Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei. The Lord said to me, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.” Deuteronomy 3:1-2 NIV
The Bible tells us that King Og was the last of the Rephaites, a people of giant stature, similar to Goliath. His bed was 13 feet, 6 inches long! Moses, in his own strength was no match for this giant king, clearly the odds were stacked against him! But Moses had God on his side, and God never loses a battle!
As Moses led the people closer and closer to the land God had promised to give them, this king stood in his way. This was a battle Moses had to fight if he and the people he led were ever going to arrive where the Lord wanted them to be. God has a plan for each of our lives too, places he wants to take us and ways he wants to use us, but often the enemy stands in our way. There are battles we must fight if we’re ever to arrive in our own promised land.
Did God deliver on his promise to give Moses victory?
So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og’s kingdom in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. Deuteronomy 3:3-5
God never loses a battle, so why do we ever battle without him? God not only fights alongside us, at times he steps right in and fights for us. When we need his help, he confronts all the obstacles we face, for he is our Lord!
Some of the battles we face are physical, like the battle Moses fought with King Og. His life was on the line; if he lost, he could die. But the enemy attacks us in many ways. Sometimes he attacks our character and our reputation. Moses had some experience with that as well.
Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. Numbers 12:1-9 NIV
What did God do when his servant Moses was being attacked? He stepped in and defended him! Wouldn’t you love God to do that for you? Though we may never hear about it, I believe God does that for us every day!
I encourage you to reflect on the qualities Moses possessed, as God expressed them to Aaron and Miriam. “He is my servant and faithful in all my house!” Most importantly, “I speak to him face to face.”
Love one another always, and remember that we could talk forever about the Lord’s endless love for us. Remember also his kindness, justice, and righteousness, as you consider Peter’s words:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV
Love one another always!
Barnabas