Faith-Deuteronomy 2-3

Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Key Verse: Dt 3:22

“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Theme:Sin brings consequences (chap. 1). Faith pleases God (chap. 2-3). Disobedience brings discipline. Faith expressed by obedience brings blessing.

Moses’ first speech is historical prologue. Moses’ first speech (chap. 1-4) rehearses Israel’s past failure at Kadesh near the beginning of the 40-year wilderness period as well as its passing through Edom, Moab, and Ammon without fighting (Dt 2:1-23), its successes over Heshbon and Bashan (Dt 2:24-3:11), and the distribution of those two lands (Dt 3:12-20). Chap 4 (next week) is an exhortation that functions as a transition from the history in chap. 1-3 to the rehearsal of the Ten Commandments in chap. 5. The purpose of chap. 1-3 is not simply to retell history but to use history to persuade Israel to trust God so the land will be conquered.

Introduction: In Deuternonmy 1 Moses recounted how the people’s sin set them back for 38 years, until the entire faithless exodus generation died in the desert wilderness (Dt 1:35; 2:14-15; Num 14:30, 32), which is an estimated 2,000,000 corpses scattered through out the desert! Deuteronomy 2-3 recounts some of their victories when they responded to God in faith and obdedience to his commands. Moses deals with a new generation, the children of their dead parents. After 38 years of aimlessly circling the desert, Israel was on the march again, passing successively through Edom, Moab and Amnon. Moses recounts six episodes where God directs the Israelites from the vicinity of Seir to a position east of the Jordan from where they would enter the Promised Land. [He also shared his own personal disappointment of being forbidden to enter the Promised Land (Dt 3:21-29).] In essence, God said:

1. Pass through Edom, the descendants of Esau, Isaac’s brother (Dt 2:1-7).
2. Do not harrass the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Dt 2:8-15).
3. Do not harrass the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot (Dt 2:16-23).
4. Conquer Sihon king of Heshbon (Dt 2:24-37).
5. Do to Og king of Bashan what you did to Sihon king of Heshbon (Dt 3:1-11).
6. Give Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh the conquered land (Dt 3:12-20).
7. Do not speak to me anymore about entering the land (Dt 3:21-29).

The blessing of faith is experienced by obeying God. (Faith is also experienced and expressed by accepting God’s sovereignty and believing God’s promise.) Sin and disobedience results in dire consequences, while faith expressed by obedience to God brings blessing. Deuteronomy 2-3 is Moses’ account of the faith of the second generation of God’s people that enabled them to begin conquering the promised land. Their faith in God was expressed when God said (in abbreviated form):

1. Pass by [Edom, Moab, Ammon] (Dt 2:1-23).
2. Strike [Sihon, king of Hesbon and Og, king of Bashan] (Dt 2:24-3:11).
3. Allocate [the land] (Dt 3:12-20).
4. No [to Moses] and Yes [to the commissioning of Joshua] (Dt 3:21-29).

Why should we trust God by faith and obey him?

• God is faithful. Dt 2:7 says, “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.” Dt 3:22 says, “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”
• God fulfills his word of promise. Isa 55:10-11 say, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
• Jesus will fulfill every word of God. Mt 5:18 says, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
• Our obedience is the evidence and expression of our love for Jesus (Jn 14:15, 21, 23).

Work out your faith in your heart and mind in the following situations in Deuteronomy chapter 2-3:

1. God is for and against you. God says that he is with his people (Dt 2:7) and yet he is against them (Dt 2:15).
2. God’s promise requires your obedience. God’s promise of victory (Dt 2:24, 31; 3:2-3a) requires his people’s obedience (Dt 2:33; 3:3b).
3. God’s gift requires you to act responsibly. God’s gift requires responsibility (Dt 3:18-20).
4. God saying No when you want a Yes. God says “No” to Moses (or you) and “Yes” to Joshua (or someone else) (Dt 3:21-29).

