The Inheritance East of the Jordan River

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 13:1) Now Joshua was old, stricken in years, and the Lord said to him, "You are old, stricken in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed."

Joshua and the Israelite army had conquered thirty-one kings and territories in the past seven years.  But Joshua was getting old, commentators think about a hundred years old.  It's amazing to think that a man in his nineties could have done what he had done in the past seven years!  But there was still much land to be conquered all around on the outskirts of the conquered area.  This map I found on Pinterest said to have come from jesuswalk.com clearly shows the conquered lands in relation to the whole:

I find it interesting to note that although Joshua had defeated their kings as noted in the last chapter, some of their territories remained outside of Israelite occupation (Gezer, Aphek, Dor, Megiddo, etc.).  It seems reasonable to assume that Joshua may have continued to try to conquer the rest of the lands, but God stopped him because of his advanced age.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, had an interesting perspective.  As nothing God does is by accident, he suggested that God may have wanted some of the original inhabitants to remain in order to keep the oftentimes unfaithful Israel in check.  

(2) "This is the land that yet remains, all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,"

The Lord then detailed the lands that were still unconquered, undoubtedly so that Joshua and the Israelites would know what they had a right to claim.  There was the territory of the Philistines in the southwest of Canaan along the Mediterranean Sea, to Geshuri, which appears to be Geshur in the north.  This map borrowed from Big Springs Community Church shows the unconquered lands more clearly than the one above:

(3) "From Sihor before Egypt to the borders of Ekron northward, counted to the Canaanite, five lords of the Philistines, the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites, also the Avites;"

God described in more detail the as of yet unconquered territories of the promised land.  Describing the land of the Philistines, He said it ranged from Sihor before Egypt in the south to Ekron in the north which can be seen in the first map, across from Jerusalem.  The land of Philistia was counted as belonging to the posterity of Canaan, but the Philistines had gotten possession of it.  Because it was counted as Canaanite land, it was part of the promised land.  There were five lords in Philistia rather than kings, and it contained the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and their inhabitants, and to whatever cities the Gittites and Avites belonged.

(4) "From the south, all the land of the Canaanites and Mearah beside the Sidonians, to Aphek to the borders of the Amorites;"

As near as I can tell by these maps, God is describing all the land of the Canaanites that was not part of the Philistines, from the south upward to Aphek (note there are two Apheks, one in Upper Galilee) to Sidon.

(5) "And the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entering into Hamath;"

Gebal was north of Sidon on the Mediterranean coast.  The land of the Gebalites was said to be that east of Tyre, Sidon, and Gebal, the land east of the Lebanon mountains in the north, from Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath, seen clearly in this map borrowed from The Biblical Zionist:

(6) "All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, all the Sidonians, them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to the Israelites for an inheritance as I have commanded you."

The Lord continued to describe the land that was yet unconquered that also included all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim which was south of Tyre, all the land of the Sidonians.  All that very much land yet to be possessed (v. 1) included all the lands described from verse 2 to the Sidonians in verse 6.  All those the Lord would drive out from before the children of Israel.  Even though they were not yet driven out, the Lord wanted Joshua to divide all the promised land by lot to the Israelites for their inheritance.  Most of the early commentators I study suggest that these people were not ever entirely driven out or their land completely possessed by the Israelites, that the promise was always part of a covenant that must be upheld by the Israelites, and they did not do their part.  However, I refer back to Exodus 23:30-31, when the Lord said:

"Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you."

God specifically said that it would be little by little, and indeed all the land was subdued under the reign of David.  Some say that still the people were not specifically driven out, only subdued.  However, throughout ancient and modern history, Israel's borders have changed, and indeed the future Millennial Israel will include all of the promised land.

(7) "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh," (8) With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them,

The Lord told Joshua to divide the land on their present side of the Jordan River for an inheritance to the nine and a half tribes that had not yet received their inheritance.  Reuben, Gad, and the other half tribe of Manasseh had already received their lots on the east side of the Jordan River, given them by Moses.

(9) From Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon, (10) And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;

Further describing the lands given to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, it was from Aroer in the middle of the Arnon River that separated the land of the Amorites from Moab, and all the plain and cities of Sihon king of the Amorites to the Jabbok River which was the border of the Ammonites.

(11) And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salcah, (12) All the kingdom of Og in Bashan who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for these did Moses smite and cast them out.

They had also received all the kingdom of Og, which included Gilead, the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salcah.  All that land of Og that had been taken by Moses had been given to Israel, but they had not taken possession of much of it.

(13) Nevertheless, the children of Israel did not expel the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

Indeed, Joshua went on to write that the Israelites had not driven out the Geshurites and Maachathites, and they still dwelt with them at the time of his writing.

(14) Only to the tribe of Levi He gave no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

The tribe of Levi received no land inheritance on either side of the Jordan River.  As they were God's priests, He was to be their inheritance; they were to live off the sacrifices to their Lord God (Deuteronomy 18:1).

(15) And Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. (16) And their coast was from Aroer which is on the bank of the river Arnon, the city in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben the land from Aroer in the southeast and all the plain of Medeba.

(17) Heshbon, and all her cities in the plain, Dibon, and Bamoth Baal, and Beth Baal Meon, (18) And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, (19) And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley, (20) And Beth Peor, and Ashdoth Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth, (21) And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, dukes of Sihon dwelling in the country.

Reuben's inheritance included all these cities in the former kingdom of Sihon.  It had been taken by Moses when he defeated the king of Sihon and all his princes.  I can't begin to try to locate all these cities, but I found this map at Psalms to God Podcast that shows a general view of all the tribes and their allotments:

(22) Balaam also, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, the children of Israel killed with the sword, among those who were killed by them. 

The Israelites had also killed Balaam, the soothsayer, at the same time as the princes (Numbers 31:8).

(23) And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan and its border. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages.

The northwestern border of the land possessed by the descendants of Reuben was the Jordan River.  All the land, cities, and villages between the Jordan and Aroer in the southeast made up the inheritance of the children of Reuben.

(24) And Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. (25) And their coast was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer before Rabbah; (26) And from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; (27) And in the valley Beth Haram, and Beth Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as border to the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth on the other side of the Jordan eastward. (28) This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities and their villages.

