THE book of Deuteronomy, which we begin today, is most interesting. it gives us God's call to Israel to walk in obedience, and a rehearsal of His faithfulness which should have given there every cause to want to obey. Alas, however, it only discovered the fact that they had no heart for God or His Word, and they only earned the curse pronounced for disobedience. There are many reminders of God's mercy throughout the book, for He was ever ready to forgive and bless, if they would only turn to Him, but, as we have remarked, they had no heart to walk in His ways. In spite of this, it is beautiful to turn to the end of the book and read of the promises of future blessing in that day when God gives them a new heart (Jeremiah 31:33, 3433But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33‑34)), and blesses them according to His own purpose in grace, and not according to what they deserved at all.
The first chapter reminds the people of how they could have crossed the wilderness in eleven days and entered the land, but unbelief kept them out of it. They did not reckon on the power of God, but thought only of the difficulties which were too great for them. How often we look at difficulties in this way, end suffer, as Israel did, under the government of God for our unbelief, but if we would only turn to Him we would find Him greater than all our difficulties, and He would overcome, them for us. When the children of Israel saw the position in which their unbelief put them, they sought ways of their own to get out of it, but all in vain. It is a blessed, yet serious, thing to have to do with the living God, and human prudence is useless in this path "which the vulture's eye hath riot seen: the lion's whelps have not trodden it." Job 28:7, 87There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: 8The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. (Job 28:7‑8). Truly man's wisdom or strength could :neither find it, nor walk in it.
After rehearsing their journeys, we come to the point where the people are about to start in their advance toward the river Jordan, which they had to cross in order to enter Canaan. They passed by the land of Esau, Moab, and the children of Ammon, buying food and water from them, but not entering into any conflict. It is wonderful to see in all this how God is the disposer of hearts and kept these hostile nations from harming them as they passed by. Let us remember that His Word says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Proverbs 16:77When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7). Sometimes we are asked, "What would you do if . . ?" but that is reasoning and not faith. God may never put us in such circumstances, and if He does, His Word will guide us, and His arm is able to protect us.
When they came to the country of Sihon., king of Heshbon, Moses sent messengers asking that they might pass through his land peaceably, but Sihon refused and came out against them to battle. As a result of this, God told the children of Israel to destroy them utterly, killing every man, woman, and child among them, and keeping only the cattle alive. They then took possession of their land for the two and a half tribes who settled on the wilderness side of Jordan. Og, king of Bastian, also came out against the children of Israel, and he and all his people were destroyed, as those of Heshbon had been. The children of Israel then took their land for a possession also. How foolish to oppose God or His people!
Messages of the Love of God 3/17/1952