Deuteronomy 3 is a powerful chapter because Moses is looking back at Israel’s victories east of the Jordan while also showing that God’s promises are being fulfilled, but Moses himself will not be the one to lead Israel into the Promised Land. The chapter starts out with Israel defeating Og and taking his territory. The important lesson to learn here is that Israel didn’t win because they were stronger. They won because God fought for them. For us Jesus has already accomplished the victory that we could never accomplish ourselves. Jesus defeats the greatest enemies that we face which is sin, death, and Satan. 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” After he sees all of these victories Moses divides the conquered land among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. What we should not is that those tribes aren’t allowed to simply settle down and forget about everyone else. Their fighting men must cross over the Jordan and help their brothers take the Promised Land. This is a picture of God’s people working together rather than living only for themselves. Jesus gives us as followers a similar mission. We aren’t saved simply to sit still and enjoy God’s blessings. We’re called to help others know Christ. Moses tells Joshua not to be afraid. Why? Because Joshua is going to face enemies that are bigger and stronger than Israel. Moses tells him to remember what God has already done. This is the same for us. We should always remember God’s past faithfulness when we are facing today’s battle. For Christians, we have an even greater reason for confidence because Jesus has already won the ultimate victory. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” The most significant part of this chapter is when Moses asks God if he can enter the Promised Land. God says no. Moses will see the land from Mount Pisgah, but he will not enter it. Why? Because of Moses’ disobedience at Meribah in Numbers 20. Moses had struck the rock instead of following God’s instructions to speak to it. Moses was a great leader. He delivered Israel from Egypt, he received God’s law, and he led Israel through the wilderness. But Moses couldn’t bring God’s people into their final inheritance. This is no accident. It points forward to Jesus. Moses represents the Law. Joshua (the man who actually leads Israel across the Jordan) has a name that is essentially the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus. (Yeshua/Joshua both mean “The LORD saves.”) There is a picture that is starting to get painted here. Moses brings the people to the edge. Joshua brings them in. Ultimately the Law cannot save us. Jesus saves us. Paul explains that the Law exposes sin but cannot justify us before God. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” There’s also something deeply emotional here. God allows Moses to see the land that he isn’t allowed to go into. He knows God’s promise is real, but he doesn’t get to experience it himself. This should show us that God’s promises don’t depend upon one particular human being. Moses dies, Joshua continues, Israel continues, and God’s plan continues. Ultimately, the story is pointing beyond Joshua and toward Christ. Joshua could lead Israel into an earthly inheritance, but Jesus leads us into an eternal inheritance. God fights the battles that we cannot win and the salvation He promises ultimately comes through the One greater than Moses and Joshua which is Jesus Christ. Love y’all! Have a great day!
Deuteronomy 3:1-29
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““Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan came out against us with his whole army to do battle at Edrei. But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.’ So the Lord our God also handed over King Og of Bashan and his whole army to us. We struck him until there was no survivor left. We captured all his cities at that time. There wasn’t a city that we didn’t take from them: sixty cities, the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a large number of rural villages. We completely destroyed them, as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon, destroying the men, women, and children of every city. But we took all the livestock and the spoil from the cities as plunder for ourselves. “At that time we took the land from the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon, which the Sidonians call Sirion, but the Amorites call Senir, all the cities of the plateau, Gilead, and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. (Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13 1/2 feet long and 6 feet wide by a standard measure. ) “At that time we took possession of this land. I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites the area extending from Aroer by the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead along with its cities. I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og. The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took over the entire region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He called Bashan by his own name, Jair’s Villages, as it is today. I gave Gilead to Machir, and I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites the area extending from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites. The Arabah and Jordan are also borders from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east. “I commanded you at that time: The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your valiant men will cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers the Israelites. But your wives, dependents, and livestock — I know that you have a lot of livestock — will remain in the cities I have given you until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession that I have given you. “I commanded Joshua at that time: Your own eyes have seen everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to enter. Don’t be afraid of them, for the Lord your God fights for you. “At that time I begged the Lord: Lord God, you have begun to show your greatness and your strong hand to your servant, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours? Please let me cross over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon. “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. The Lord said to me, ‘That’s enough! Do not speak to me again about this matter. Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west, north, south, and east, and see it with your own eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan. But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.’ So we stayed in the valley facing Beth-peor.”
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