be His chosen
people would be revealed. In this regard, God considers war as an essential part of living
a life of faith.
The war was to defeat those who occupied the land of God’s promise
and rid it of all who demeaned the Lord Almighty’s kingship. Israel’s former
generation, who were called the generation of fighting men, feared for their
lives as they saw the mighty men and fortified cities in the land. When one must
engage in a war, the very survival of his life is always at the forefront of his
consideration for how or whether he will fight. In other words, the place
whereby one’s faith in God would be tested and proven to be sound is most
demonstrated within the context of a war. Therefore, we can say that genuine
faith will be revealed if people are actively engaged in war and in how they fight.
We might even say that, when one’s faith is not tested by a war for the restoration
of God’s kingdom, then his/her faith has a long way to grow. Faith in the Lord
always calls for one’s will to fight his way towards God’s kingdom.
Also, we are to note that, here, the word which
denotes everyone above the age of twenty, i.e. ‘fighting men’ is changed to ‘able-bodied
men’. I do not think this was a mere change in description. By changing this
word, God also changed the role of these men. Physical fighting was not
the majority of their responsibility in the wars against the upcoming
war against all of the pagan inhabitants of the land of God’s blessing.
As we noted above, this is
also a spiritual fight, accomplished through faith in the Lord, for it was
ultimately God’s war and the land is His. He only needed able bodies who had the
will to follow Him by faith.
Who are the able-bodied men today? If Minister Moses could do all
these things, then no one could say that he is not an able-bodied person. If Minister
Sarah could also do all these things, then no one could say that she is not one
of those able-bodied people as well. Simply put, God counts all of us as His
soldiers for as long as we can talk, walk, and move. We are all soldiers of
Christ for the Kingdom of God.
6.
Follow God
with a wholehearted spirit (3:23-28)
Just before crossing Jordan River, God spoke to Israel about leadership.
Leadership was especially important, because the leader was to be the emblem of
the spirit that God wanted to see in His people. Thus far, Moses had led Israel,
and his credentials as the Lord’s servant and as Israel’s leader were
impeccable. When his sister, Miriam, and brother, Aaron, challenged his
leadership, God said this to them:
“he
said, "Listen to my words: "When there is a prophet among you, I, the
LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is
not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak
face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why
then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"” (Numbers
12:6-8).
However, when Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, after
she had conquered the nations on the eastern side of the Jordan River, God did
not allow Moses to enter the land of His blessing. Moses pleaded with God:
“Let me go over and see the good land
beyond the Jordan-- that fine hill country and Lebanon."” (Deuteronomy
3:25).
It would not be unreasonable for Moses to ask God such a small
request as entering the land of God’s promise, for God was fully able to do so,
if He was willing. However, this was rejected and Moses assessed the reason for
this in this way:
“But
because
of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me.
"That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore
about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south
and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross
this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he
will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you
will see."” (Deuteronomy 3:26-28).
Because of Israel’s unbelief, God was angry with Moses. The
implication here is that there was some weakness or failure in either Moses’
leadership or faith, which resulted in Israel’s
rebellion. During which event did Moses fail to lead Israel? It might
be either what happened at Kadesh Barnea
or what happened at Meribah (Numbers 20:9-13).
At Kadesh Barnea, Moses was silent:
“And
they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to
Egypt." Then Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole Israelite assembly
gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were
among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the
entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is
exceedingly good.”” (Numbers 14:4-7 NIV).
When his leadership was brought into question, Moses did not do
much and remained silent. His and his brother, Aaron’s, response was a clear
contrast to what Joshua and Caleb did. Joshua and Caleb were filled with a fierce
anger against these people, because they knew that God’s people had dishonored Him.
The
Lord’s honor was at the forefront of Joshua’s and Caleb’s hearts.
Unbelief and dishonor towards the Lord were most repugnant to them. Concerning
human reasoning and sympathy for those who were caught between the fear of
death and God’s power and honor, in Caleb’s and Joshua’s hearts, God’s power, will,
and purpose for them was larger than their compassion for those living in
unbelief. However, Moses was caught in between. There was another incident when
Israel complained against Moses at Meribah,
“He
and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to
them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?"
Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to
Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as
holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the
land I give them." (Numbers 20:10-12 NIV).
Here, Moses struck the rock twice, because of his anger against
his people. In his mind, his personal anger against the Israelites’ unbelief
was larger
than God’s power and glory. His anger against their unbelief was good
and well justified, but that anger should in no way overshadow God’s glory. God
pointed this out, and said that Moses did not trust Him enough to honor
Him at His word when He told him to speak to the rock. There seemed to
be little difference between Moses and Caleb; even we cannot discern much from our
hurried look at these two events. However, God saw things differently; regarding
Caleb, He said:
“But
because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,
I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”
(Numbers 14:24).
Here, the word “wholeheartedly” is a translation of
two Hebrew words, ‘mille’ [filled, full, ordained, or consecrated] and ‘ahar’ [follow
or after]. From these, we can get a real picture of the phrase, “follow
fully after what God said”. Trusting someone means trusting and
honoring their word. Moses failed to do so at Meribah and again at
Kadesh-Barnea, in addition to his silence while a rebellion was going on.
