Deuteronomy 3: Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do Right?
1 “Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan; and Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 And Yahweh said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’
3 “So Yahweh our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, with all his people, and we attacked him until he had no survivors remaining. 4 And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many rural towns. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city. 7 But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as booty for ourselves. 8 And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.
“Og the king of Bashan came out against us. Without provocation, he rushed to attack the Israelites, either disliking the presence of such dangerous neighbours, or burning to avenge the overthrow of his friends and allies.” (Jameson, Faussett, Brown) — “And Yahweh said to me,
‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’”— “God’s promises are precious things, and especially when our faith is likely to be exercised. And, Reader, do observe, the LORD not only promised to deliver His people out of their enemies hand, but to deliver the enemy into His peoples hand. Such are the sweet assurances of grace. The LORD will not only rescue His servants from the hand of him that is stronger than them, but will finally bring Satan under their feet.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
They utterly destroyed men, women and children of every city.
“We”— Moses and the men of Israel— “‘utterly destroyed them.’—Devoted them, made them chêrem, as above (Deuteronomy 2:34).” (C. J. Ellicott) “And the principle of the devotion [chêrem] of all humans to Yahweh was carried out. Every man, woman and child was put to the sword. Only the cattle and spoils of the city were spared. God’s judgment on gross sin and idolatry of the worst kind was fulfilled. These were executions, not slaughter. Each of these worshipped false gods in Yahweh’s own land, and the penalty for that was death. It is a reminder to us that in the end God will call all men into judgment even though it be delayed, as it had been for the Amorites for hundreds of years.” (Peter Pett)— "'as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon.' Og was very powerful, but he did not take warning by the ruin of Sihon, and desire conditions of peace. He trusted his own strength, and so was hardened to his destruction. Those not awakened by the judgments of God on others, ripen for the like judgments on themselves.” (Matthew Henry)
If innocents (and by that I mean those not of the age or ability of understanding) were killed in these judgments, will they not have their place in the resurrection of the just? This has to be the case of some!
“Many an infidel has sneered at this statement and blasphemed God, charging Him with cruelty and injustice for allowing such an extermination of human beings. God is righteous. These people were steeped in all kinds of vices and wickedness…” (Arno Gaebelein) “If man is to sit in judgment upon the actings of God in government—if he can take upon himself to decide as to what is and what is not worthy of God to do, then, verily, we have lost the true sense of God altogether. And this is just what the devil is aiming at. He wants to lead the heart away from God; and to this end, he leads men to reason and question and speculate in a region which lies as far beyond their ken as heaven is above the earth. Can we comprehend God?…
We must look at them [these dealings] purely in the light of the government of God — a subject but little understood, though one of very deep interest and practical importance. We must accurately distinguish between grace and government. When we contemplate God in government, we see Him displaying His power in the way of righteousness, punishing evil doers; pouring out vengeance upon His enemies; overthrowing empires; upturning thrones; destroying cities, sweeping away nations, tribes and peoples. We find Him commanding His people to slay men, women and little children, with the edge of the sword; to set fire to their houses, and turn their cities into desolate heaps… But we may truly say, time would fail us, even to refer to all the passages of holy scripture which set before our eyes the solemn actings of the divine government. Suffice it to say that the line of evidence runs from Genesis to Revelation, beginning ‘with the deluge and ending with the burning up of the present system of things.’ Now, the question is, ‘Are we competent to understand these ways of God in government? Is it any part of our business to sit in judgement upon them? Are we capable of unravelling the profound and awful mysteries of divine Providence? Can we — are we called upon to — account for the tremendous fact of helpless babes involved in the judgement of their guilty parents?’ Impious; infidelity may sneer at these things; morbid sentimentality may stumble over them; but the true believer, the pious Christian, the reverent student of holy scripture will meet them all with this one simple but safe and solid question, ‘Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?’” (C.H. Mackintosh) And: “But who can endure the day of His coming?” (Mal 3:2)
“Moses probably recorded the size of his king size bed (11) to document the fact that God gave the Israelites victory over the giants they had so greatly feared.” (Dr. Thomas B. Constable) “Though his own stature and strength were wonderful, as may be judged by his bedstead of iron, and his courage equal to it, (for he came out to meet Israel,) yet he himself fell by their sword, and all his subjects perished with him; whilst his country and goods became a prey, according to God's promise and power, who delivered them into Israel's hand… There is no might nor wisdom against the Lord… They who refuse to be warned by the fall of others and continue to provoke their judgments, will perish with them.” (Coke)
“Their conquering and possessing of these countries was intended… for the encouragement of Israel in the wars of Canaan.” (Matthew Henry) “This victory was [also] considered so important (as no doubt it was) that we find the church celebrating it in a song of praise in one Psalm, and echoing to the same again in another. See Psalms 125:5, and Psalms 126:6.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary) “For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction,” in spiritual warfare—“so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jewish leaders. But NOW My kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36) He alone will be the Avenger of His people, Israel.