Moses gave as an inheritance to the children of Gad the land from Jazer in the south to Rabbah in the west, with the Jordan River as the western border.  The northern border was quite unique, and I will let the map show the general area that was allotted to Gad.  Once again trying to locate all those cities is quite a dizzying task.  The Aroer before Rabbah would have to be a different Aroer from the one at the middle of the Arnon River.  Also Debir would have to be a different Debir.  All the cities of Gilead would only pertain to those cities within the area of Gad, as half of Gilead was given to the half tribe of Manasseh.  The same would have to be said for all the kingdom of Sihon that was given to Reuben (v. 21), as it states here that there was the rest of the kingdom of Sihon that was given to Gad.  Half the land of the children of Ammon refers to that part that Sihon king of the Amorites took from the Ammonites.

(29) And Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh, and this was of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families. (30) And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; (31) And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.

To the half tribe of Manasseh, the land from Mahanaim, which must have been the southern border as Gad also had that border (v. 26), including all the land of Bashan that included sixty cities, half of Gilead, and the royal cities of Og, Ashtaroth and Edrei.  The land is said to have been given to half the children of Machir, who was Manasseh's son.

(32) These are what Moses had distributed for inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward.

The lands described above from verse 9 to this verse were all the lands that had been distributed by Moses to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, east of Jericho.

(33) But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He said to them.

Once again, Joshua points out that the tribe of Levi did not receive any land as their inheritance, because as priests, the Lord God was their inheritance.

As Joshua was now old, God had him rest from his battles, even though there was still much land to be conquered.  However, for now, He wanted Joshua to portion out the lots of inheritance, and it was to include all the land that had been promised, even those not yet conquered.  This chapter began with the allotments that had already been given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. 

Kings Defeated by Israel

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 12:1) Now these are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel smote and possessed their land on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:

In the last chapter and post, Joshua and his army had concluded their conquest of their promised land on the west side of the Jordan River.  Now began a summary and list of the kings whom Israel defeated in order that the Israelites could possess their land.  The list started with the kings Israel defeated on the east side of the Jordan River from the Arnon River in the south to Mount Hermon in the north and all the plains between the two.  

(2) Sihon king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from the middle of the river and from half Gilead even to the River Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon, (3) And from the plain to the Sea of Chinneroth on the east and to the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea on the east, the way to Beth Jeshimoth, and from the south under Ashdoth Pisgah.

The first king the Israelites defeated in order to take possession of their land was Sihon king of the Amorites.  He dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead from Aroer in the middle of the Arnon River, which was the boundary between the Amorites and the Moabites, to the Jabbok River which bordered the Ammonites, from the plain of Moab to the Sea of Chinneroth on the east and to the Salt Sea on the east, the way to Beth Jeshimoth, a place in the plains of Moab, and from the south under Ashdoth Pisgah, which meant literally the ravines of Pisgah, named for the springs of Pisgah which flowed from Mount Pisgah.  It is very difficult for me to grasp the exact locations of these territories, but I found a map on Pinterest said to be a map of the lands taken and kings defeated by Moses and Joshua from this chapter in Joshua.  The map was originally found at thesentone.files.wordpress.com:

(4) And the coast of Og king of Bashan of the remnant of the giants who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, (5) And reigned in Mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

The Israelites also defeated Og king of Bashan who was of the remnant of giants, said to be the only one left in Deuteronomy 3:11.  Og dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei and reigned over Mount Hermon and Salcah, and over all of Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

(6) Them did Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel smite, and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it as a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

Sihon and Og were the two kings who had been destroyed under the direction of Moses.  Moses gave those lands to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 3:11-17).

(7) And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side of the Jordan on the west, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to the mount Halak that goes up to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions, (8) In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

Following in verse 9 begins a list of the kings defeated by Joshua and the Israelite army on the western side of the Jordan River, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon in the north to Halak in Edom in the south, which Joshua would later divide among the tribes of Israel for their possession.  All the land contained in this area, all the mountains, valleys, plains, springs, the wilderness, and the south country, inhabited by the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, Israel had conquered.

(9) The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

The list of kings defeated by Joshua begins with Jericho, one king, and next was the king of Ai, one king, which brings the tally to two kings.

(10) The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; (11) The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; (12) The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

The list continues with the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, who were the five kings who had allied against Israel and were taken and hanged.  Next was Gezer who came to help Lachish.  That brings the number to eight kings.

(13) The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; (14) The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; (15) The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 

Israel also defeated the kings of Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, and Adullam, some of which were not mentioned among the major battles of chapters 10 and 11.  That brings the number of kings defeated to fourteen.

(16) The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; (17) The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; (18) The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 

The kings of Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, and Lasharon, bring the total to twenty kings defeated.

(19) The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; (20) The king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; (21) The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

The kings of Madon, Hazor, Shimron Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, and Megiddo, bring the total to twenty-six.

(22) The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; (23) The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

The kings of Kedesh, Jokneam, Dor, and Gilgal were defeated by the Israelites.  Many Bible commentators say that the Gilgal where the king was defeated is not the same place as the Gilgal where Joshua lodged at first on the western side of the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19).  However, the way it is written in the verse, "nations of Gilgal," suggests there were several smaller cities or perhaps even nomadic tribes under one rule, so the king of the nations of Gilgal would not necessarily have been in the Gilgal where Joshua lodged, but could have still been over it, the way I see it.  The number of kings defeated by Joshua comes to thirty.

(24) The king of Tirzah, one; all the kings, thirty-one.

Finally, the king of Tirzah was defeated, bringing the total number of kings defeated by Joshua to thirty-one.  Thus completes the list of all the kings defeated by Israel in order to take possession of their promised land.  There were two kings defeated on the east side of the Jordan River under the direction of Moses, and thirty-one kings defeated by Joshua on the west side of the Jordan.

The Gibeonites' Deceit to Obtain Peace with the Israelites

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 9:1) And it came to pass when all the kings on this side of the Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard, (2) That they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord.

In the last chapter and post, Israel had completely destroyed Ai and its king.  When the kings on the side of the Jordan River that the Israelites were now on, the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite kings, in the hills and valleys and coasts toward Lebanon, heard how they had destroyed Jericho and Ai, they gathered together and agreed to unite against Israel.

