Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 3

• Deuteronomy 3:1 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 
• 2 And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 
• 3 So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining. 
• 4 And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 
• 5 All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many. 
• 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city. 
• 7 But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves. 

Like I mentioned in previous chapters, there are some lands that were off limits to Israel because they also were descendants of Abraham. The Canaanites were so wicked and their iniquity was at full capacity and to the point where they were past the place they could not return. The lands of Esau and Moab were off limits. If any king or people hindered them or came against them, that made them an open target. They were defying God and would be judged. 

In some cases women and children were spared but in other cases, they were not. The whys has to be left up to God. At any rate, God cannot allow evil to continue indefinitely. It has to be stopped. 

The promise to Abraham is still in place today and to come out against Israel is to touch the apple of God's eye. To come out against a believer in Christ would cause God's judgment to come upon the one doing the evil also for through Christ one becomes children of God even though they are not natural born from Israel. This does not mean that individual Jews do not have to come to Christ for salvation. As individuals they are still lost without Christ just as a Gentile is lost if he or she is without Christ and still walking in their sins. As a nation though Israel is still under the covenant and promise given to Abraham. Only God can curse Israel. We cannot. 

• Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 
• 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 
• 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

In Genesis chapter 12 we see that all families shall be blessed through the nation of Israel. Israel was chosen to bring forth the savior that would save the world from sin. For some reason God chose Abraham to be the father of many and He chose him to bring forth the Messiah at a later date.

The salvation provided through the seed of Abraham only applies to those that believe in the one God sent straight from Heaven that we know now is Jesus or Yeshua in Hebrew. Jesus came to  take away our sins. That is how other nations are blessed, by receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ. To reject the gospel or to curse Israel as a nation is to be cursed of God. 

• Deuteronomy 3:8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon; 
• 9 (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;) 
• 10 All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 
• 11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. 

This bed was around 13 to 14 feet long. This was how big these giants grew. 

I realize this is a controversial subject but the reason the giants were that large according to some is that certain fallen angels mingled with the daughters of men and produced offsprings of giants. This supposedly happened twice. Once was before the flood of Noah and the other was after. This is probably why there are certain angels bound in the river Euphrates. If this is true it would explain why God allowed Israel to totally destroy both women, men and children, to wipe out this evil race.

I know some object to this teaching saying that Jesus said that in heaven we are to be as angels and not marry. He didn't say however that angels were not capable of producing offspring but marriage is not to continue in our new bodies. Some things we will have to wait until the Lord comes to find out about. Like I said though this subject is very controversial and can cause us to be distracted somewhat to the main message of Deuteronomy. We should not be afraid though of studying and having open discussions on controversial things as long as all opinions are respected and people do not lose their unity in the spirit. 

What caused the giants are open to speculation but they were people who had gotten so evil and demonic that God had to wipe out their whole race. When a nation gets so bad that innocent children are sacrificed to idols, abused both sexually and in other ways, that nation is getting very close to being wiped out in judgment. These nations were into sins so bad that their time had come.

• Deuteronomy 3:12 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 
• 13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 
• 14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day. 
• 15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir. 
• 16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 
• 17 The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward. 

If we study maps thoroughly we can see clearly that Israel of today has not yet occupied the whole territory given to them by God Himself. I will say also that they will one day receive all their land back no matter what the world says at this time. In God's time and in God's way, they will get their land back. 

• Deuteronomy 3:18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war. 
• 19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you; 
• 20 Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you. 

Even though a few tribes got their land faster than the other tribes, they had to leave their wives and children and go fight with their brethren in the other tribes before they could possess their own territory. It would not have been fair to do otherwise. 

• Deuteronomy 3:21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. 
• 22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. 

Fear would be a sign of unbelief like the ten spies that caused Israel to sin and rebel. This in turn caused all of Israel to have to wait 40 extra years in order to enter the promised land. The delay of 40 years were to allow the rebellious ones to die off so that their children would inherit the land. Unbelief causes all other sins to occur. When we forget who our savior is and that we are saved from sin, we are much more likely to return to sin than if we remember that Jesus saves us from sin and we continually abide in Him resting in His grace completely.

• Deuteronomy 3:23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, 
• 24 O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? 
• 25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. 
• 26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. 
• 27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 
• 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. 
• 29 So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor. 

Moses was probably very disappointed not to be allowed to go to the promised land after all that time but he submitted to the will of God. God had to show Israel the seriousness of rebellion and disobedience. If we do not follow God's way, Satan rules. Satan is out to destroy all of mankind that he can. He knows that his time is short and he knows where he is going to end up. He is out to take everyone with him that he can. That is why he tried to pollute as many nations that he could, that is why he has always tried to destroy Israel so that Christ could not come to save anyone. Now he tries to destroy Israel so that end time events cannot be fulfilled. He is an enemy to all who love God. To be outside of God's protection is to be completely vulnerable to Satan's destruction. 

Even Christians can rebel and not submit to the commandments of God. Today we see many going their own way and seeking the things of this life only. Souls are going to be lost because we are playing games and seeking wealth instead of reaching the lost. Many use the gospel to make merchandise instead of making disciples. The gospel has become big business. Yet the old commandment is still the same, "Go into the entire world and make disciples of all nations." Souls are in darkness while we either war and fight over trivial things or we unite and pursue the things of the world thinking that to gain is godliness. We need a fervent powerful revival in the church of today to get us back on track but it will only come if the church gets back to praying fervently repenting of their backsliding and lukewarmness. 

When we read of Israel it is to show us the way to God and to warn us of the type of things that will hinder the work God wants to do in our own lives. We can learn from their mistakes. 

Deuteronomy 4