Deuteronomy 3: Manasseh’s Lot- Perhaps, A Type of the Church
12 “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites. 13 The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants. 14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and called Bashan after his own name, Havoth Jair, to this day.) 15 Also I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok, the border of the people of Ammon; 17 the plain also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the east side of the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.
“Distribution of the conquered land [on the wilderness side of Jordan]— The countries thus conquered by the Israelites were assigned by Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. The southern portion, from Aroer, in the valley of the Amen, to the Jabbok, with its towns (see Joshua 12:15-20, Joshua 12:24 -28), was assigned to the Reubenites and the Gadites; and the northern portion, from the Jabbok, comprehending, with Gilead, the whole of Bashan, or Argob, to the half tribe of Manasseh.” (The Pulpit Commentary)
The tribe of Manasseh traced it’s origins to Joseph's eldest son. “After Jacob exacted an oath from Joseph to bury him in Canaan he adopted his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh.” (Tyndale)That adoption gave the two brothers the position and legal rights equal to the other tribes. “Joseph was divided into Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh was divided into one half on the one side Jordan and the other half on the other side: that on the east side Jordan was again divided into two great families, which had their several allotments: Jair, Deuteronomy 3:14, Machir, Deuteronomy 3:15. And perhaps Jacob's prediction of the smallness of that tribe was now accomplished in these divisions and subdivisions.” (Matthew Henry)
18 “Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. 19 But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, 20 until Yahweh has given rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which Yahweh your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.’”
“We learned in our study of the book of Numbers that it was in self-will that they made the request [to inherit and on the other side of the Jordan]. They were disobedient.” (Gaebelein) Yet God seemed to allowed it, perhaps as a type of the church. But if they wanted to stay in covenant, they “should not enjoy their possession until they had accompanied their brethren in the subjugation of the land of Canaan” (John Calvin)
“True brotherly love demands that we bear one another's burden.” (Paul E. Kretzmann) “They must hereby be taught not to look at their own things only, but at the things of others, Philippians 2:4. It ill becomes an Israelite to be selfish, and to prefer any private interest before the public welfare. When we are rest we should desire to see our brethren at rest too, and should be ready to do what we can towards it for we are not born for ourselves, but are members one of another. A good man cannot rejoice much in the comforts of his family unless withal he sees peace upon Israel, Psalm 128:6.” (Matthew Henry) “But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock… shall stay in your cities which I have given you, until Yahweh has given rest to your brethren as to you etc.”— “rest from their enemies, and habitations to dwell quietly in.” (John Gill)
Descendants of Manasseh, as well as those of Reuben and the Gad— like the members of the church of Christ— had equal opportunity to serve Yahweh wherever circumstances found them. It is not about earthly real estate, but rather a matter of the heart. The land of Canaan is but a type of the possession which Abraham sought and his spiritual sons seek.
These, like we, were below the mark of the Israel of God in choosing their inheritance, but in this passage, “there is no allusion at all to this side of the question; because the object of Moses is to set before the whole congregation the exceeding goodness, loving-kindness, and faithfulness of God, not only in bringing them through all the difficulties and dangers of the wilderness, but also in giving them, every already, such signal victories over the Amorites, and putting them in possession of regions so attractive and so suited to them. In all this he is laying down the solid basis of Jehovah's claim upon their hearty obedience to His commandments; and we can at once see and appreciate the moral beauty of overlooking entirely, in such a rehearsal, the question as to whether Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh were wrong in stopping short of the land of promise. It is, to every devout Christian, a striking proof not only of the touching and exquisite grace of God, but also of the divine perfectness of Scripture.” (C. H. Mackintosh)
The conduct "which called forth the reproof of Moses upon that occasion, savored of what is but too often discoverable now among the LORD'S heritage, I mean a love of indolence and rest, while Zion is in warfare... Oh! for more of this zeal and love to the cause of Jesus, in the present declining day of the church.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
Deuteronomy 3: Past of Israel— A Precedent for the Future
21 “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to these two kings; so will Yahweh do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You must not fear them, for Yahweh your God Himself fights for you.’”
