Deuteronomy 3:1-20
Today's Passage: Deuteronomy 3:1–20
Numbers 21:33–35 shares the same account of Israel’s battle against Og. Og was a giant guy who slept in a giant bed (v. 11, 13.5’ long and 6’ wide. The word “bed” might also refer to his sarcophagus, but either way, he was a big dude). Perhaps he’s mentioned by name in this list of Israel’s victories because he symbolized what Israel’s spies feared most when they failed to enter the Promised Land the first time. Instead, on this occasion, Israel faced Og, the last of the “Rephaim” and put him to sleep.
Our passage covers more victories, and some of the Land that will be settled by some of the tribes when the fighting is done. What really stood out to me in this passage is verse 20. In discussing the Land, God points to the victory that lay ahead saying, “Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.”
The phrase that came into my mind while reading that is “the gift of victory.” Our passage today shows Israel stacking victory on victory, but every bit of is earmarked from God’s perspective—that it’s God that gave the victory. Additionally, in reference to the Land, God is saying that He will give victory. There’s one big problem with this gift, however, Israel had to go take it!
It is one thing to trust that God can or will do a thing. It’s an entirely different thing to run into battle, putting your life and well-being on the line, trusting that God can or will do that thing. One example might be the people that fully believe God can and does save people eternally through the person and work of Jesus Christ—what they’ve not done is surrendered their lives to the Gospel. The gift of victory is staring them in the face, and they won’t reach out and take it.
God was telling them that he would give victory in taking the Land. This is not the same thing as them walking in possessing it without doing anything. No, they were to be God’s divine judgment on the inhabitants—people guilty of multiple capital crimes. God gave a promise, they had the opportunity for a divine cooperation to seize the promise—but they had to fight.
At the risk of allegorizing the text, I think about the gift of victory in our own lives. Not just in salvation, but in sanctification, in victory over sin. However, our victory isn’t a peaceful victory, it’s a battle, a fight to the death. God has promised victory, but it’s a divine cooperation in the process.
Israel had the opportunity to take the Land as a gift from the Lord. We know the rest of the story that they never achieved complete victory and it went poorly for them. In the same way, we have the opportunity to see victory over sin, to make a kingdom impact, to see lives and communities changed, and yet, are we fighting for it? The gift of victory is staring us in the face, will we reach out and take it?
Written By: Tyler Short
Numbers 21:33–35 shares the same account of Israel’s battle against Og. Og was a giant guy who slept in a giant bed (v. 11, 13.5’ long and 6’ wide. The word “bed” might also refer to his sarcophagus, but either way, he was a big dude). Perhaps he’s mentioned by name in this list of Israel’s victories because he symbolized what Israel’s spies feared most when they failed to enter the Promised Land the first time. Instead, on this occasion, Israel faced Og, the last of the “Rephaim” and put him to sleep.
Our passage covers more victories, and some of the Land that will be settled by some of the tribes when the fighting is done. What really stood out to me in this passage is verse 20. In discussing the Land, God points to the victory that lay ahead saying, “Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.”
The phrase that came into my mind while reading that is “the gift of victory.” Our passage today shows Israel stacking victory on victory, but every bit of is earmarked from God’s perspective—that it’s God that gave the victory. Additionally, in reference to the Land, God is saying that He will give victory. There’s one big problem with this gift, however, Israel had to go take it!
It is one thing to trust that God can or will do a thing. It’s an entirely different thing to run into battle, putting your life and well-being on the line, trusting that God can or will do that thing. One example might be the people that fully believe God can and does save people eternally through the person and work of Jesus Christ—what they’ve not done is surrendered their lives to the Gospel. The gift of victory is staring them in the face, and they won’t reach out and take it.
God was telling them that he would give victory in taking the Land. This is not the same thing as them walking in possessing it without doing anything. No, they were to be God’s divine judgment on the inhabitants—people guilty of multiple capital crimes. God gave a promise, they had the opportunity for a divine cooperation to seize the promise—but they had to fight.
At the risk of allegorizing the text, I think about the gift of victory in our own lives. Not just in salvation, but in sanctification, in victory over sin. However, our victory isn’t a peaceful victory, it’s a battle, a fight to the death. God has promised victory, but it’s a divine cooperation in the process.
Israel had the opportunity to take the Land as a gift from the Lord. We know the rest of the story that they never achieved complete victory and it went poorly for them. In the same way, we have the opportunity to see victory over sin, to make a kingdom impact, to see lives and communities changed, and yet, are we fighting for it? The gift of victory is staring us in the face, will we reach out and take it?
Written By: Tyler Short
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