(3) And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, (4) They worked craftily and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wine bottles old and torn and bound up, (5) And old shoes and patched on their feet, and old garments on them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

Gibeon was a large royal metropolitan city of the Hivites.  When its inhabitants heard about what Joshua had done in Jericho and Ai, it seems they took matters into their own hands and schemed.  They acted as if they were ambassadors from some faraway country.  They wore old worn out and patched clothing and shoes and took upon their donkeys old sacks, old torn and tied up wineskins, and moldy bread, to make it look as if they had traveled a long way.

(6) And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore make a league with us."

They went to Joshua and the men of Israel to their camp at Gilgal and indeed told them they were from a faraway country, and they desired a league with Israel.

(7) And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell among us, so how shall we make a league with you?"

The men of Israel replied to the Gibeonites who were indeed part of the Hivites, although they did not know that for certain, that it might be that they dwelled among them so they could not possibly be in league with them, as they had come to destroy them.  Additionally, they were forbidden to make any covenant or show any mercy to the countries they had come to destroy (Deuteronomy 7:2).

(8) And they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"

The Gibeonites declared themselves servants to Joshua, meaning in this agreement they would do whatever he wanted to make an alliance with him.  It seems Joshua was suspicious and demanded to know just who they were and where they came from.

(9) And they said to him, "From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the Lord your God, for we have heard the fame of Him and all that He did in Egypt, (10) And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan at Ashtaroth."

They did not tell Joshua what country they had come from but only said it was a very far country.  They said they had come because of the name of the Israelite God, and they had heard about what He had done in Egypt and to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan River.  They didn't mention Jericho and Ai, but perhaps because they had supposedly come from so far away, they would not have heard about those yet.  That was probably part of their scheme to make them less suspicious to Joshua.  They made it sound as if they were awed by their Lord's great and glorious works and perhaps would embrace the Israelite religion.  I can't help but wonder why on earth they wouldn't truly want to after hearing of all those miraculous works, they and all the Canaanite nations!  

(11) "Therefore the elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take victuals with you for the journey and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; now therefore, make a league with us."'"

The Gibeonites told Joshua that the elders and inhabitants of their country asked them to take provisions and make the long journey to the Israelites to meet them, perhaps the implication was before the Israelites had a chance to come hostilely into their country.  They were instructed to come to them and declare they were ready to make an agreement with them.  As their servants, they meant they were ready to do whatever was asked of the Israelites in order to make an alliance with them.

(12) "This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you, but now, behold, it is dry and it is moldy."

The Gibeonites began to lay it on a bit thicker, saying that they had taken hot bread for provision when they departed on their journey, and now the bread was dry and moldy.  It seems to me a little suspicious that they would feel the need to show Joshua their bread to prove they had come a long way, so he would believe their story must be true.  A more natural and logical way may have been to merely ask for food as theirs had supposedly become dry and moldy.  But I suppose it's easy to Monday morning quarterback, and it appears their method worked for them.

(13) "And these bottles of wine which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

The Gibeonites continued trying to prove they had come a long way by telling Joshua their wineskins had been new, but were now torn, and their clothes and shoes had worn out.  

(14) And the men took of their victuals and did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

The men of Israel took the Gibeonites' provisions from them as they were showing them to them, and it seems they believed them.  However, they did not think to seek counsel from their Lord.  It looks to be another lesson so soon in their new land that they needed to seek to follow the Lord in all things.

(15) And Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them, to let them live, and the princes of the congregation swore to them.

Joshua himself did not seek counsel from the Lord, but made peace with the Gibeonites and made an agreement with them that they be allowed to live in peace.  The princes of Israel made an oath that they would keep the covenant they made with them.  

(16) And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them.

Three days later, the Israelites discovered that the Gibeonites were their neighbors and dwelt among them in their promised land.

(17) And the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.

On the third day after making league with the Gibeonites and now having discovered they were their neighbors, the Israelites went to their cities.  Gibeon was the metropolis with Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim, being suburbs of it.

(18) And the children of Israel did not attack them because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

Israel did not attack Gibeon and its suburbs because the Israelite princes had sworn to them by their Lord God that they would let them live.  However, the congregation murmured against the princes, possibly fearing the wrath of the Lord because they did not completely destroy them as they were commanded to do to all the inhabitants of their promised land, or perhaps because they had a more selfish reason in that they would not be able to plunder their cities and inhabit them.

(19) But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them."

The princes told the murmuring congregation that they had sworn to the Gibeonites by their Lord God of Israel, so they would not break their oath and they would not touch them.  Interestingly, even though the Israelites had not sought God's counsel, God approved of their upholding their covenant with the Gibeonites, as evidenced much later when God avenged the wrong Saul did to the Gibeonites in violation of their covenant (2 Samuel 21:1).  It is a merciful loving God who blesses us even though we do not always follow exactly in His ways.  His ways are perfect, and if we always sought His counsel, our ways would be perfect as God desires the best for us.  But even when we mess up, He can make things work to the good if we love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).  A perfect example is when God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but Sarah grew impatient and decided to help God by giving Abraham her maidservant to birth a son, Ishmael, and it all caused troubles in the lives of all concerned.  God still blessed Abraham with his son Isaac, but things would have been much better and smoother had Sarah trusted in God's promise and had patience to wait on God's timing.

No doubt, things would have been better for Joshua had he asked God's counsel before making a covenant with the Gibeonites, but He honored Israel's oath.  Who knows?  God might have spared the Gibeonites anyway because they had come to Israel to make peace, but you can be sure His covenant would have been perfect and better for the Israelites than the one they struck without Him.

(20) "This we will do to them, we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them."

The princes went on to tell the congregation of Israel that they would let the Gibeonites live because they would not bring the wrath of God upon them because they had sworn by His name.

(21) And the princes said to them, "Let them live, but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes had promised them."

The princes continued telling the congregation to let the Gibeonites live as the princes had promised them.  However, they would be made to be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which were thought of as low and demeaning types of work.

(22) And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?"

Joshua called for the Gibeonites and asked them why they had lied to the Israelites, telling them they had come from afar when they were actually their neighbors living among them.

