What it Means to Have God on Your Side

Deuteronomy 2:16–37
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Although Edom, Ammon, and Moab had harassed Israel God would not give Israel their land (vv. 16-23). Instead, they were instructed to bypass their nations and let God take care of them. However, the situation changed with Sihon and the Amorites (vv. 24-25). The Amorites under King Sihon’s leadership had driven out the Moabites from this section of land and had taken over. Moses sent messengers to Sihon with words of peace (v. 26), but Sihon rejected the proposal and was hostile toward Israel (vv. 30-36). God then told Israel to destroy Sihon and his people completely.

By worldly standards, Israel’s army was not very powerful, but Israel had God on their side. He told Moses that he would make the enemy nations afraid of Israel (v. 25). This meant that Moses no longer had to worry about his enemies because his enemies were worried about him. In fact, by the time Joshua was ready to enter the land, the news of Israel’s invincible march had already gone before them (Josh 2:8-11).

God’s decision to protect Edom, Ammon, and Moab and His command to destroy Sihon is an illustration of His sovereignty over all nations. It was a reminder to Israel of what God had done for them and became a source of encouragement to them. The Lord does this for many of us today. He permits us to have a difficult experience to prepare us for life or to be helpful to others.

Application

God often goes before me in my daily battles, preparing the way and overcoming barriers. I need to keep in mind that God has a sovereign plan for my life, and it is wise for me to follow Him where He wants me to go. When He says for me to go, I need to move and when He says stop I need to stop.