“Here is the encouragement which Moses gave to Joshua, who was to succeed him in the government, Deuteronomy 3:21,22. He commanded him not to fear. This those that are aged and experienced in the service of God should do all they can to strengthen the hands of those that are young, and setting out in religion.” (Matthew Henry)
“And I commanded Joshua at that time, 'Your eyes have seen- 'are the witnesses of all,’ etc. The conquest of Sihon and Og, as well as that of Amalek, was to be impressed upon Joshua as a precedent for his encouragement, and also for his instruction. It is remarkable that no details are given us of the battles against Sihon and Og, or of the capture of the cities, except in Joshua 12:6, ‘Them did Moses the servant of the Lord smite.’ We see the reflection of Moses’ campaign, which is unwritten, in the recorded campaigns of Joshua.” (C. J. Ellicott)
“When Paul wanted to enforce a grace and recommend a duty—he quoted a text. When you and I would give a reason for our hope, or when we feel that we need strength and consolation, we must go to our Bibles, and try to find out suitable texts. The lawyer uses old cases and decisions when he pleads his cause. ‘Such a judge has said such a thing, and therefore,’ he argues, ‘it is a settled point.’ The soldier on the battle-field takes up certain positions, and does certain things; and if you ask him why, he will say, ‘I have such and such orders from my general, and I obey them.’ The true Christian must always use his Bible in like manner. The Bible must be his book of reference and precedents. The Bible must be to him his captain's orders. If any one asks him why he thinks as he does, lives as he does, feels as he does—all he has need to reply is, ‘God has spoken to such an effect... that is enough.’” (Be Content- J. C. Ryle)
So all of the cities of Canaan — “would be all conquered and put into the hands of the Israelites, and their kings slain.” (John Gill) “‘You must not fear them.’ This was more than an encouragement, it was an outright command.” (Paul E.Kretzmann) — “‘for Yahweh your God Himself fights for you.’ A better translation of Deuteronomy 3:22 is ‘for Yahweh your Elohim [strong One], He [emphatic] is the one fighting for you.’ Israel’s future success was certain because of Israel’s God, not because of Israel’s strength or wisdom.” (Dr. Thomas B Constable)
“Ultimately the thing to be considered is, what hath God wrought?
If that be ignored, then the stable and instructive element in history has been kept out of sight, and the mind loses itself hopelessly amid the weltering chaos of second causes. Froude, in his ‘History of England,’ has noted this, and declares that in the period he deals with it was the religious men who alone had any true insight into the tendency of things. They measured all things, almost too crudely, by the Biblical standard; but so essentially true and fundamental does that show itself to be, that their judgment so formed has proved to be the only sound one. This is what we should expect if God’s power and righteousness are the great factors in the drama which the history of man and of the world unfolds to us. That being so, the suicidal folly of the policy of any Church or party which shuts the Bible away from popular use is manifest. It is nothing short of a blinding of the people’s eyes, and a shutting of their ears to warning voices which the providential government of the world, when viewed on a large scale, never fails to utter. It renders sound political judgment the prerogative only of the few, and sets them among a people who will turn to any charlatans rather than believe their voice.
It was natural and it was inevitable, therefore, that the author of Deuteronomy, standing, as he did, on the threshold of… history of Israel, should turn the thoughts of his people back to the history of the past. To him the great figure in the history of Israel in those trying and eventful years during which they wandered between Horeb, Kadesh-Barnea, and the country of the Arnon, is Yahweh their God. He is behind all their movements, impelling and inciting them to go on and enjoy the good land He had promised to their fathers. He went before them and fought for them. He bare them in the wilderness, as a man doth bear his son. He watched over them and guided their footsteps in cloud and fire by day and night. Moreover all the nations by whom they passed had been led by Him and assigned their places, and only those nations whom Yahweh chose had been given into Israel’s hand.” (Expositor's Bible)
“All is worded so as to encourage confidence in the Lord and obedience to His command. And is it not even so throughout His entire Word? Everything in His Word urges us on to trust in Him with fullest confidence. Happy are we if we do so and manifest that confidence by a loving obedience.” (Arno Gaebelein) Likewise, we- “The christian, on the same ground, should be encouraged from past victories over indwelling sin, to expect in the sanctification of his soul, the full accomplishment of all the great promises of the new covenant.” (Joseph Sutcliffe)
“Reader! one of the sweetest offices of the HOLY GHOST is to act as the Remembrancer of JESUS. And when he graciously performs this office in reminding the believer how in times past the LORD hath sustained and comforted his people, doth he not take the most effectual method in giving confidence for all that is to come?”(Hawker's Poor Man's Comm.)