(23) "Now therefore, you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

Although Israel would still honor their oath with the Gibeonites even though they had lied to them, Joshua declared they would all be servants, woodcutters and water carriers, specifically for the house of the Lord, which was for all the congregation (v. 21).  They became the servants of the Levites who were servants to the priests.  That actually became a fulfillment of a curse pronounced by Noah in Genesis 9:25, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren."

(24) And they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants how that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were very much afraid of our lives because of you and have done this thing."

The Gibeonites answered Joshua's question about why they had lied.  They had heard that their Lord God had commanded Moses to give the Israelites all the land of Canaan and that they were to destroy all the land's inhabitants.  They were very much afraid for their lives, so they deceived the Israelites the way they did to save their own lives.

(25) "And now, behold, we are in your hand; as it seems good and right to you to do to us, do."

The Gibeonites, realizing they were at Joshua's mercy because they had lied to him, told him they would do whatever he deemed good and right, in order to continue to live among them.

(26) And so he did to them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they did not kill them.

Joshua did as he said and made the Gibeonites servants to them, but he allowed them to live among them.  In doing so, he had delivered them out of the hand of the Israelites who would have killed them if they had their way.

(27) And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, even to this day, in the place which He should choose.

That very day Joshua made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water bearers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord.  Perhaps since the Lord had not yet chosen the place for His tabernacle, the Gibeonites actually did serve all the congregation, or maybe the meaning was that by serving the Levites who served the priests, they were doing their part for the entire congregation as their labor served the Lord's altar.  However they served in the beginning, they did come to serve the Levites when the tabernacle was placed in the place of the Lord's choosing.

Had the Israelites consulted God first before making an oath with the Gibeonites, things would have worked out better for them.  Additionally, things would have worked out better for the Gibeonites if they had been honest in the beginning.  If they had come truthfully and sincerely to Joshua seeking peace and renouncing their idolatry, they could have lived among the Israelites in freedom and in peace.  However, in this way, they barely escaped with their lives and were doomed to live as servants in menial labor.  God's way is always perfect.  If only we always sought His counsel and obeyed all His commandments, our lives could be perfect as He desires for us.

Rahab Hides the Israelite Spies

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 2:1) And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, "Go view the land, even Jericho." And they went and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

In the first chapter of Joshua in the last post, God had commissioned Joshua to take over in the place of Moses to lead the people into their promised land.  The first thing that comes to mind in this, the beginning of chapter 2, is the fact that Joshua is always called the son of Nun, as if Nun was a very important person.  However, I can find nothing that Nun did other than to father Joshua.  He is mentioned 29 times in the Bible, but always "Joshua, the son of Nun."  When would Joshua become important enough in his own right that "son of Nun" could be dropped?  I found a fascinating possible answer on this page:  Why is Joshua referred to in the Torah as “bin” Nun?  It seems that most of the time when someone was referred to as the son of someone, it was written as "ben."  The author of this page wrote that the Torah actually had the word as "bin" with Joshua and suggested that the words were not meant to be "bin Nun," but "binnun," a form of the word "binah" which meant something to the effect of "the understanding one."  Indeed, Joshua seems to have been an excellent student who would not depart from the tabernacle, even after Moses left (Exodus 33:11).  Therefore, this would have been a sort of new name given to Joshua, as the Lord often renamed His servants, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, etc.  And as Judas Iscariot was almost always referred to as the one who betrayed Jesus, and James and John were the sons of thunder, this was Joshua, the understanding one.

Now back to commentary on Joshua 2:1, Joshua sent out two spies from their camp in Shittim in the plains of Moab, telling them to secretly check out the land, especially the land around Jericho.  The two spies went into the land and found lodging at Rahab the harlot's house.

(2) And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, there came men here tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country."

It was told to the king of Jericho that men from the Israelites had come into their land that night to search out their country.

(3) And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who have entered into your house, for they have come to search out all the country."

It was evidently specifically told to the king that the Israelite men were lodging at Rahab's house, as he sent word to her to bring the men to him because he knew they had come to search out their country.

(4) And the woman took the two men and hid them, and said, "There came men to me, but I knew not where they were from."

However, Rahab hid the two Israelite spies and reported back to the king that men had come to her, but she didn't know where they had come from.  I find it interesting that most of the old commentators I study, John Wesley, Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, and John Gill, made a big deal of Rahab lying, writing that lying was never justified.  I hope that it's not me trying to justify a sin, but I honestly don't read, "Never tell a lie" in the Ten Commandments.  The ninth commandment says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."  You don't tell a lie about someone that will hurt them.  You don't falsely accuse them of something.  Rahab's lie helped the men.  In Hebrews 11:31, Rahab is honored for her act of faith, and there is no caveat that her unjust lie was forgiven her.  I admit that there are other scriptures that specifically say, "Do not lie" (Colossians 3:9, Leviticus 19:11, Proverbs 6:16-17, and others).  However, most of these refer to cheating and defrauding people.  I concede that telling insignificant lies that don't appear to hurt anyone might lead one down a slippery slope of telling lies more easily, so they should always be avoided.  However, as Peter and the apostles said in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men."  Certainly, when we are called to do or say something against God, we are to obey God even if that requires lying.  My point is not to condone lying, but I don't see that lying to the enemies of God to protect His men should be called out as an evil that had to be forgiven.  As a heathen and a harlot, Rahab surely must have been led by the Spirit of God to protect the men.  So was her lying to save them really an evil sin?

(5) "And it came to pass at the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went, I do not know; pursue after them quickly, for you shall overtake them."

Rahab went on to tell the men looking for the Israelite spies, that when it was dark, the spies left her house, and she did not know where they had gone.  She encouraged them to pursue them quickly, as they might be able to overtake them, but of course, she was still lying and knew that was not the case.

(6) But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

Rahab had actually brought the spies up to the roof of her house and had hidden them under stalks of flax that she had laid on her roof, probably to dry them.

(7) And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan to the fords, and as soon as they who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

The men went out to the fords of the Jordan, assuming the spies had gone that way back to their camp.  Verse 5 spoke of the shutting of the gate, but apparently Rahab had meant that it was the time for the shutting of the city gate, but it actually wasn't shut until the men pursuing the spies had gone out of it.

(8) And before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, (9) And she said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you."

