King Og Defeated
September 9, 2022
Commentary
From all appearances Israel hardly stood a chance of defeating them but we must remember that no matter how insurmountable the obstacles may seem God is sovereign and will take care of any enemy he chooses (vv. 1-11). Continuing the rehearsal of Israel’s experience in the wilderness, Moses tells of the resistance of another Amorite King and the victory God gave to Israel. The Israelites faced the well-trained army of Og, king of Bashan (v. 1). They completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as they had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon (vv. 2-3). They destroyed all the people in every town they conquered—men, women, and children, but they kept all the livestock for themselves (vv. 4-7). The land contained 60 high walled cities and a territory that included the northern half of Gilead and all of Bashan (v. 4). They hardly stood a chance, but they won because God fought for them. God can help His people regardless of how impossible the obstacles may seem.
Sidon and Og were both Amorite kings that had controlled the territory which bordered Jordan. Their land stretched from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north (vv. 8-9). They captured all the towns in the highlands, all of Gilead, all of Bashan and two of the towns that Og had ruled (v. 10). Israel had just gained victory over Sihon and now they were facing the well-trained army of Og, king of Bashan. Og was a giant. Moses describes his bed as 13 feet long and six feet wide (v. 11). This truly was a king-sized bed.
Application
Many young Christians think that the battles of life will get easier as we grow older, but it doesn’t seem to work that way. It is just that in different seasons of life we go through different types of battles. When I was younger it seemed that my battles were centered more around moral purity. Through the years of life occupation, they were more in the area of competition and pleasing others. Now as I approach the senior years physical and mental things become more challenging.
Deuteronomy 3:1– 11 (NET)
1 Next we set out on the route to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. 2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.” 3 So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army, and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left. 4 We captured all his cities at that time—there was not a town we did not take from them—sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the dominion of Og in Bashan. 5 All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; in addition there were a great many open villages. 6 We put all of these under divine judgment just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon—every occupied city, including women and children. 7 But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we kept for ourselves. 8 So at that time we took the land of the two Amorite kings in the Transjordan from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion and the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy that his sarcophagus was made of iron. Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide according to standard measure.)