Peter spoke from Deuteronomy 2 and 3 about going to war with God.
For a PDF copy of these notes, click here.
The story
Remember, this is Moses telling the story
2v2. Enough of travelling round the desert, I'm taking you closer, says God.
2vv3-7. Pass through Seir, be in peace
2v18ff. People of Moab and Ammon.
God has a plan for each people group. He asks us to live in harmony. Trade and engage with those we meet.
2v28. Pass through
Ignore us, there's nothing to see, just a million people walking past.
How to react?
Ignore
Profit
Attack
Jealousy from Israel? Keen to stop there?
They attack Israel, quite opposite to God's plan…..
God gives them over to Israel.
2v34. Destroy everything. No survivors. Plundered the land, and then settled some people in it (ch3 says so)
3v1 They reach Bashan. They encounter Og. v11 tells us Og absolutely huge. If bed anything to go by, Goliath size. 10ft tall? Bed was 6ft by 14ft.
3v2 don't fear him. God's hand will protect you.
Start ch3, they killed everyone. They ransacked their houses, and plundered their wealth and livestock.
Fertile plains are Bashan, mount Hermon to the north. Sixty cities fell as the people of Israel attacked.
Absolutely ransacked, everyone but Og died. He survived.
The people of Bashan rebelled against God.
Travelled up Western side of Israel and took all the land that God gave them, but not what he didn't.
3v26. Moses won't see the promised land, but Joshua will.
God has a plan.
Sometimes we don't get to see the promised land.
It does not mean we are not an important part of the story.
Without Moses, Israel would still be in Egypt!
Our response
How do we react to this?
God of love who says do not murder.
God's people who kill a whole people group.
Pacifism?
Celebration?
Emulation? Tutsis in Rwanda.
Our response to the story of war
Romans 13:1-5
Do good so you are not judged.
If no one did evil, then no need for war or judgement.
Authorities are there to rule and judge.
They can bear the sword to enforce the law.
However, the law needs to be godly……
1 Peter 2:13-17
Whenever you are attacked, whether on the national or personal level, there is the tendency to assume that you are totally righteous and the aggressor is totally evil. But this is never the case. The Bible plainly indicts us all: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “There is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). We may be right on a particular issue or occasion, but we need to check ourselves from the thought that easily comes when we are attacked, “I am without fault.” That thought leads us to pride, but the Bible enjoins us to humility by first taking the log out of our own eye in any conflict (Matt. 7:5).
James Jones, bishop
Thought for the day r4 16.4.18
Arrogance is the true enemy of peace
Our response to the story as church
We have taken land around the Peak District, but not in it.
We have fought and lost at times.
When God says it's time to go, he will just give us the land
Are you ready for us to take the land?
Personal application
What war are you fighting?
Should you be? Is that God's plan for you?
Are there wars you should be fighting?
Do we go into war in trainers t-shirt and shorts like it's going to be a picnic? No training or equipment.
Ephesians 6 is required…..
Train your body, athlete, letting go of what hinders.
In the 1968 Olympics John Akhwari represented Tanzania in the marathon. He was injured in the race, but kept on running. He entered the stadium, leg bandaged, long after the other competitors had gone home and the spectators had left. When asked why he replied "My country did not send me 7000 miles to begin a race, they sent me to finish it."
It's hard to persevere.
When it feels like God's keeping us from our Promised Land how do we react?
Does it drive is to God, or away?
Pete Greig God on mute p212
As we pay the price of obedience we can be sure that every short-term loss plays its part in the long term certainty of victor
