April 20, 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 3 (NIV)
Defeat of Og King of Bashan
1Next 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. 2 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.”..........Continue Reading
Moses was a faithful man of God. It must have been so difficult leading the Israelites knowing that he wouldn’t be able to enter the promised land himself. I love that the Bible includes those moments where even these amazing men of faith have a weak moment like when Moses made that last ditch effort to ask God to reconsider letting him enter as well. God can use anyone to complete His plans but strong and weak in faith!
Deuteronomy 1-3
Deuteronomy 3
Mark 1:16-28
Deuteronomy 3
It has been interesting reading Numbers and now Deuteronomy while I study and prepare the Joshua study for our women’s Bible Study. I have delayed putting up the questions because i will often find a cross-reference in our study here that I want to include!
“You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’”
Just in Joshua chapter 10 it says repeatedly that God fought for Israel, even casting down hailstones on their behalf so that more of the enemy were killed by the stones than by the Israelite swords.
It is amazing that in this chapter God gives them victory over 60 cities all fortified with high walls, gates and bars.
Deuteronomy 3-6
Moses continues with his history lesson for this new generation of Israelites before they enter the promised land. He details the defeat of Og and uses that as the means to encourage Joshua to believe Him for the victories that He will give Joshua in the promised land. God often uses His work in the past to encourage faith and obedience in the present. We certainly have many reasons to trust Him whatever it is we may face in this life.
Moses was a great man and was faithful in many things but here he sounds like a petulant child blaming the people of Israel for why he can’t go into the promised land. It is very common to hear people blame others for what they have done (goes as far back as the garden of Eden). Let’s not be those type of people. And God sounds like a parent who has given the appropriate discipline and doesn’t want to hear the objections and complaints. But in many ways this is indicative of the unique personal relationship that Moses had with God. It is fair to say that no human being was as close to God as Moses was.
21At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”
23At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24“Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? 25Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”
26But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lordsaid. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27Go 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. 28But 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.”