by J. Riddle (Cheshunt)
Read Chapter 2
As we know, Deuteronomy chapters 1-3 trace Israel’s journey from Horeb, via Kadesh-barnea, to the plains of Moab. This chapter covers the period from Kadesh-barnea, through the wilderness, back to Kadesh-barnea, after which Israel turned east through Mount Seir, north through Moab, across the Arnon, through Ammon, and into Amorite territory.
The actual wilderness wanderings are covered by v1: "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spake unto me (see 1.40, and Num.14.25): and we compassed Mount Seir many days." The march to Canaan begins with v2-3, "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward."
Notice the three warnings against meddling in the affairs of the people through whose territory they passed. See v5, 9, 19. We must endeavour to ascertain why Israel was not to meddle in the affairs of "the children of Esau," the Moabites and the Ammonites, or engage them in battle, v9. After all they were to possess the territory of Sihon and Og, and "contend," v24, with them in battle. We must also attempt to explain why are we given details of the previous inhabitants of these three territories. We will suggest some answers, without taking an entranced view, as we proceed with this study. Bear this in mind as we read on.
"Ye are to pass the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you." Perhaps the answer to our first question lies here. "The coast of your brethren the children of Esau," see also v8. The Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites, were all related peoples. This is stressed in v9 and v19, where the Moabites and Ammonites are both called "the children of Lot." Notice, however, that there was to be:
i) No interference. "Meddle not with them." Israel were "strangers and pilgrims," and involvement in the affairs of other nations was not their business. Like Israel, we must remember our calling. "Our citizenship is in heaven." The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is "not of this world." As "strangers and pilgrims" we are to have "our conversation honest among the Gentiles" and "submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake," 1Pet.2.11-17. But this does not mean participation in the politics of this world. The greatest service we can undertake on behalf of our fellow-men is to pray for them, and preach the gospel. Nothing must move us from this objective. Not even the ballot-box. We need to "take … good heed" to ourselves in this matter, v4.
ii) No inheritance. "I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession." Deut.32.8 now becomes compulsory reading. While the children of Israel, as true pilgrims, were authorised to buy meat and water, v6, they had no need to occupy Mount Seir. The reason follows: "For the Lord thy God … knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing." The Lord Jesus taught extensively on this subject. Our object must be to "lay up … treasures in heaven" (Paul calls it "fruit that may abound to your account,") rather than amassing possessions on earth, and in pursuing this goal, we can trust God implicity. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things (the necessities of life) shall be added unto you," see Phil.4.19. We should ‘mark, learn, and inwardly digest’ the Lord’s teaching in Matt.6.19-34. The God who "knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness," is our Father and He hasn’t changed. "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
An earlier request for passage through Edomite territory was made from Kadesh, Num.20.14, which was evidently also known as Kadesh-barnea. The request was refused, and "Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand." Quite clearly, this is not the event described here, for God specifically states, "they shall be afraid of you," v4, and passage was evidently granted. See v8, 29. We should note however, that Edomite animosity continued until the sack of Jerusalem. Read the book of Obadiah.
"We turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle." Notice the same pattern.
i) No interference. "Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle." This is a little different to the instructions regarding "the children of Esau," and reminds us that we are not to be contentious people, either amongst ourselves as believers, or in the world. "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man," Col.4.6. Some believers do seem to love a fight! We must certainly "earnestly contend for the faith," Jude 3, but setting out to pick quarrels is rather different! The Lord Jesus did not "strive, nor cry, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street," Isa.42.1-3. The servants of God are to resemble the perfect Servant, see 2Tim.2.24-26.
ii) No inheritance. "For I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession." This repeats the instructions given in connection with Mount Seir, and reminds us that as "pilgrims and strangers," we are to "set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth," Col.3.2.
Moabite territory was previously occupied by the Emims, see Gen.14.5, who are described as "a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims," v10-11. This is followed by reference to the previous occupants of Edomite territory (the Horims: see Gen.14.16), v12. Bear these facts in mind until we reach v20-23. The words, "as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the Lord gave unto them," evidently refer, not to Canaan, but to the possession of territory formerly occupied by Sihon and Og, see 3.12.
