What I Noticed Today (Deuteronomy 3-4)
Deuteronomy 3
In verses 1-7, the Israelites marched to victory against Og of Bashan at the command of the Lord:
- Og sent his army out against the Israelites and the Israelites did battle with Og, king of Bashan, defeated him, and took possession of his cities. They completely destroyed the people, took the livestock, and took plunder from all the cities for themselves.
- The Israelites defeated Og of Bashan just as they had defeated Sihon of Heshbon.
In verses 8-11, the territory taken from the Amorite kings, Og and Sihon are described.
Note: The regions of Bashan and Heshbon are the same cities that 40 years before the people were afraid to attack. God promised they would have similar success as they conquered other lands because it was God who was fighting for them (3:22).
Note: The reference to Og’s bed in verse 11 as being over 13 feet long and 6 feet wide is considered by most scholars to be a reference to his sarcophagus, not his regular bed.
In verses 12-17, the Transjordan land was divided among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh:
- Reuben was given the Moabite territory from the Arnon Gorge to Heshbon as their inheritance.
- Gad was given the southern half of Gilead from Heshbon to the Jabbok River as their inheritance.
- The half-tribe of Manasseh was given the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan as their inheritance. Jair and Makir (Machir), descendants of Manasseh were singled out.
Note: Jair was a descendant of Makir (1 Chronicles 2:21-23) which suggest the battles to conquer this region may have taken place over a number of years.
In verses 18-20, Moses reminds the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh of their promise to send their fighting men with the rest of the Israelites to help them take possession of their land. After they had taken possession of the Promised Land, they could return to their families.
In verses 21-29, the mantle of leadership of the Israelites is transferred to Joshua:
- Moses encouraged Joshua saying the Lord would do to their enemies in the Promised Land, what He had done to these two kings (Og and Sihon).
- Moses pleaded with God to allow him to enter the Promised Land. God was angry with Moses because of his rebellion in striking the rock at Meribah. God allowed Moses only to look at the land from the top of Mount Pisgah.
- The Lord instructed Moses to commission, encourage, and strengthen Joshua for he would lead the people into the Promised Land.
Note: God led the people into the Promised land to claim their possession, and in so doing, He kept His promise to them. Rebellion against God over the 40 years in the desert was consistently punished.
Deuteronomy 4
Deuteronomy 4 recounts Moses’ speech to the people instructing them in God’s commands for obedience, a prohibition against idolatry, a reverence for God alone, the establishment of cities of refuge, and an introduction to the law.
In verses 1-8, Moses instructs the people of Israel on the Law of God:
- Moses warned them to keep all of God’s commands and to be diligent in passing these commands on to their children.
- Moses reminded the people of the treachery of the Moabite women at Baal Peor who led the men of Israel astray and all those who died as a result of the plague.
In verses 9-14, Moses reminded the people of their experience at Mount Horeb:
- Moses warned the people to be careful and guard themselves against falling into sin.
- They were to teach the Laws to their children and grandchildren.
- The Lord had spoken to them in the fire and had given them the Ten Commandments written on the two stone tablets.
In verses 15-24, Moses warned the Israelites against worshiping idols:
- Moses warned the people not to act corruptly by making and worshiping any form of an idol.
- Do not forget the covenant the Lord made with you and make an idol for God is a jealous God.
In verses 25-31, the result of not living righteously, warned Moses, was that they would be dispersed from the land.
- Moses warned that if they act corruptly and make an idol, they will be destroyed and God will disperse them from the land.
- In the later days, you will search for the Lord when you are in distress and will return to Him and obey Him. He will not abandon you or forget the covenant He swore to you.
Note: The dispersion referenced in verses 25-31 could be any of the times the Israelites were dispersed from the Promised Land, but ultimately, the return to the Lord is seen when Jesus returns for his Millennial reign.
In verses 32-40 Moses shifts from a future orientation speaking of the “latter days” to the past experience of the people hearing from God who spoke out of the fire:
- God created man, the earth and the heavens.
- God had selected the Israelites to be His people whom He spoke t out of the fire.
- God had chosen the Israelites when He performed many signs and wonders and gave them victory in wars.
- God protected them and delivered them from Egypt.
- Therefore, they should know there is no other God like Him. Hear His voice and obey Him. Keep His statutes and commands so that you will prosper in the land that the Lord is giving you.
Note: The phrase “so that it may go well with you” occurs eight times in the book of Deuteronomy (4:40, 5:16, 6:3, 6:18, 12:25, 12:28, 19:13, 22:7).
In verses 41-43, Moses identifies three cities of refuge in the Transjordan region: Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. These were the cities for the tribes of Rueben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh where someone who had killed someone could flee.
In verses 44-49, Moses restated the Law (tôrâh) for the Israelite people on the east side of the Jordan after they had defeated the kings of Sihon and Bashan. This was the same law he gave to the Israelites three months after they left Egypt.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- How often do we feel God’s leading and hear His promises yet a lack of faith allows fear to block us from achieving God’s best in our lives? Are we diligently passing on God's teaching to our children? If not, we are only one generation away from apostasy.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
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Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 5-7
