Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20020710.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part II: Teaching Others To Trust God's Provisions For All Livelihood Needs
(Deuteronomy 2:1-3:11)
  1. Introduction
    1. If we follow God's leading, all we materially need to do His will in following that lead will be ours.
    2. Moses' recounting the great length to which God goes to provide for the livelihood provision needs not only of Israel, but of the nations, provides for us a great lesson on God's livelihood provision needs:
  2. Teaching Others To Trust God's Provisions For All Livelihood Needs, Deuteronomy 2:1-3:11.
    1. Moses recounted to Israel how God gave the Edomites, Esau's descendants their land in great provision:
      1. When directing Israel to pass through the land of Edom, God promised the Edomites would be afraid of Israel so Israel would be protected in this passage, Deuteronomy 2:1-4b.
      2. However, Israel was not supposed to provoke the Edomites to war, for God had given the Edomites their land of Edom, Deuteronomy 2:4c-5. Indeed, Moses relayed how God had thus apparently helped the Edomites dispossess the Horites to gain the land, Deuteronomy 2:12.
      3. Accordingly, Israel was to pay for the food and water she acquired while traveling through Edom, 2:6.
      4. Israel thus left the Edomites unharmed in traveling toward the land of Canaan, Deut. 2:8.
    2. Moses then recalled how Israel was to pay for Edom's food and water, and could afford to do so as God had greatly provided all Israel's livelihood needs through the long wilderness journey, Deuteronomy 2:7.
    3. Moses also recounted to Israel how God gave the Moabites, Lot's seed their land in great provision:
      1. In leading Israel toward the land, when they came close to the land of the Moabites, God forbade the people of Israel from attacking Moab as He relayed He had given Moab its land, Deuteronomy 2:9.
      2. Amazingly, this land used to belong to the Emites, a strong, numerous and physically tall people, Deuteronomy 2:10a. Nevertheless, God had helped the Moabites destroy this nation to gain their land.
    4. Moses also recounted to Israel how God gave the Ammonites, Lot's seed their land in great provision:
      1. In leading Israel to Canaan, when they came close to the land of Ammon, God forbade the people of Israel from attacking Ammon as He relayed He had given that land to the Ammonites, Deut. 2:16-19.
      2. Amazingly, this land used to belong to Rephaites, a strong, numerous and physically tall people, Deut. 2:20-21a, and Moses clearly stated the Lord drove out these people for the Ammonites as well as driving out the Horites before the descendants of Esau, Deuteronomy 2:21b-22.
    5. Yet, God gave Israel permission to conquer Sihon, king of Heshbon and take his land as their own:
      1. God announced Israel was to cross the Arnon Gorge (Deut. 2:24a) to begin to take possession of the land of the Amorite king, Sihon, king of Heshbon, Deuteronomy 2:24b.
      2. He said He would make the enemy afraid of Israel, making the battle easy to perform, Deut. 2:25.
      3. Moses recounted how he had tried to make peace with Sihon, but how the Lord hardened his heart to attack Israel and allow Israel to defeat him thereby, Deuteronomy 2:26-31.
      4. The people of Israel thus defeated Sihon in battle and gained his booty as their own, Deut. 2:32-37.
    6. Also, God graciously gave Israel victory over Og, King of Bashan to take his land as their own, 3:1-11:
      1. Moses recounted how Og came out against Israel to attack when the nation came in his direction, 3:1.
      2. God then had promised Israel victory as He announced He was handing Og's kingdom over to Israel (3:2), and Israel conquered his armies and inherited his land, Deuteronomy 3:3-10.
      3. Amazingly, Og was a descendant of the Rephaites, a strong, physically tall people predominantly conquered by the Ammonites (cf. Deut. 2:20-21), and so Og's bed was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide, Deuteronomy 3:11 NIV. Thus, in spite of this king's imposing size and the evident power of his people, Israel conquered his land because it was God's will to give it to Israel.
Lesson: As Acts 17:26 states, Moses DEMONSTRATED the POSSESSIONS not only of ISRAEL, but of the nations around her were SOVEREIGNLY, CONSISTENTLY and even MIRACULOUSLY supplied by the LORD.

Application: We must NOT DOUBT God's ABILITY or WILLINGNESS to provide for His own people their livelihood needs, for He has METICULOUSLY and GREATLY provided the livelihood needs not only of Israel, but of the NATIONS that were around her! (cf. Luke 12:29-31)