Discouragement Turned to Victory

 As mentioned in the previous lesson, when traveling on foot or with animals, the availability of water determines where one can go.  Moving into an area where they had never been, in their effort to go around Edomite land, the Israelites had to trust God to lead them to ample supplies of water every few hours of travel.  While we don’t know exactly where some of the places described are, others are obvious.  Heading north east from the Gulf of Aqaba, they stopped first in an area they called Oboth, or “water skins”, probably indicating it was a place where the only water was what they carried, in Numbers 21:10.  “And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.”  Next they stopped at a place east of Moab. Where there were a lot of ruins, indicating a dependable source of water.  From there, God led them into the Zared river valley, which formed the southern boundary for Moab, before turning north to tributaries of the Arnon river, which formed Moab’s northern boundary, as Numbers 21:11-15 describes.  “And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.  From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.  From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.  Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,  And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.”

 

North of the Arnon tributary, there was an uninhabited area where there was no water, but God directed them to dig a well, as described in Numbers 21:16-18.  “And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.  Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. They called this place Beer, or “the well.”

 

From there they crossed several tributaries of the Arnon, eventually crossing the main stream of the Arnon and coming into Amorite territory at Mount Pisgah, in Numbers 21:18b-20.  “And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: And from Bamoth in the valley that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.”

 

In and attempt to avoid conflict Isreal requested permission to cross the Amorite land.  The Amorites refused, and attacked Israel, as described in Numbers 21:21-23.  “And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.  And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.”

 

When they were attacked, God gave Israel victory over the Amorites, enabling them to take all the Amorite lands east of the Jordan River, including lands the amorites had taken from the Moabites, as described in Numbers 21:24-32.  “And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.  And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.  For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

 

Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.  Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites. 0 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.  Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.  And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.”

 

Working their way northward, taking the Amorite cities, israel was confronted by Og, the giant king of Bashan, who promptly attacked, as described in Numbers 21:33-35.  “And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.  So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.”

 

When Edom refused Israel permission to cross their lands, the Israelites had been really bummed out, complaining until God sent the fiery serpents among them, but because they had come that way, they were able to seize a vast area on the East side of the Jordan, even before they crossed into Canaan.  As Romans 8:28 tells us, “…we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  It was well worth the extra time the journey took. 

 

Forty years before, Israel had been intimidated ty the giants at Arba, later know as Hebron.  In the process of taking the land they had killed Og, the king of Bashan.  Deuteronomy 3:11 describes Og as last of the giants in the area east of Jordan.  “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.”  His bed was thirteen and a half feet long, implying he was at least twice as tall as an ordinary man.  Killing him had to be a source of encouragement for the Israelites.