Before the spies had lain down under the flax, probably meaning to go to sleep, as they were already hiding under the flax, Rahab had gone up to the roof to talk to them.  She said that she knew the Lord had given them their land, which would appear to be a divine revelation to her.  She knew God's people were a formidable people who struck terror in the hearts of the inhabitants of their land.

(10) "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed."

Rahab told the spies that she and her people had heard how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea to allow His people to escape from the Egyptians, as well as how they had completely destroyed the Amorites and their kings.

(11) "And as soon as we had heard, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."

Rahab said that when she and her people had heard what God was doing for the Israelites, their countrymen melted in fear and had no courage.  Whether others did or not, Rahab herself realized that the Israelites' God must be the one true God of heaven and earth.  I still believe there was some divine revelation to Rahab to have her come to this conclusion about their God.

(12) "Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father's house and give me a true token, (13) And you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

Rahab asked the spies to swear to her that since she had done a great kindness to them in hiding them from their enemies, that they would in return show kindness to her and her father's house.  She asked for some sort of token that would assure her that her entire family would be spared from death.

(14) And the men answered her, "Our life for yours if you do not utter this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you."

The spies pledged their lives for hers as long as she (and her family) did not discuss this arrangement with her to anyone else.  Rahab had done what she did because she had faith in the one true God of the spies.  They could not have people trying to mimic Rahab's actions just to save themselves, so she must keep their agreement to herself.  They assured her that when the Lord had given them their land, they would indeed deal kindly and truly with Rahab and her family.

(15) Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was on the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Rahab's house was on the town wall.  Perhaps the back wall of her house was part of the town wall which made it possible for escape even though the town gates were shut.  Rahab let the spies down by a cord through a window on the town wall.

(16) And she said to them, "Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers have returned, and afterward you may go your way."

Rahab told the spies to go to a mountain that was obviously near the city and hide themselves there so that their pursuers would not meet them on their way back from the fords.  She advised them that they stay in the mountain for three days to be sure the pursuers had returned, and then they could go on their way.

(17) And the men said to her, "We are blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear."

I believe what the spies meant to say to Rahab was that they would indeed faithfully adhere to the oath they made with her, and in that way they would be blameless, providing she upheld her part of the oath and did not tell a soul about their agreement (v. 14) and that she would do the following:

(18) "Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you let us down by, and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father's household, home to you."

The spies told Rahab that when they came back into her land to conquer it, she was to take a scarlet cord, probably the one by which she had let them down, and hang it in the window, the same one by which she had let them down, and bring all her father's family into her home.

(19) "And it shall be, whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood be on his head and we guiltless, and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood be on our head if any hand be on him."

The spies went on to tell Rahab that as long as every member of her family stayed inside her house, they would be safe.  However, if any of them went outside her house, it would be their own fault when their blood was spilled, but if anyone within her house was harmed, their blood would be on the heads of the spies for not upholding their oath.

(20) "And if you utter this our business, then we will be quit of your oath which you have made us to swear."

The spies reiterated the fact that Rahab must not utter a word about their agreement, or they would not be bound by their oath.

(21) And she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.

Rahab agreed that she would do as the men said, and she sent them away.  She then went ahead and immediately bound the scarlet cord to her window.

(22) And they went and came to the mountain and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned. And the pursuers sought them throughout all the way but did not find them.

The spies went to the mountain as Rahab had directed them and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned from searching for the spies throughout all the way from Jericho to the Jordan and back again.  They did not find them, of course, because Rahab had hidden them and then directed that they hide in the mountain.

(23) So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun and told him all that befell them.

After the three days, the men descended from the mountain, passed back over the Jordan River, and returned to Joshua, where they told him everything that had happened to them.

(24) And they said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us."

Unlike the spies Moses sent to search out the land of Canaan back in Numbers 13, who reported that they would be unable to go against the people of Canaan, these two spies were confident that their Lord had delivered the land to them because of Rahab's report that their whole country was terrorized and in fear because of the Israelites.  Whereas the spies of Moses did not have faith enough to trust the word of their Lord that they should go in and possess their land He had given them, these two spies had no need to see or hear anymore, but trusted that God had indeed delivered the land to them.

Praise the Lord!

I have been following a chronological Bible study proposed by Skip Andrews.  About this and the past few psalms, Mr. Andrews wrote, "Although we may not be able to precisely date these Psalms at this time, their general themes fit the topics we have just read in Deuteronomy."  Continuing with Psalm 135:

(Psalm 135:1) Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord, praise, O you servants of the Lord!

The author of this psalm, as well as the occasion on which it was written, is unknown.  Some commentators believe that the first short sentence was meant to be the title of the psalm--Praise the Lord.  The psalmist indeed began his psalm by exhorting the people, God's own people, meant to be His servants, to praise their Lord.  

(2) You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, (3) Praise the Lord for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name for it is pleasant.

Those who stood in the house of the Lord, the priests and Levites, as well as the people who stood in the courts outside the temple, were exhorted to praise the Lord because He was so good.  They were exhorted to sing praises to His name because it was pleasant.  His very name was delightful to His people and cause for praise, but also it was pleasant to sing praises to Him.  Singing songs of praise very definitely lifts the spirit.  

(4) For the Lord has chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

The people were to praise the Lord because He was good, and also because He chose Jacob (Israel) to be His own special treasure, His chosen people.

(5) For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods.

The psalmist professed his knowledge that the Lord was great and above all other gods, that is, those who were falsely worshiped as gods, as there is really only one true God.  

(6) Whatever the Lord pleased, He did in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.

The Lord did and does whatever He pleases in the heavens, all the universe, and in the earth, in the seas and all the deep places of the earth.

(7) He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasures.

The Lord causes the "nasi" to ascend from all over the earth.  As this verse speaks of weather-related things, "vapor" is the best translation here.  The Lord causes the mist to rise from the earth to water it.  However, interestingly, the word means more generally something raised or exalted and is literally 126 times out of 130 used in the Bible to mean a prince or some other type of ruler.  The Lord raises up all sorts of things and people for His purposes.  The Lord makes the rain and the lightning and the wind.

(8) Who destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

The Lord who raises up also brings down or destroys, as He did the firstborn of men and animals in Egypt.

