Week 57, Day 3: The Wilderness Wanderings
Today’s Reading: Deut 2:1-37
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
In chapter one Moses had recounted how Israel had been unfaithful when they were first commanded to enter the promised land. Now he recounts their wanderings up untill they came to the east side of the Jordan. We are not told a lot about the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness for those long, 38 years until all the generation of the men of war had perished (14). Which should tell us that it is not important for us to know where all they went, how long they dwelt somewhere, or how they passed the time exactly. The main emphasis should be placed on the fact that those who were unfaithful to God, who had not heeded God’s commands were destroyed in the wilderness. They did not enter into the land of promise. We are blessed today to be able to have opportunity to repent of our sins and turn back to God before it is too late. I think that often we think of the Israelites as not having such a chance to repent of their ways. The view is often that God quickly sentenced them to death in the wilderness. But I want us to keep in mind how many times they had been given warnings and how many signs God showed them that should have established in them the confidence to trust God and fear Him in order to keep His words. They were not simply banished to the wilderness because of one incident. They demonstrated repeated acts of rebellion and disbelief. And it certainly was just for God to destroy them in the wilderness. This point is not the main thrust of this recounting of the history of Israel by Moses but I do think that it will play an important role in what Moses is trying to emphasize to the children of Israel. Do not be like your fathers, remember the covenant with God and be faithful to do all that He commands of you.
Question; Why was Israel not permitted to harass Moab or Edom?
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