Study Desk

‘Now rise up and go on your way. Pass through the valley of Arnon. See, I have given you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take it for your own, and fight with him in battle.

You will sell me food for money so I may eat, and give me water for money so I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot

as the sons of Esau did for us in Seir and the Moabites in Ar. Do this until I cross over the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.'

But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass through his land. For the Lord your God made his spirit and heart hard, so He might give him into your hand, as he is today.

Then the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take it for your own, so you may live in it.'

We took only the animals for our own, and the things that were left behind in the cities.

There was no city too strong for us, from Aroer by the valley of Arnon, and from the city which is in the valley, as far as Gilead. The Lord our God gave all to us.

But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not be afraid of him. For I have given him and all his people and his land to you. Do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon.'

But we took for ourselves all the animals and what was left in the cities.

(For only Og king of Bashan was left of the children of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. It is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. It was as long as five steps, and as wide as two long steps.)

"So we took this land for ourselves at that time. I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the land from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead.

"At that time I told you, ‘The Lord your God has given you this land for your own. All you men with strength of heart will cross over ready to fight before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

Do not be afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the One fighting for you.'

‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your great power and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and powerful acts as You do?

Go up to the top of Pisgah, and look to the west and north and south and east. See it with your eyes, for you will not cross over this Jordan.

But tell Joshua what is to be done. Comfort him and give him strength. For he will cross in front of this people. And he will give them for their own the land that you will see.'

"Now, O Israel, listen to the Laws I am teaching you. Do them so that you may live and go in to take the land for your own that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

See, I have taught you Laws just as the Lord my God told me. So you are to live by them in the land you are going to have for your own.

Keep them and do them. For this will show how wise and understanding you are. The people who will hear all these Laws will say, ‘For sure this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

For what great nation is there that has a god so near as the Lord our God is to us every time we call to Him?