Practical Application (Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology; The Importance of Our Human Actions [to the Decrees of God]), 332-337:

1. We are responsible for our actions.
2. Our actions have real results and do change the course of events.
3. Prayer is one specific kind of action that has definite results and that does change the course of events.
4. In conclusion: We must act!
5. If we cannot understand this doctrine fully, understand that our understanding is finite, and God is infinite.
6. Do not be afraid, but trust in God.
7. Be thankful for all good things that happen.
8. There is no such thing as “luck” or “chance.”

How do you express your faith when facing the paradox of God blessing his people (Dt 2:7) and being against them (Dt 2:15) at the same time? In Dt 2:7 and Dt 2:15 God promises to both bless and to punish his people. Dt 2:7 says that God was with his people and provided for them all this time for 38 years. But Dt 2:15 says that at the same time he was “against them.” What does this mean? They were still God’s people, but they will not get the blessing of entering the land. Ajith Fernando says that “in today’s language, they were saved people, but because of their disobedience they would not receive the honors and faithfulness that should have been theirs. They were disqualified from receiving the prize” (1 Cor 9:27).

There are two ways to obey God in the Bible:

1. The Pharisee way.
2. The gospel way.

The Pharisees’ obedience produces religious monsters. The Pharisees’ obedience is legalistic and based on the Law. This either produces pride when they think they are obeying well. Or it produces despair when they think they are not obeying well. When they obey, their head swells, they become self-righteous, and they think that they are far better than other “sinners” whom they regard as disobedient and immoral (such as the prostitutes and tax collectors). The Pharisees’ obedience produces “Christians” like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, who said, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders” (Lk 15:29). Pharisees’ obedience makes us religious monsters!

Gospel obedience reveals the marvelous grace of Jesus. How is gospel obedience different? Gospel obedience occurs when we catch a glimpse of glory through the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:4-6). Last week 15 of our members went to the 2014 Passion conference in Atlanta. When they returned their faces were glowing, like Moses when he came down the mountain of God (Ex 34:29, 35). They were on fire for Christ and were filled with the passion to live in obedience to Christ. It is as though they had received an eye transplant and are living the best day of their life every day. What happened to them? They caught a gliplse of the majestic and glorious Christ. Now they want to live their lives in loving obedience to God.

Jesus was obedient to death, even death on a Cross. If we are honest with ourselves we know that all of our attempts at obedience are incomplete, imperfect, stained with disgusting impure motives and they fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Thus, we continually need the gospel of God’s grace (Ac 20:24). How? Consider Jesus who–even though he was a Son–learned obedience from what he suffered (Heb 5:8). He suffered not for his own sins but for our sins. The best verses in the Bible that expresses Jesus’ condescension and obedience is in Phil 2:6-8: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

When we catch a glimpse of Jesus in his majestic glory, our life of obedience is simply a loving response to all that he has done for us (Rom 8:32).

Questions:

1. In Deuteronomy 1 what happened because of the people’s sin (Dt 1:34-40; 2:14-15; Num 14:32-35). What is the sober take home lesson (Num 32:23; Rom 6:23a; Gal 5:7)?
2. How can God be with his people and against them at the same time (Dt 2:7, 15)? What warning does this give to God’s people (1 Cor 9:27; 10:6, 11-12)?
3. Why does God’s promise of victory require our obedience (Dt 2:24, 31-34; 3:2-4; Phil 2:12-13; Eph 6:12)? How was it possible to defeat foes far stronger than they?
4. What does God’s directive to conquer some people and not others teach us about God (Ps 115:3; 135:6; Jn 3:8)?
5. Although God gives us possessions freely, why do we still need to act responsibly (Dt 3:18-20)?
6. Moses earnestly wanted to enter the promised land but God said “No” (Dt 3:23-26). How might you deal with God saying “No” to your earnest plea? As Moses blessed and encouraged Joshua to succeed him (Dt 3:21-22, 28), can you bless another person to receive what you want (Rom 12:15)?

References:

1. Fernando, Ajith. Deuteronomy: Loving Obedience to a Loving God. Wheaton: Crossway. 2012.
2. Block, Daniel I. Deuteronomy: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2012.
3. Woods, Edward J. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries). Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press. 2011.
4. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1994. Chap. 16: God’s Providence. 315-354.