August 13, 2020
The message of Deuteronomy is one that the church desperately needs to hear today. These final words of Moses given to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter into the Promised Land serve as a warning, an encouragement, and a charge. Through them, God exposes the idolatry of our hearts and calls us to give all of our love, worship, and devotion to Him alone in every area of our lives! Moses warns the people that when they enter the land there will be things that compete with God for their attention, their affections and their worship. We, too, have hundreds of things that compete for our hearts each and every day. In this book, God teaches us how to properly respond to the amazing grace He has given us by giving Him our undivided allegiance, our whole hearts and our whole lives. Over the next 34 days, let’s seek this ancient way together as a church!
Moses continues his recounting of the events which had taken place since the people of Israel had made their covenant with God at Mt. Sinai and rebelled against Him, refusing to enter the Promised Land. In this chapter Moses recounts their 40-year journey through the wilderness and the beginnings of their conquest of the land!
This chapter really demonstrates the truth that nothing good ever happens when we choose to step outside the boundaries that the Lord has set! The people had rebelled against God by refusing to go in and conquer the land, and because of that every single person of that generation died without receiving what God had promised them (v.14-16).
On the other hand, the second-generation obeyed God! There were several nations which the Lord commanded them not to contend with or attempt to conquer along the way. Perhaps the people thought that they could have conquered these other nations if they had tried, but they were called to trust God to give them everything they needed, just as He had over the last 40 years.
The people chose to listen to God, to not cross over the boundaries that He had set for them, and because of that they experienced overwhelming victory when He did call them to conquer! Sometimes we think that life can be found outside of the boundaries that God has set for us, but the truth is that only suffering and pain and, ultimately, death are there. God’s boundaries lead us to life. “He knows your going through this great wilderness” (v.7), and His purpose in setting those boundaries for us is always that we would experience true and abundant life!
Deuteronomy 2
The Wilderness Years
2 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. 2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 ‘You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward 4 and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall purchase food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink. 7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’ 8 So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber.
“And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. 9 And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.’ 10 (The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. 11 Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the Lord gave to them.) 13 ‘Now rise up and go over the brook Zered.’ So we went over the brook Zered. 14 And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.
16 “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19 And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.’ 20 (It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there—but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim— 21 a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, 22 as he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day. 23 As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.) 24 ‘Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
The Defeat of King Sihon
26 “So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left.28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot, 29 as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.’ 30 But Sihon the 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 give him into your hand, as he is this day. 31 And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.’ 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33 And the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. 34 And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors. 35 Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured. 36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. The Lord our God gave all into our hands. 37 Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the Lord our God had forbidden us.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Why do we so often think that the boundaries God has set for us are more restrictions on our enjoyment of life than they are meant to lead us to true joy? How can we work towards a right view of God’s laws?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Over my life, I have seen what stepping outside the boundaries of God’s protection brings…only grief and heartache . I want to live a life with meaning and purpose. Please continue to show me the way to peace and love. The things of this world are only temporary and will decay and rust over time. Refine me and mold me to fit Your plans and desires. You know what is best. Thank You for loving me and setting boundaries to follow.I pray this in the precious name of Jesus . Amen.
Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way. Though art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still. Wounded and weary, help me I pray. Hold o’er my being, absolute sway! Fill with Thy spirit till all shall see, Christ only, always, living in me. Walk with me, Lord, through this day through this new world I find myself without Ernest. Strengthen my resolve. Guide my thoughts. Help me make the decisions that would please You and honor him. Amen.
Oh Father, creator of the heavens and the earth, you are a jealous God. You and only you are worthy of my praise. I bow humbly before you this morning. Search my heart and show me any wicked way that may be hidden. Expose any rebellion and any hesitate to do your will. Guide me Father so I may not stray from the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Come with me this day Father, send your Holy Spirit to infill me anew and afresh. Listen and answer your Son today as he sees the lost I may encounter and cries for their soul. Together, let’s be going and working and sharing the Good News. May saints be encouraged and new souls added to the kingdom. Amen
Good morning Lord!
“And we captured all of his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women and children. We left no survivors.” Deuteronomy 2: 34
Admittedly, Lord, the destruction of women and children and the thought of leaving no survivors leaves me feeling confused and troublesome. However, having made the decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, by your amazing grace and through faith, I will accept what seem like paradoxes to me.
This is the day the Lord has made! Praise you Lord for a new day! Praise you for your care of each of us. Thank you for taking care of the birds and reassuring us that you have in your hand even more so!
Lord help me to stay within your boundaries. Help me to be faithful and true. I want to live the life you have given me to do what is expected of me. You are so Wonderful and Marvelous. I am so blessed to be a Child of God. I want to focus on you, as I learn more and more about you. The scripture ‘s that I read help me to find the right path to you. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!!
Lord, help me to obey You in all things.
True joy…
Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away! Not a doubt or a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
Thank you, Lord, for your guidance in our lives. Without it we can become lost in our personal pursuits.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for forgiveness and grace. Thank you that we can humbly come to you with our request and repentance. Please protect our minds, bodies and souls as we go from day to day. Allow our light to shine so that others will see Jesus. This I pray in Jesus name. Amen
Your light always shines bright
Our Dear Lord and heavenly Father, Thank you so much for your pure love that shows us the way to go, even when out hearts and flesh rebel. Thank you that we can look back at all what we called suffering and actually declare Lord that we would not have it any other way. Merciful Father forgive us dear Lord when our hearts are afflicted with wrong thoughts and help us Oh dear Lord live in the Spirit.
God you are so good. Have your way always Every time with us dear Lord. have your way ,
Your way is the only way that leads to life. Love you back.
Thank you so much for every blessing. In our Saviour’s name we pray, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen,!!!
God did judge Heshbon harshly and the Bible does not tell us in Deut, 2 why.
Lord help me put away any sin that you harshly judge me for.
Please Lord continue to guide me in the right ways all the time.
I usually do my quite time in early am; today got in a 3 mile run- breakfast /etc; in reading today ‘s verses I serve an amazing GOD! He is a jealous God & wants my “full “ attention each day; I am comforted by his protection; as a widower = I speak/seek His guidance daily; this Season we are in= He will guide us thru this wilderness! God Bless =Jerry
Teach me your way Lord that I my walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name. I will give thanks to you with my whole heart & glorify your name forever. In Jesus name, Amen!
Thank you father for communicating to us clearly, thought your word, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, people and circumstances, to help us do your will. Help me accept your will, that is best, especially when I don’t recognize that it’s best.
Boundaries are set to define our freedom. Thank you Lord! You thought of everything ❤