"And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come to the brook Zered was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them." We should now turn to Jn.5.5, "And a certain man was there (at the pool of Bethesda) which had an infirmity thirty and eight years." He was a true picture of Israel, and the imparting of health to him by the Lord Jesus was one of the "signs" that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," Jn.20.30-31. Jehovah, Who had given new life to His people after thirty-eight years in the wilderness, was present to give new life to a man who had been incapacitated for the same period! For Israel, the period of judgment was over and, continuing the parallel, the Lord Jesus said to the man, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." The loss of "all the generation of the men of war," reminds us that sin and disobedience will not go unpunished.
"And when thou comest nigh over the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them," v19. This repeats the pattern in connection with "the children of Esau" and the Moabites. Once again, there was to be no interference and no inheritance.
As in the case of Moab and Edom, v10-12, the previous inhabitants of Ammon are named: "Giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims (evidently called Zuzims in Gen.14.5); a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims (and the Emims, v10)." Now, it seems, we come to the reason for these details. "But the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: as he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them," v21-22. We have an added piece of information in v23, which tells us that the Caphtorims destroyed the Avims, and occupied their territory. Whatever else we make of all this information, it is perfectly clear that none of these events were ‘quirks of history’ or ‘the fortunes of war.’ God removed these people, illustrating the well-documented lesson that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." He "putteth down one, and setteth up another," Ps.75.7. But God does not act in an arbitrary manner, and we must conclude He destroyed these peoples because of their sin. The name "Emims" evidently means ‘terrible ones,’ and "Zamzummims" means ‘noisy ones,’ although Matthew Henry gives the meaning as ‘crafty men’ or ‘wicked men.’ The variation just proves that it is inadvisable to build theological skyscrapers on weak foundations!
"Rise ye, taking your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite (the ‘iniquity of the Amorites was full,’ Gen.15.16) … This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven." Now read Josh.2.9-11. God gave Israel an awesome reputation, not because they were frightening warriors, but because He was with them. How does the world perceive us? What kind of testimony do we bare? We may not reach the heights of the early preachers of the gospel, of whom it was said, "these that have turned the world upside down (‘in tumult,’ JND) are come hither also," Acts 17.6. But we ought to be known as people who love the gospel, and take every opportunity to share it with others.
We should read Num.21.21-31 in conjunction with this section of the chapter. Notice that "words of peace," v26, were met with hostility. Peter refers to God’s word to "the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ … whom they slew and hanged on a tree," Acts 10.36-40. The "gospel of peace," Rom.10.15, was almost invariably met by opposition and persecution in the book of Acts, and this has continued ever since. There is increasing evidence that past apathy towards the gospel in Great Britain is changing to opposition, and in view of proposed European legislation, there is no doubt that this will increase.
But this should not fill us with alarm and despondency. Israel triumphed over Sihon and his fellow Amorites. "The Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people." Similarly, in the book of Acts, God’s people witnessed the triumph of the gospel in the teeth of bitter opposition, see 2Cor.2.14. We now live in a society which strikingly resembles the paganism of the First Century, and if the Gospel was effective then, it must be effective now. God’s power enabled Moses to say, "there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us," v36, and the Gospel remains "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
We should not be alarmed by the fact that God "hardened his (Sihon’s) spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand," v30. The conquests of Israel on both sides of the Jordan were far more than military triumphs. The sword of Israel was the sword of divine judgment on unrepentant sinners. Remember the "iniquity of the Amorite." Their failure to repent brought judicial hardening. Compare Pharaoh, who first "hardened his heard," Ex.8.15, 32; also 7.13 JND. The chapter ends with reference to Israel’s obedience. A much happier note! God’s prohibitions were carefully observed: "Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not … nor unto whatsoever the Lord our God forbad us," v37. This speaks for itself, for "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
Moses’ review of the journey continues in Chapter 3.
—to be continued (D.V.)