April 19, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Deuteronomy? Here’s today’s reading:
Deuteronomy 2 (NIV)
Wanderings in the Wilderness
1 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.
Moses reflecting on those 40 years in the dessert, the lands that they passed through peacefully and those conquered by all through the guidance and direction of God.
Must be overwhelming for Moses as he recounts these years just how far they have come with God to get to the point at finally entering the land He had promised.
Deuteronomy 2
Deut 2
Mark 1: 1-15. I am working on studying the gospels right now as well as working on my personal testimony to share with others.
Deuteronomy 1-2
Deuteronomy 2
It is interesting to hear of God’s giving land specifically to others not traveling with the Israelites – the Moabites and Esau (Edomites, I believe). This is part of an arrangement between Abraham and his nephew Lot.
I wonder about the people groups that were giants. It says that they were dispossessed of the land and destroyed, but I wonder if they completely died off. We have giants today, but this involves a genetic defect, these are described as “great and numerous and tall” so that doesn’t sound like a genetic anomaly to me. Are these people the Sons of God/daughters of men offspring that were spoken of in Genesis?
I don’t believe so Amy. Those mentioned in Genesis 6 were before the flood, and since they were not on the ark they were destroyed in it. Now did latent genes exist in Noah’s family that would generate these “tall” races, by definition, yes.
What a tremendous expression of grace is found here as well as God honoring covenant and ancestors regardless of current behavior. The Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites were certainly not following God, but for the sake of Esau (and by extension Isaac) and Lot (and by extension Abraham), He honors the land that they now posses. It is also amazing to think how much it took for God to take care of the Israelites for those 38 years and how He uses that prosperity to justify them not being greedy and taking that land even though they would be afraid of the Israelites. I do wonder though why Moses sends emissaries to talk to Sihon and offer him the same deal that he gave the other peoples rather than attacking him as God instructed. He might not have wanted to be the aggressor and wanted to give Sihon a shot at playing nice in the sand. Maybe Moses knew that he wouldn’t take him up on the offer. Regardless God takes care of it and Sihon comes out to attack and God gives the Israelites victory and uses this to shed abroad fear in the hearts of surrounding nations. I wonder how much God does that with us…not so much spreading fear, but maybe having the unbelieving world wonder how we can live our lives or how God provides for us in ways that can’t be explained. All to the glory of His name.
“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 2:7 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/deu.2.7.niv
What an amazing God of the universe we have.
14Thirty-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 Lordhad sworn to them. 15The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.
16Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died,
24“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. 25This 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.”