He was the biggest king with the smallest name that you will probably ever hear of. This king’s name was Og. He lived long ago, and he was a giant. There were no electric lights then. When nighttime came, people just lay down on a bedroll on the floor and slept until sunrise. There was not much to do in the dark without electric lights.
But King Og had a bed. It was a real bed, and it was made of iron. Being a king, it was probably very comfortable with cozy blankets and pillows, but we really don’t know because the Bible does not tell us. But the Bible does tell us how big King Og’s bed was — nine cubits long and four cubits wide. And since a cubit was the length of a man’s forearm, that means it was almost fourteen feet long and six feet wide. So we know this king with the very small name was a very big man — a true giant!
However, it isn’t really size that is important. We know that a little, tiny germ can kill a person just as easily as a big, bad accident. Maybe King Og was proud of being such a big man, but the Bible tells us, “Man [looks] on the outward appearance, but the Lord [looks] on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Have you ever wondered what God sees when He looks on your heart?
He says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and that means not only King Og, but you and me too. And all the stain removers in the world cannot bleach out one of those sins! There is only one way to have our sins removed, and the Bible tells us how.
In their travels to the land that God had promised them, the children of Israel came to King Og’s country. Being a mighty warrior who ruled over sixty cities, King Og fought against God’s people. But there was a last day and a last night for the giant king. He did not win the battle, and he was dead the next day. Nobody can win against God — not ever!
They kept King Og’s huge iron bed, but it was just for show. Og was dead, and his body turned to dust until the resurrection. What then? The Bible tells us that the dead, small and great, will stand before God, and the book of life will be opened, “and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)).
When that day comes, will you stand before God because you died in your sins? He is the God who sent His Son Jesus to die for you. He is the God who has love and forgiveness for you right now. Only Jesus can remove your sins and write your name in the book of life. He is the One who came into the world to save sinners. “What must I do to be saved? ... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-3130And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30‑31)).
Think About God’s Word!
1. Why did the children of Israel keep King Og’s bed?
2. Pride blocks our view of God’s purposes. Og probably was confident of his own power and didn’t know it was going to cause him problems. What does Proverbs 16:1818Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) tell us about the results of pride in our hearts?
Project: Pride can be a major problem in the heart of any Christian. However, it’s sometimes hard to spot correctly in others. In 1 Samuel 17 someone falsely accused somebody else of pride. Who accused whom? What other examples can you give of false accusations of pride or pretension in someone else? Hint: You should know one of the falsely accused very, very well.