Who can get into the land of God’s promise? He must trust God’s
power, love, and promise of blessing wholeheartedly! All of these areas of trust must be expressed through
his actions and based on God’s word. This is the kind of person that God wants
to welcome into the land of His promise and the kind of leader He wants for His
people. Moses represented the model for holiness, but Joshua, the man who followed
God’s word with a wholehearted spirit, had the faithful character that God was
eager to welcome into the land of His blessing. Joshua’s faith, expressed in his willingness
to conquer the land of God’s blessing, embodied all three of these facets of
faith: trust in God’s power, love, and promises. It is very encouraging
and heartwarming to see many Joshua’s among us, not only in name, but also in
action and in faith.
Who is
like Joshua today? Once, a group of missionaries with which I
served went on summer vacation to a
beach. We swam in the sea and enjoyed ourselves. Three of us competed by swimming
for a short distance along the shore; I won at first. However, when we swam some
distance away from the shore, I was no match for Minister Moses, for he was
courageous and believed in what he was doing; he swam far into the sea, where even
I would not attempt to go because it was too far for me. I was unsure of my
ability to meet the challenges of the waves and the distance. In this event, I
saw a glimpse of an ‘all-in’ spirit, flowing in the depths of his mind.
One day, soon after his early retirement, Minister Moses picked up
a few of his possessions, and went to Belize with a clear will, which I had never
sensed before. He had spent all of his life on one thing, feeding the sheep in
Belize. He struggled for a whole year, all by himself, and searched for the Lord’s
will with a wholehearted mind. A year later, when Minister Sarah saw his ‘whole-hearted
mind’, she also made a decision of faith and gave her own whole-hearted
mind to this same call. Since then, they have not looked back and put all of their
hearts into serving the young people of Belize. When I went there and spent a
few days with them, I sensed and saw firsthand the whole-hearted spirit flowing
through Ministers Moses’ and Sarah’s lives, which enabled them to follow the
way of the Lord in their service to all kinds of students.
God works with those who have ‘a whole-hearted mind.’ This means to
follow our Lord Jesus by faith, from beginning to end.
The whole world is God’s, and we are engaged in a war against
those who take offense at our walk towards God’s kingdom. This is our life and
our purpose, because God called us to it. When we put everything into His hands,
or, when we follow Jesus with a whole-hearted mind, then our victory is certain;
God will surely put the terror or fear of us upon all of the people of the
world, for they are already under conviction for their sins and their unbelief
(John 16:8-11).
May God richly bless us as we move on to conquer the land of God’s
blessing!
*Note: The bronze snake event and Israel’s journey to the Zered Valley
(Deuteronomy 2:1-25; Numbers 21:4-13)
The significance of the fact that the generation of Israel’s
fighting men were the ones most effected by the snakes’ attack (Deuteronomy
2:1-25) is not apparent, until we examine the fact that the event happened just
before Israel reached the Zered Valley.
“The
Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten
can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.
Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they
lived…From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.” (Numbers
21:8-9,12).
Immediately, before they moved on to the Zered Valley, God sent
venomous snakes among the Israelites and many died of snake poison. In this
situation, He told Moses to put a bronze snake up on a pole, so that anyone who
looked at it might be saved from their snake bites. Upon their arrival at the
Zered Valley, it is said that ‘the entire generation of fighting men’ died, and
this happened because ‘the LORD's hand
was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp’
(Deuteronomy 2:15). This statement is in line with the account found in Numbers
21:
“They
traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But
the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses,
and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the
wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable
food!" Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and
many Israelites died.” (Numbers 21:4-6 NIV).
As we have discussed, Israel had to take a long detour in order to
go around Edom (about two hundred miles in the desert, instead of fifty miles
directly through Edom). Here, God’s will
was clearly to weed out those who were unbelieving. He sent venomous snakes to
punish all of the complainers! Many died; this strongly implies that, at that
time, the entire remnant of the generation of Israel’s fighting men died. While
deselecting the unbelieving complainers, God was also willing to embrace all of
those who trusted Him and impart His grace to them by providing a bronze snake on
a pole to save them. In other words, He took them to be holy as His own people,
and He put the fear and terror of them on all of the nations of the world.
In this way, the bronze snake incident marked the
dividing line between the death of the generation of Israel’s fighting men and
the second generation who trusted the Lord and were fully accepted as
His people.
Jesus said Peter and his other disciples: “unless I wash you, you
have no part with me” (John 13:8). He also washed his disciples’ sins through
his death on the cross. Not only did the Lord fulfill His will, as expressed in
His provision of the bronze snake for the second generation, but He also put this
salvation plan into action by sending His son Jesus to pay for men’s sins. In
this way, God made it very clear that the generation of Israel’s fighting men,
men of flesh who were fighting to survive out of their own weak flesh, must be
done away with; they could never enter the land of His blessing. Only those who
put their trust in the Lord as their life and life-giver could become His
people, and, for such people, He would put the fear of them on the people of
the world.
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