(9) He sent tokens and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants.

The Lord sent many signs and wonders, the miracles and plagues, in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his people.

(10) Who destroyed great nations and killed mighty kings, (11) Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, (12) And gave their land a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.

Their Lord was the one who destroyed great nations and mighty kings, including Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and all the nations and kings in the land of Canaan, and He gave their lands to His own people as an inheritance to them.

(13) Your name, O Lord, forever; Your memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

The Lord's name and His fame endures forever, throughout all generations, to the present when we still read of His glory and that will continue forever.

(14) For the Lord will judge His people, and He will repent Himself concerning His servants.

I believe the sense of "judge" here means that the Lord will rule and govern His people, more specifically, protect and defend them, because the verse went on to say the Lord would repent, which means to turn away, change Himself concerning His people who deserved complete destruction because of their many sins.  However, the Lord always repented from His plan to completely destroy them for their wickedness and always saved at least a remnant.

(15) The idols of the heathen, silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

The idols of the heathen nations were but silver and gold, something mere men fashioned with their hands.

(16) They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; (17) They have ears, but they do not hear; neither is there breath in their mouths.

Those manmade idols had mouths, but they couldn't speak; they had eyes and ears, but they couldn't see or hear.  They had no living breath in them; they were only objects made by man.

(18) They who make them are like them, and everyone who trusts in them.

Those who made those idols, as well as everyone who trusted in them, were as blind and stupid as those lifeless idols were.

(19) Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.

The psalmist exhorted God's chosen people, Israel, to bless the Lord, and also the house of Aaron, the Levites and the priests, should also bless Him.  I often wonder how mere people can bless the Lord, as it is He who blesses us.  However, we can bless Him with our praise and worship and our adherence to His word.

(20) Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

The psalmist indeed included the Levites among those who should bless the Lord, as well as all people who feared the Lord, those who respected and reverenced Him as Lord.

(21) Blessed be the Lord out of Zion who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

The Lord of Zion, representative of the kingdom of the Lord, also the physical city of Jerusalem, where He dwelt among His people, was to be blessed and praised.

This psalm briefly addressed the history of the Israelites but was mainly a psalm of praise.  It both began and ended with an exhortation to praise the Lord.  Matthew Henry called it one of the Hallelujah Psalms that praised the Lord.

Joshua to Succeed Moses

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

(Deuteronomy 31:1) And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

In the last chapter Moses had been speaking to the people about the choice they had before them, life following their Lord God, or death without Him.  It appears he now appeared to them another time, or perhaps it was just a change in subject.  He spoke the following words to them.

(2) And he said to them, "I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in; also the Lord has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.'"

Moses began by telling the people that he was old, 120 years old, and he could no longer easily go to and fro.  Additionally, he told them, the Lord had said he would not be going over the Jordan into their promised land (Deuteronomy 3:27).

(3) "The Lord your God, He will go over before you, He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall possess them; Joshua, he shall go over before you as the Lord has said."

As Moses would not be going over with them, he encouraged the people by telling them that the Lord would go before them to destroy the nations which occupied the land, and that Joshua would lead them as the Lord had previously said (Deuteronomy 3:28).

(4) "And the Lord shall do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and to the land of them whom He destroyed."

The Lord would deliver those nations to them as He had done for them to the nations of Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:25).  Just as He had given Sihon and Og's lands to the Israelites to possess, so would He give this land of Canaan to them.

(5) "And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that you may do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you."

The Lord would give those nations of Canaan over to the Israelites to do to them as He had directed in Deuteronomy 7:1-3, utterly destroy them, showing no mercy, nor making any agreements or marriages with them.

(6) "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He who does go with you, He will not fail you nor forsake you."

Moses encouraged the people to be strong and of good courage and not to fear those nations they were going in to destroy, for their Lord God would be going with them, and He would not fail to fulfill His promises to them that they would destroy the Canaanites and possess their land.

(7) And Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of a good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them and you shall cause them to inherit it."

Moses then called Joshua and spoke to him in front of all the people.  He told him also to be strong and of good courage for he would be leading the people into the land which the Lord had sworn to their forefathers to give them, and he was to be the one to lead them to victory over the nations of Canaan so that they might inherit their land.

(8) "And the Lord, He who does go before you; He will be with you, He will not fail you, neither forsake you; fear not, neither be dismayed."

Moses encouraged Joshua by telling him that the Lord would be going before him and that He would not fail to fulfill His promises that He would deliver the Canaanite nations to them.  Moses told him not to fear and not to be discouraged.

(9) And Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

Moses wrote this book of the laws of God, this book of Deuteronomy, or perhaps it rather meant the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, that had been written by him.  As this was the end of his life, it makes sense he would have delivered all of his writings to the priests and to the elders of Israel.

(10) And Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, (11) When all Israel has come to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing."

Moses commanded the priests and elders that at the end of seven years, actually every seven years, when it was the year of rest for the land and the remission of debts to poor debtors, at the end of that year at the Feast of Tabernacles when all Israel came to appear before the Lord in the place of His choosing, they were to read that book of law before all Israel in their hearing.

(12) "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and your stranger within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law."

Normally it was all males that were required to attend the feasts, but at that particular seventh year Feast of Tabernacles, the men were to gather their entire families, men, women, children, and any strangers among them, to hear the words of the law, and to learn the words of the law and God's commandments that they might have the correct reverential fear and respect for their Lord God, and do as He had commanded in the law.

(13) "And their children, who have not known, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over Jordan to possess it."

By reading the law every seven years, future generations of children who had not known the law, would be able to hear it and learn it and learn to fear their Lord God in the land their fathers were going over the Jordan River to possess.

(14) And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, your days approach that you must die; call Joshua and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation that I may give him a charge." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses.  He told him that he would soon die.  Therefore, He told him to call Joshua and have them both present themselves in the tabernacle so that He could give Joshua a charge.  Moses and Joshua did just as the Lord commanded and presented themselves before Him in the tabernacle.

(15) And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud, and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

The Lord appeared to Moses and Joshua in a bright pillar shaped cloud as He had often appeared in the wilderness.  The pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

(16) And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers; and this people will rise up and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land where they go among them and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them."

