AM Bible Study Group; March 16, 2011

Deuteronomy 3:1-29

Theme: In this chapter, Moses reviews the way God proved Himself to be the defender of His people in the conquest of the king of Bashan.

Each of us who are in Christ have God’s unique call upon our lives. There are areas of sin in our lives that He calls us to conquer through His help, and there are areas of ministry and service that He calls us to take up in His power. As Paul wrote, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended [that is, "laid hold of"]; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).

Deuteronomy 3 illustrates God’s sufficiency for us in the great task of pressing toward god’s call for us. In this chapter, God reminded the people of Israel of His sufficient help to them in the past, and of His call to rise up and take possession of that which He was giving to them in the present.

Note in this chapter . . .

I. HOW THE TERRITORY OF BASHAN WAS TAKEN (vv. 1-11).

A. Moses, in his review of the history of God’s work through them in the past, reminds the people of God’s sufficient help before they went in to take the promised land. He reminds them of how God had helped them in the conquest of the kingdom of Bashan which had been occupied by the fearsome King Og. The conquest of Bashan followed after their conquest of the kingdom of King Sihon, as described in chapter two. The details of verses 1-3 are very much like that of those found in Numbers 21:33-35. Note that it was God Himself who delivered Og into their hands. The nations belong to the sovereign God, and He gives them to whomever He wishes.

B. The people had originally been afraid of taking possession of the land because of its fortified cities. But Moses describes how God gave into their hand sixty cities of Og’s kingdom—all of which were powerfully fortified (vv. 4-5). He reminded them of how they had utterly destroyed the people and retained the livestock and spoil (vv. 6-7). This was part of the land east of the Jordan that God gave them. They were even reminded of how dreadful—on a human level—Og himself was (see verse 11); and yet, God utterly delivered him into their hands. They needed fear no one so long as they trusted and feared God!

II. HOW THE LAND WAS POSSESSED (vv. 12-17).

A. Moses then reminded the people of how God gave them possession of the land east of the Jordan. This was the territory that was given over to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Menasseh. All of these areas were occupied by the giants that they had at one time feared (see v. 13).

B. Note also that specific locations are described, with specific boundaries (vv. 14-17). God’s mighty works on their behalf were not mere legends, but were actual acts in time-space history that could be measured by boundary lines and located on maps!

III. HOW THE REST OF THE CONQUESTS WERE COMMANDED (vv. 18-22).

A. When the three tribes of the east first saw the land, they expressed a desire to take possession of it (see Numbers 32). But their occupation of it was conditioned on their promise to leave their lands for a time and help their brethren take possession of the land west of the Jordan (vv. 18-20). The only ones who would have to do this would have been men who were of an age to go to war. The rest (men under twenty and elder men) would have been able to remain behind and protect the women, children and livestock. Little protection would have been needed because the former inhabitants of the land had been killed, and God’s protection would most certainly have been upon them.

B. At that time, God commanded Joshua to be the one to lead the people into the western territories—along with those on the east. This illustrates to us that we’re not responsible just for our own walk with God, but that we—as brothers and sisters in Christ—are not only responsible to take up what God gives us, but also to help one another. As Galatians 6:1-5 says, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. "

IV. HOW MOSES’ ENTRY INTO THE LAND WAS FORBIDDEN (vv. 23-29).

A. Moses had been forbidden from entry into the land because of his failure at Kadesh to believe God so as to hallow Him in the eyes of the people (see Numbers 20:1-13). Moses made the appeal that he may yet enter; and it appears that he made it repeatedly. He was overwhelmed by the greatness of God’s power. As he prayed in verses 34-35, "O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon. "But God told him he could not. Sin has consequences—and the standard is particularly high when it comes to leadership.

B. But God’s love for His servant is shown in the fact that Moses would be permitted to see the land from the vantage point of Pisgah (v. 27). And it should be noted that though Moses didn’t get to see the land before his death, he was eventually found to have been in it—talking to the very God who had formerly forbidden Him from entering the land. Luke 9:30-31 tells us of our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain; "And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. "Moses spoke to the very God who had formerly forbade him from entering because of sin—but now in human flesh—concerning the death on the cross He would die in order to take the guilt of sin away!

C. Moses would not lead the people into the land. He was among that generation that would perish in the wilderness. Joshua however—one of the original twelve spies (but who, with Caleb, did not agree with the bad report of the other ten) would lead the people in after Moses’ death (v. 28). Moses’ death didn’t occur until after all the testimony of the Book of Deuteronomy was completed (see Deuteronomy 34); and it was for this reason that the people had remained in the valley opposite Beth Peor (v. 29).