Deuteronomy 3: Moses’ Prayer and God’s Answer
23 Then I pleaded with Yahweh at that time, saying: 24 ‘O Yahweh God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? 25 I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’
"To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Hebrews 9:28a) So, this “longing to witness further manifestations of God‘s goodness and glory, and the reluctance to leave unfinished an undertaking which he had been permitted to commence, are striking traits in his character.” (Barnes) Moses asked for two things for himself: "The first is written in Exodus 33:18 ‘I beseech thee shew me thy glory;’ the second is before us... It would seem that Moses desired not so much to view the land (which, indeed, was granted him), but to see the greatness of Jehovah manifested in the conquest, as he had seen it in the victories over Og and Sihon.” ( C. J. Ellicott)
But he must die first. “‘Then I pleaded with Yahweh at that time saying: ‘O Yahweh God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand .’ Moses had seen instances of the mighty power of God in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; but this was the beginning of his power, in vanquishing the Canaanites, and putting their land into the possession of the Israelites, as he had promised; of which the Amorites were a part, and a principal nation of them.” (John Gill) —
“‘For what God is there in heaven and on earth ,’ etc. “Jehovah's majesty and sublimity was singular, because He only is the true God.” (Paul E. Kretzmann) “These words recall Exodus 15:11, and are echoed in many of the Psalms, - in Psalms 86:8 almost verbatim . The contrast drawn between Jehovah and other gods does not involve the reality of the heathen deities, but simply presupposes a belief in the existence of other gods, without deciding as to the truth of that belief.” (Keil & Delitzsch)
“I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, ‘that goodly mountain, and Lebanon’ (KJV) or “the entire mountainous country of Canaan, and Lebanon.” (Paul E. Kretzmann) Many interpret a singular, blessed mountain, “which many understand as pertaining to Zion on which the temple was to be built… where Abraham performed that eminent and glorious act of worship, there also the children of Abraham should have their place of constant and settled worship.” (Poole)—and Lebanon, separately. But “biblical scholars now generally render the words, 'that goodly mountain, even Lebanon,' and consider it to be mentioned as typifying the beauty of Palestine, of which hills and mountains were so prominent a feature.” (Jamieson Faussett, Brown)
“God had said he should not go over yet he prays that he might, not knowing but that the threatening was conditional, for it was not ratified with an oath, as that concerning the people was, that they should not enter. Thus Hezekiah prayed for his own life, and David for the life of his child, after both had been expressly threatened and the former prevailed, though the latter did not. Moses remembered the time when he had by prayer prevailed with God to recede from the declarations which he had made of his wrath against Israel, Exodus 32:14. And why might he not hope in like manner to prevail for himself? Let me go over and see the good land. Not, ‘Let me go over and be a prince and a ruler there’ he seeks not his own honour, is content to resign the government to Joshua but, ‘Let me go to be a spectator of thy kindness to Israel,...’” (Henry)
26 But Yahweh was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So Yahweh said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
“But” Moses explained, Yahweh’s anger had been kindled on account of his own disobedience, being provoked by the hard heartedness of the people. And this punishment was to be accomplished, though he had repented and been forgiven by Him. It was determined that his earthly lot would be with the prior generation. “Some imagine that God was offended by such a longing as this; but Moses is rather giving the reason why he did not obtain what he sought— because he had been already excluded from it.” (John Calvin) Suffer it to be so now to fulfill the type.
“‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter’ is “literally, ‘[it is] enough for thee’, or, as it is paraphrased by Rashi from older commontatore, ‘Far more than this is reserved for thee; plentiful goodness is hidden for thee.’ And so indeed it proved. For on some ‘goodly mountain’… Moses and Elias stood with the Saviour of the world, and spake of a far more glorious conquest than Joshua’s, even ‘His exodus, which He should fulfil at Jerusalem’ (St. Luke 9:31).” (C. J. Ellicott) Moses’ “entrance of the land with Elijah in glory was grander than an entrance at the head of the hosts of Israel. And these views from Pisgah may still be ours if we seek the appointed mountain top of God. He calls us to mountain-tops of prayer and meditation, and shows us wondrous glimpses of his glory and his promises. To be with him there is compensation for much disappointment.” (The Pulpit Commentary}
“But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people,' etc. Moses only saw it from afar as the patriarchs of old. “‘So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.’ The law, which shows the holiness of God and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, could not bring the people to the possession of that kingdom. Moses may probably be considered here as the emblem of that law by which is the knowledge of sin, but not redemption from it. Joshua, the same [name] as Jesus, the name signifying a Savior, is appointed to bring the people into the rest which God had provided for them; thus it is by Jesus Christ alone that the soul is saved - fitted for and brought into the possession of the heavenly inheritance; for He is the end of the law - the great scope and design of the law, for righteousness - for justification, to them that believe; Romans 10:4.” (Adam Clarke)— “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)