The Lord told Moses that he would die, and the people would eventually fall away from God and break their covenant with Him to start worshiping the idols of the nations of the land of Canaan.

(17) "Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, 'Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?'"

When the people fell away from Him, God said His righteous anger would grow against them and He would turn away from them.  When He did that, removed His favors and protection from them, then would many evils and troubles come upon them until they were devoured.  The people would then realize that all those troubles had come upon them because God was no longer among them.  It's as I have often said, God doesn't necessarily have to proactively send an evil punishment; just by turning His face and His protection away, the evils of the world naturally occur.  It seems the Israelites will come to realize that.

(18) "And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evils which they shall have done, in that they are turned to other gods."

Indeed God said He would turn His face away from His people because of their evil deeds turning to other gods.  Let those other gods protect them and let them see how well that works for them!

(19) "Now therefore write this song for you and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel."

The Lord told Moses to write a song that He would dictate to him, and he would record in the next chapter.  He told Moses to teach the song to the Israelites so that they could recite it, and it would be a witness against them when they called it to mind in the future.

(20) "For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, that flows with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them and provoke Me and break My covenant."

God prophesied that after He had brought the Israelites into the land He had sworn to their forefathers, that land that abounded with all good things, they will have become fat and happy and complacent, and then they would turn to other gods and worship them, provoking their Lord God and breaking their covenant with Him.

(21) "And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants, for I know their imagination which they go about even now before I have brought them into the land which I swore."

When it came to pass that God had turned from them and many evils and troubles had come upon them, they would remember that song which God had given them as a witness and a forewarning.  God knew this would eventually come to pass because He knew their hearts and the inclinations they had toward idolatry even at that moment before He had even brought them into the land He had sworn to their forefathers.

(22) Moses therefore wrote this song the same day and taught it to the children of Israel.

Moses indeed wrote the song the Lord told him to write, and he taught it to the Israelites.

(23) And He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, "Be strong and of a good courage, for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you."

The Lord then commissioned Joshua, first telling him to be strong and of good courage, to bring the Israelites into the land the Lord was giving them.  He then assured Joshua that He would be with him.

(24) And it came to pass when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book until they were finished, (25) That Moses commanded the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, (26) "Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord that it may be there for a witness against you."

When Moses had finished writing the book of the law, he told the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant, specifically the priests, to place the book beside the ark, on the side of it, that it would be a constant visible witness against the people.

(27) "For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the Lord, and how much more after my death?"

Moses said he knew how rebellious the people had been against God and His laws as he had witnessed for the past forty years in the wilderness.  He wondered aloud how much more rebellious they would be after he was gone.

(28) "Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them."

Moses asked that all the elders and officers of the people be gathered to him so that he might speak the words of his song in their hearing, and call heaven and earth to record that day against them, to bear witness of what he delivered to them, and to bear witness against them should they disobey the laws he had given them, and to bear witness that they had been warned about what would happen if they did disobey.

(29) "For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."

By a spirit of prophecy or perhaps only by what God had told him, Moses said he knew that after his death the people would become totally corrupt and turn away from the laws of God that He commanded through Moses.  Evil would come upon them because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked Him to righteous anger because of the things they did.

(30) And Moses spoke in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended.

Moses began to recite the song the Lord directed him to write in the hearing of all Israel, or at least to their leaders whom he had gathered to him.  He recited all the words of the song from beginning to end in the following chapter.

The Covenant Renewed in Moab

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 29:1) These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.

In the last chapter, Moses had recited a list of blessings that would be bestowed upon the people if they adhered to their covenant with the Lord and obeyed His commandments and statutes, as well as an extensive list of all the curses that would come upon them if they disobeyed and did not follow His commandments.  Now Moses began the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded he make to the Israelites there in the land of Moab, which were in addition to the covenant God had made with them forty years earlier.

(2) And Moses called to all Israel and said to them, "You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his land, (3) The great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles."

Moses called out to all the people of Israel and reminded them of all the things the Lord had done in Egypt to Pharoah, his servants, and all his land.  He reminded them of all the trials, or plagues which tried the Egyptians, and all the signs and great miracles they had observed in Egypt.

(4) "Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to this day."

As it had been forty years since the exodus from Egypt, most of the people had been young and not yet able to fully understand the significance of all that God had done in Egypt.

(5) "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out upon you and your shoe has not worn out on your foot."

Moses reminded them of how he had led them in the wilderness for forty years, yet their clothes and shoes had not worn out during that time.

(6) "You have not eaten bread, neither have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you might know that I am the Lord your God."

Moses, under inspiration of the Lord, reminded them they had had no food or wine in the wilderness, yet the Lord had sustained them with manna and water, that they would know that their provisions came from the Lord alone, and He was willing to supply all their needs.

(7) "And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them."

Moses also reminded them about how when they had come to that place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan had come out against them, yet the Lord had led them to victory over them.

(8) "And we took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half tribe of Manasseh."

The people had taken the land of the conquered kings and had given it to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh.  Thus the Lord had begun giving their inheritance to them.

(9) "Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do."

Because God had done so many good things for them, Moses told the people they must keep up their end of their covenant with God and do all He commanded them so that they might prosper in all things.

(10) "You stand this day all of you before the Lord your God, your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, (11) Your little ones, your wives, and your stranger that is in your camp, from the cutter of your wood to the drawer of your water, (12) That you should enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you this day."

Moses stated that as they all stood before the Lord that day, all of them from captains and elders to all men, and to their wives and children and to the strangers among them to the lowest servant among them, should all enter into covenant with their Lord God, confirmed with a solemn oath.

(13) "That He may establish you today for a people to Himself, and He may be to you a God, as He has said to you, and as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

By entering into that covenant with their Lord God, they would be His special people, and He would be their only true God, as He had previously said to them, and as he had sworn to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(14) "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, (15) But with him who stands here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him who is not here with us this day, (16) (For you know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt and how we came through the nations which you passed by, (17) And you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among you)."

Through Moses, the Lord told His people that He had not made this covenant to them alone, those who had come out of Egypt and witnessed the abominations and idols of the various nations they had come through and had entered into covenant with Him forty years prior, but to all the new generation of people who had come since then, and to all who would come after them.  Dare I say, even to us this day?  If we would only agree to that covenant with God and with Jesus, that He is our only God, and follow His commandments, we could expect all the blessings that He gave His children as we have been grafted into that special vine of people (Romans 11:17).

