Victory Comes From The Lord
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 2:16-25 (NASB)
16 “So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, 17 that the Lord spoke to me, saying, 18 ‘Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab. 19 When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession.’ 20 (It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim, for Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin, 21 a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, but the Lord destroyed them before them. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place, 22 just as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day. 23 And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.) 24 ‘Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
SUMMARY
All the men of war who disobeyed the Lord had perished just as He said. To the remaining generation, He tells them that they shall cross over the border of Moab. Again, He tells them to not harass or provoke the Ammonites as the Israelites pass through their land. He tells them how He helped each group of people take down their enemies and possess their own land according to His purposes. The Lord then commands the Israelites to pass through the valley of Arnon with the promise that He will hand over the land of Sihon the Amorite to them. He does this by putting dread and fear into their enemies’ hearts.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
God had promised different people groups their own land and showed His sovereignty and faithfulness by telling the Israelites to pass through peacefully. God then commanded the Israelites to arise and conquer their own land which He had prepared for them. He helps His people in a concrete way by putting dread and fear upon the land of peoples everywhere so that they may tremble in the presence of God's people. This contrast shows me that God is fair and peaceful but also bold and powerful. In the same way, we are God's sheep, but we are also called to be lions — fearless in our faith and confident in the mission He has given us. God is working to set us up for success and there is so much victory waiting for us. We just have to be ready and obedient. God is faithful in what He promises and He delivers in real, concrete ways.
APPLICATION
I've been thinking about how I minimize God's power because of disbelief or disappointments. Do I really believe that God can make real, tangible things happen? Usually, I expect to do most of the work when it comes to having victories in my life. I let my doubt and fears become bigger than God's power and providence. I become bold by leaning on my own works and understanding instead of being bold by trusting the Lord. This passage has reminded me that God makes things happen for His people. He is faithful in His timing and in His promises. I must continue to be diligent in listening and obeying to conquer what He has set out for me to do.
PRAYER
Lord, I confess that I have been leaning on my own achievements for boldness and security instead of boldly stepping out in faith in You. I repent of any disbelief and repent for minimizing how awesome and faithful You are. Lord, You are always working. You make things possible. Through You we have power so we have nothing to fear. Thank You for Your sovereignty. Thank You for building up Your people and setting us up for our own victories. Lord, may I be diligent in listening for You and faithful to what You call me to do. May I be bold and win many battles for You. I pray all of this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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