Two Kings Who Fought Israel Numbers 21:17-35
AFTER the people of Israel left the dreadful desert, we do not read of more complaints, but of a song. The princes opened some wells with their rods, and the people sang. Perhaps these had been filled with sand, or grass, so could be opened easily when the men were willing to help the people as Moses showed them.
As the camp moved on they came to the lands east of the Dead Sea where many people lived. And those people did not want the big company of Israel to pass near them, although they sent to ask, and promised not to touch the fields of grain or fruit, nor use their water, which was much valued in that warm land.
One king with a strong army came to fight against them, but. God gave the victory to the men of Israel.
Then another king, whose name was Og, came with his army. He was a giant, so large, his bed was 9 cubits (about 13 feet) long, and made of iron. His sons and people were no doubt, very strong, and he was king over sixty cities which had high walls, gates, and bars, besides smaller cities.
But God told Moses to “Fear not”, and He gave the men of Israel the victory over them, and gave Israel their cities and land (Read Deut. 3:1-12).
These kings and their people had known that God in heaven was Creator of all the earth, but they had chosen rather to worship idols, and lived in great wickedness. They had heard also how God vas leading Israel by the cloud by day, and by the pillar of fire by night, and they should have feared to fight against them God’s time had come for them to be punished (Exodus 23:23, 24; Numbers 14:14).
God’s people are told in the New Testament not to fight against their enemies, but to pray for them, because now God is waiting for people to repent of their sins.
“If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt, heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20.
“The Lord.... is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
ML 10/31/1937