Deuteronomy 2:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 2:1-3:22

As the Israelites continued to wander around, God finally instructed Moses to allow them to continue on a little further, this time to Mount Seir. However, this land was the land of Esau, and God strictly commanded Moses and the Israelites to not to ask for any land in that region. God had previously promised that land to Esau and his descendants. This account shows how God was not just the God of the Israelites in the Old Testament. Israel may have been His chosen people, through the line of Abraham and eventually Jacob himself, but God had not forgotten about Esau or any other human alive on the earth at the time. God is a God of the entire world, and He is not confined to just one group of people. The 21st century American Church has in many ways lost sight of that truth, and this story can serve as a great reminder that God loves all men, and He looks out for everyone equally. Therefore, we must be sure that we too reach out to all men, no matter where they are from, with the Gospel.

Next, Moses took the Israelites through the land of Moab, and once again God strictly commanded him not to take possession of any of their land either. Just like Esau, God had promised this land to Lot’s descendants. Israel continued to wander through these foreign lands until the entire generation had been killed, except for Joshua and Caleb. We always like to think that God will keep His promises when they are to our benefit. If God promised us wealth or fame, we would probably anxiously wait for that day and never doubt that God would come through for us. However, we tend to forget the promises God makes in regards to sin and consequences. Those we cast to the side hoping that God will forget as well. Israel experienced those negative consequences, and their struggles serve as a reminder of how destructive sin can be in our lives. Sin is dealt with, and we cannot pretend as if it does not exist in our lives. If we do not keep a check on ourselves, we will one day find ourselves in a situation that we wished we had never gotten into. God corrects His people, so we must be sure that we remain obedient to His commands.

Israel entered one last land that God kept them from possessing on their journey to the Promised Land, and they remained obedient to His commands this time around. Whereas the previous generation had not entered when God told them to and tried to take over lands that God had not given them, this newer generation remained patient with God, waiting for His word on when to conquer. They finally received that word, and they immediately began to take possession of lands on the east side of the Jordan. First Israel defeated Sihon, the king of the Amorites. Then Israel went to take possession of the land that belonged to the kingdom of Og.

This land east of the Jordan went to 2½ tribes, but Moses commanded the men of these tribes to not take possession of the land until the other 9½ tribes had received their inheritance. These were the beginning steps of Israel’s conquest into the Promised Land, and Moses knew that the road ahead would be hard. So he entrusted part of the mission into a young man that he knew was devoted to God. That young man was Joshua. Moses knew that Israel’s future would rest in the hands of Joshua, so he made sure that Joshua paid attention to what God was already doing on the eastern side of the Jordan. It was going to be much harder once they crossed the river, but Moses knew that if Israel followed God as they had been doing, then the conquest of the Promised Land would be no problem. Once again I cannot help but get away from the fact that this whole narrative is a perfect example of what it means to follow God. Obedience is crucial in the life of the Christian. We are not saved from our sins and allowed to live however we want afterwards. Obedience must be present in our lives, for we are to be different from the rest of the world and God deserves nothing less. The story of the Israelites shows both sides of this coin, and it becomes obvious that it is much better when we remain obedient to God’s commands.

Matt