Deuteronomy 2:26-37
Today's Passage: Deuteronomy 2:26-37
I can’t help but chuckle at the comedy bit by Tim Hawkins when he’s laughing at how parents paint murals on their kids’ bedroom walls depicting Biblical scenarios such as Noah’s ark. When kids ask, “What was this event, daddy?”, he would say, “Oh, that’s Noah’s Ark. You know, the one where God flooded the entire earth and killed every living thing?” True, isn’t it? The Bible is full of some crazy stories that can make even the most seasoned Bible readers cringe a bit. Today’s passage does that to me, and I’m sure it did it for you too if you looked carefully at what was recorded.
Moses was attempting to pass through the land of Heshbon when he was confronted with the king of that land who stubbornly would not allow Moses to pass through, even when offered payment.
In the middle of this story, there are two verses that stick out like sore thumbs that probably need to be addressed (though we can’t cover them completely in a Jumpstart):
v. 30: “But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.
v. 34: “And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors.”
That is not a picture you want to paint on the walls of your home. It sounds gruesome. It sounds horrific. In fact, it is! So why is this here in the Old Testament and how do we rectify some very difficult events while maintaining truth, hope, and an accurate depiction of the character of God? Here are 3 short points to consider:
I know this is a heavy Jumpstart and you probably didn’t want to consider all of this today, but then again, we can’t skirt around hard passages just because they make us uncomfortable or don’t make sense to us.
Behind it all is a good God. A purposeful God. A merciful God. A just God. Even though we don’t understand fully, we must trust Him and with His character in view, address these scriptural passages with as much humility and surrender as possible, even if it makes our stomachs turn.
Written By: Drew Dukes
I can’t help but chuckle at the comedy bit by Tim Hawkins when he’s laughing at how parents paint murals on their kids’ bedroom walls depicting Biblical scenarios such as Noah’s ark. When kids ask, “What was this event, daddy?”, he would say, “Oh, that’s Noah’s Ark. You know, the one where God flooded the entire earth and killed every living thing?” True, isn’t it? The Bible is full of some crazy stories that can make even the most seasoned Bible readers cringe a bit. Today’s passage does that to me, and I’m sure it did it for you too if you looked carefully at what was recorded.
Moses was attempting to pass through the land of Heshbon when he was confronted with the king of that land who stubbornly would not allow Moses to pass through, even when offered payment.
In the middle of this story, there are two verses that stick out like sore thumbs that probably need to be addressed (though we can’t cover them completely in a Jumpstart):
v. 30: “But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.
v. 34: “And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors.”
That is not a picture you want to paint on the walls of your home. It sounds gruesome. It sounds horrific. In fact, it is! So why is this here in the Old Testament and how do we rectify some very difficult events while maintaining truth, hope, and an accurate depiction of the character of God? Here are 3 short points to consider:
1. God works within the realm of human freedom. The hardening of the heart of King Sihon is similar to what happened to Pharaoh. God hardened the king’s heart, but not at the unwillingness of the king’s own freedom. God did what the king would have done by his own choice anyway. This isn’t God forcing a heart to harden (though doesn’t He have the right to do that anyway?), it is a matter of God working with human freedom that already existed.
2. God had a plan and purpose behind it. It wasn’t just a moment of a cruel God getting payback or having a fit of rage with his human puppets. Verse 31 says “I have begun to give his (Sihon) land to you…begin to take possession of it. The Israelites needed that land in order for God to fulfill his purposes for them. Does it take the sting out of the seeming genocide? Maybe not, but at least we know there was a greater purpose in God allowing Israel to destroy them. The puzzle God is working is so much bigger and more complex than what we can see at any given time.
3. God takes sin seriously, and so should we. If we really viewed sin the way God does, we might respond differently to what we feel like was maybe some overreaction by wiping them all out. There is no overreaction to sin, according to God. This was the right, Divine response, and the only reason God doesn’t do this all the time is because He is also gracious and merciful. Destruction is what our sin rightfully deserves, so this is actually a real picture of what SHOULD happen because of our rebellion. As tough as that is to swallow, it is the truth of the wages of our sin. Only when we see the gravity of our sin do moments like these begin to make more sense.
I know this is a heavy Jumpstart and you probably didn’t want to consider all of this today, but then again, we can’t skirt around hard passages just because they make us uncomfortable or don’t make sense to us.
Behind it all is a good God. A purposeful God. A merciful God. A just God. Even though we don’t understand fully, we must trust Him and with His character in view, address these scriptural passages with as much humility and surrender as possible, even if it makes our stomachs turn.
Written By: Drew Dukes
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