Wednesday, 17June2009: Deutoronomy 31: 1 - 8 NKJV
(At last, this post was completed on 27Jun09, ten days after it began!)
Introduction
Last week a beloved brother called Francis, a leader of a Church in Ipoh with whom I fellowship occasionally, fell very ill. He had severe abdominal pain. And the doctor had to arrange for him to be admitted to the hospital. A very delicate operation had to be scheduled to remove a blood clot from his abdomen, along with a section of his intestines. The surgeon told his family members that it was a very risky operation and the patient could die during the surgery.
Just before the operation, Francis spoke what appeared to be his last words to his family, asking them to make arrangements in case he couldn't survive the surgery, including making sure insurance policies and wills were in order. His wife broke down and cried.
Those were very frightening last words. They demanded great courage from all the family members. Everyone had to be brave and strong in facing the impending circumstances. Thanks be to God, the operation was performed successfully by the skilfull surgeon and brother Francis is now recuperating in hospital. Soon he will be able to go home to his family.
Tonight, we read about a person in the OT who was about to die. His name is Moses, and in Deutoronomy 31, he was, like our brother Francis, saying his last words to his "family" - the nation of Israel. And like Francis' family, all the people of Israel were probably frightened. Perhaps, some of them broke down and cried too.
So, Moses began to speak to all the people of Israel, reminding them of great things that God had done in their midst, and assuring them that God would continue to fight for them through their new leader Joshua.
In tonight's message, we will first look at how Moses recounted the victory that the LORD had given to them over the Amorite kings. Secondly, we will see how he reassured them that the LORD would likewise go ahead of his successor, Joshua, in conquering the Canaanites across the Jordan, and that He would never forsake them. Finally, we will ponder over how the Lord is also with us today, helping us to withstand and overcome our enemy, the devil, as a people of God.
I God was with Moses v 1 - 2
- in defeating the kings of the Amorites
Sihon and Og's story:
Earlier in Numbers 21: 21 - 31, it was recorded that Moses had made a request to King Sihon, king of the Amorites, who occupied an area of land east of the Dead Sea and the River Jordan, for permission to pass through his kingdom. King Sihon lived in the city of Heshbon. Instead of replying the request, King Sihon and "all his people" attacked the Israelites suddenly. God was with Israel, however, and in fulfillment of God's promise in Deut 2: 24, 25, Israel defeated King Sihon that day and conquered the land of the Amorites.
This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. Deut 2: 25
This land, east of the Jordan, was later allocated by Moses to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Mannaseh (Numbers 32).
Subsequently, in Numbers 21: 32 -35, the Israelites went on to capture the city of Jazer before venturing north towards Bashan, on the east of the Sea of Galilee, south of Mt Hermon where there was fertile land for cultivation. Og, the king of Bashan led his army to battle with the Israelites at the city of Edrei, north east of Jazer.
Now King Og was a giant of a man. Deut 3:11 tells us that he had a bed about 12 feet long by 6 feet wide. It was possible that there were similar "giants" in his army, and this could have caused some apprehension among the Israelite soldiers. Nonetheless, the LORD promised Moses in verse 34 that He will help him defeat King Og and conquer his land, just as he had done to King Sihon.
Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon Deut 3: 1
And indeed, the Israelite army went on to kill King Og and his family, annihilated his army and occupied the land.
In both campaigns, the LORD's promise, "I have given them into your hand . . ." (Deut 2:24 and 3:2) was fulfilled and these victorious battles against Sihon and Og would later become the basis on which Moses made his call to his successor, Joshua, to be strong and of good courage in carrying on the campaign against the Canaanites who lived on all the land across the Jordan river.
II God was ahead of Joshua v 3 - 8
- in destroying the Canaanites:
Whilst the promise given to Moses, regarding the Amorites on the east of the Jordan, was "I have given them into your hand . .", the promise given to Joshua regarding the Canaanites over on the west of the Jordan was more personal:
And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed Deut 31: 8
See also:
verse 3: "The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; "
verse 4: "the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og" and
verse 8: "And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you."
In his address to all Israel, Moses called upon them to be brave and strong, and not to be afraid of the Canaanites. The Canaanites were an idolatrous and wicked people comprising many tribes spread all over the land on the west of the River Jordan, stretching from the region north of the Sea of Galilee all the way to the south-west of the Dead Sea. The LORD had earlier made a promise to Moses and to Israel, at the conclusion of giving the Law and his covenant, in Exodus 23:23 that, ". . . My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off."
Now, Moses has seen with his own eyes this promise being fulfilled, as the Amorites were defeated and destroyed. And this fulfillment of Exodus 23:23 will continue to include the destruction of the Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites. The assurance that God "goes ahead" of them and that God would always be with them was made loud and clear to all Israel:
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. v.6
Then, turning to Joshua, in the presence of all Israel, Moses reiterated this promise of the LORD going ahead of him and always remaining with him:
Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them to inherit it. And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. v8
III God is among us
- in delivering us from the evil one.
Today Christians are likewise taught in the NT that our Lord Jesus is always with us, just as God had always been with Moses and Joshua and the Israelites in the OT.
In the last chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, the Lord Jesus said to his disciples:
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28: 18 - 20
And just as Moses called upon the Israelites, and upon Joshua, to be brave and strong, the apostle Paul in the NT called upon the Corinthians church likewise, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (1 Cor. 16 13).
Today our enemy is no longer the Amorites nor the Canaanites, but it is the devil himself:
Be sober, be vigilant; because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5: 8 - 10
Conclusion
Christians, sometimes we fall into similar circumstances like Moses did. Like him, we may encounter times when a good leader has to leave our church, or when a beloved brother or sister passes on to be with the Lord. There may be times when we are left feeling helpless and apprehensive in the face of adverse circumstances.
In such times, let us remember the testimony of Moses' victories over Sihon and Og. Let us recall his exhortation to Joshua, that God would go ahead of him and also remain with him in his ongoing battles with the enemies, the Canaanites, a host of people who worshipped Baal, who practised temple prostitution and who sacrificed even their children on the altar.
Let us remember that today, even as our enemy, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us, our Lord Jesus has promised to be with us. Let us encourage one another to remain steadfast, brave and strong, resisting the devil even in times of suffering.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.
