As we saw on the previous chapter
(Deut. 2), before entering the Promised Land (Canaan), the Israelites had to go
through several populated lands: Edom, Moab, Ammon, and the lands of the
Amorites. They didn’t have to conquer these lands, but they did have to go
through them to be able to reach Canaan (through the Jordan River).
Before crossing through these lands,
the Lord instructed them not to fight the Edomites, the Moabites, or the
Ammonites, but he didn’t say the same thing about the Amorites. If the Amorites
didn’t let them go through their land, God gave them permission to fight
against them… and starting a war implied that whoever won would keep the
spoils…
(Deut. 3:8-10) So
we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites
who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount
Hermon (9) (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it
Senir), (10) all the cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all
Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
The land on the other side of the Jordan River (today the
country Jordan) was not part of the original plan of “conquering Canaan”. But
since the Amorites attacked them, they defended themselves and won those lands.
In the end, these were assigned to three tribes: Reuben, Gad and Manasseh (half
of the tribe).
(Deut. 3:12-13) When we took
possession of this land at that time, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites
the territory beginning at Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the
Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities. (13) The rest
of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob,
I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh...
This land distribution was decided upon a request from the
tribes of Reuben and Gad, since they thought it was good land for their
livestock. They asked Moses for it, but he had one condition:
(Deut. 3:18-20) And I commanded
you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land
to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers,
the people of Israel. (19) Only your wives, your little ones, and your
livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in the cities that
I have given you, (20) until the LORD gives rest to your brothers, as
to you, and they also occupy the land that the LORD your God gives them
beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have
given you.’
The tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh could stay in the
land with pastures on the other side of the Jordan River, but the warriors of
these tribes first had to fight alongside their brothers in the conquest of the
whole land of Canaan, as one single people (read chapter 32 of the book of
Numbers).
MOSES WILL NOT ENTER
After having conquered the land of the Amorites on the east
side of the Jordan, Moses knew they had little time left for them to enter the
Promised Land. But the Lord told him that he himself would not enter the land
because of something that had happened some time back…
First, let’s read the story in Numbers 20:
The Israelites arrived to Kadesh, where they didn’t find
water to drink.
(Numbers 20:1-5) And the people
of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first
month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried
there. (2) Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. (3) And the people
quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers
perished before the LORD! (4) Why have you brought the assembly of
the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and
our cattle? (5) And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us
to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates,
and there is no water to drink.”
Instead of crying out to God in humility (waiting to see if
God would answer or not), the people started to grumble (claiming what they
thought they “deserved”).
This was a trial for the new generation, to see where they
had their heart and if they trusted in God. Unfortunately, their reaction was
similar to their parents’ reaction.
The only ones who searched out for God were Moses and Aaron…
(Num. 20:6) Then Moses and
Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of
meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared
to them
When we search for God in humility, we can see his glory. We
also become open to hear what His Will is. In that moment, the Lord said the
following:
(Num. 20:7-8) and
the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (8) “Take the staff, and
assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before
their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for
them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”
The instructions were the following:
1. Take the staff
2. Gather the congregation
3. Speak to the rock in front of them
4. Result > water will come out of the rock
Now let’s see what Moses did…
1. He took the staff
2. He gathered the people
3. He spoke wrongly to the people
4. He hit the rock with the staff (2x)
5. Result > water came out of the rock, but Moses was
punished
Moses “half” obeyed. He did what God ordered in part, and in
part did what he thought was best. But… instead of speaking to the rock, he hit
it. Instead of taking to the rock, he spoke to the people, not words of
blessing, but the exact opposite: he cursed them saying they were rebels who
did not deserve the water that God was sending them. Although that wasn’t far
from the truth (humanly speaking), this was not what God had in his heart to
say. Moses spoke out of his own heart, and not what God wanted to say.
Now let’s see what God’s opinion is in respect to Moses’
“half-obedience”:
(Num. 20:12) And
the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me,
to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall
not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
This was the reason why Moses did not enter the Promised
Land along the sons of Israel. In the beginning Moses did everything God had
said, but he rebuked the people, instead of speaking to the rock. We could
think of this as a minor mistake, and that the punishment was too strong for
what he did, but the Bible explains the reason behind it:
a. He spoke without thinking, getting carried away by his
emotions.
(Psalms 106:32-33) They angered
him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, (33)
for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
“He spoke rashly”: he spoke without thinking, moved by
anger.
b. He didn’t sanctify God before the people: he presented a
bad image of who God is.
(Num. 27:14) because you
rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation
quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes.”
(These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
At the end of Devarim we find the same explanation, which is
said once more before Moses died:
(Deut. 32:48-52) That very day
the LORD spoke to Moses, (49) “Go up this mountain of the Abarim,
Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land
of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. (50) And
die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron
your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, (51) because you
broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of
Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as
holy in the midst of the people of Israel. (52) For you shall see the land
before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the
people of Israel.”
If Moses would have had only one virtue, that would be that
he was humble (the Bible says: more than any other man – Num. 12:3); therefore,
he knew that he had failed and deserved any punishment God gave him.
Nevertheless, Moses also knew that God was merciful, so he appealed.
(Deut. 3:23-29) And I pleaded
with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) ‘O Lord GOD, you
have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For
what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts
as yours? (25) Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the
Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ (26) But the LORD was
angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And
the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this
matter again. (27) Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes
westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your
eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. (28) But charge Joshua, and
encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people,
and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’ (29)
So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
In the end, God decided that he would not change his mind…
and Moses accepted God’s verdict with a lot of humility.
THE NEXT LEADER
After God informed Moses that he would not enter into the
Promised Land, like a good pastor Moses became worried about his people. Let’s
read what is written in the book of Numbers about it…
(Num. 27:15-20) Moses spoke to
the LORD, saying, (16) “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of
all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation (17) who shall go out
before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in,
that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no
shepherd.” (18) So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son
of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. (19) Make
him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall
commission him in their sight. (20) You shall invest him with some of your
authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.
This event is the one that Moses remembers in Devarim
chapter 3…
(Deut. 3:21-22) And I commanded
Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God
has done to these two kings. So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms
into which you are crossing. (22) You shall not fear them, for it is
the LORD your God who fights for you.’
Joshua will take Moses’ place as a leader to the Israelites.
He will guide them into Canaan and in the entire process of conquering the Land
that God had promised them.
More lessons on
Deuteronomy: DEVARIM (Deut.)
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