(18) "Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from the Lord our God to go serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood; (19) And it come to pass, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst;' (20) The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall burn against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven."

This is a continuation from verses 12 to 15 before his parenthetical statement in verses 16 and 17, about the covenant that all the people should enter into, lest any among them, whether it be man or woman or entire family or even entire tribe, might turn away from their Lord God to serve the gods of those pagan nations they had seen; lest there be one among the people with a bitter heart that bore bitter fruit, and it should come to pass that when he heard of the curses that should come upon him should he not obey the Lord, he would inwardly pronounce himself blessed and secure from the curses of the law.  He would believe that he would have peace and prosperity even though he walked according to his own lusts and desires, adding drunkenness to thirst, meaning as a drunk cannot be satisfied with just one drink, so this man will continually thirst after and partake of more and more wickedness.  The Lord will not spare this man or woman, regardless of what they think of themselves, for as stated before, the Lord will not be mocked, and His anger and jealousy will burn against that person.  Jealousy, in the sense of the Lord, does not refer to envy, but rather passionate zeal to care for His people and have them be His people and not fall under the fatal spell of another.  All the curses written in this book would lie upon that person and his name would be blotted out from under heaven, from the Book of Life, unable to have everlasting life in heaven.  Once again, dare I suggest that this applies to us today?  To those churches and people who think God would understand that times are different now?

(21) "And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law."

The Lord will separate such a person (v. 18-20) to his evil punishment out of all the tribes of Israel.  He will be separated and made an example of by all the curses that will come upon him.

(22) "So that the generation to come of your children who shall rise up after you and the stranger who shall come from a far land shall say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the Lord has laid upon it, (23) The whole land brimstone, and salt, burning, it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor any grass grows there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His wrath;"

The curses that came upon such a person or tribe would be so devastating that for generations to come, their descendants and strangers who might come from a faraway land, would still see the evidence of the plagues and sicknesses the Lord laid upon that land, that it was barren, brimstone and salt, burning, like Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboim which the Lord had overthrown in His righteous anger.  Upon seeing such a sight, those people would say what follows.

(24) "Even all nations shall say, 'Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why the heat of this great anger?'"

Not only future generations and the strangers who came into the land, but all nations would ask why the Lord had done so to the land and why He was so angry.

(25) "Then men shall say, 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt, (26) For they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they did not know and He had not given to them, (27) And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book, (28) And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as this day.'"

The people who knew the history of what happened to that land would answer that it was because the people there had forsaken the covenant their Lord God had made with them when He brought them out of Egypt.  They had forsaken Him and served other false gods, and the Lord's righteous anger and indignation brought all the curses that had been forewarned in His book of laws.  The Lord removed them out of that land and had cast them into another land as it remained that day.  It was the consequence of forsaking their covenant with the Lord that had been forewarned by Him, but they had not believed Him and had turned away from Him.

(29) "The secret things belong to the Lord, but those things revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law."

Moses concluded with an admonition that there were many things that the people did not and would not know concerning the sovereign Lord and His actions.  However, the things He had revealed to them and to their posterity forever in His book, the things He had commanded them to do, completely outlined for them, those things they should do.  They had all they needed, as we do in His Bible, to follow Him and live according to His commandments.  Though we may not have all the answers, we have enough so that we are without excuse. 

Review of Conquest of Og and Distribution of the Conquered Land

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 3:1) “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei."

In the past couple of chapters and posts, Moses has been relating the history of the Israelites in the wilderness that had brought them to this point.  At the end of the last chapter he had spoken about how they had conquered Sihon.  Now he began the retelling of the events leading to the conquest of Og.  They turned from the kingdom of Sihon and went toward Bashan.  Og the king of Bashan and all his people came out against the Israelites to battle at Edrei, a city in his kingdom.  Following is a map of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og found here in Wikipedia:

(2) “And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’"

The Lord told Moses at the time not to fear Og who had come out against Israel, for He would deliver Og, his people, and his land into the hands of the children of Israel.  The Israelites would defeat Og just as they had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.

(3) “So the LORD our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him until none was left remaining to him."

The Lord indeed delivered Og and all his people into their hands.  The Israelites killed them all so that none remained alive; see Numbers 21:35.

(4) “And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan."

The Israelites took all the cities in the kingdom of Og, sixty cities in all, all the region of Argob, which was a district in Bashan; there was not a single city that they did not seize from Og.

(5) “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns."

All the cities of Bashan that the Israelites took were cities well fortified with high walls, gates, and bars.  These were besides the small towns and villages in the land.

(6) “And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city."

Moses related that the children of Israel had utterly destroyed Og and his people, just as they had destroyed Sihon, utterly destroying all the men, women, and children, of every city.

(7) "But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves."

However, they did not destroy the livestock, but kept them for themselves, as well as the spoil of the cities.

(8) “And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the river of Arnon to Mount Hermon, (9) (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir); (10) All the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan."

Moses related that at that time they had taken the land from two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, that were on their current side of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River, the southern border of the land of Sihon, to Mount Hermon in the north.  Verse 9 is a parenthetical statement that tells that Hermon was also called Sirion by the Sidonians, and called Shenir by the Amorites.  They took all the cities in the plain, the cities surrounding Mount Gilead, and all of Bashan, to Salchah in the east, and Edrei and beyond, as seen in the map above.

(11) “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, after the standard cubit of a man."

A sort of parenthetical statement is made about Og.  He had been the last of the giants that were mentioned in the previous chapter, the Emim and Zamzummim, who had once possessed the land of the Moabites and Ammonites.  In explanation of how big he was, Moses remarked he had an iron bed, apparently needed to hold his massive frame.  It was in Rabbath, in Ammonite territory, apparently carried there either to save it or perhaps as a trophy.  It was 13.5 feet long and six feet wide, according to the standard cubit of a man; apparently a "king's cubit" was longer.

(12) “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites."

The land that the Israelites took possession of at that time extended from Aroer by the Arnon River on the border of Moab, land taken from Sihon, to Mount Gilead and its cities which were taken from Og.  Moses gave the land taken from Sihon and half the mountain and cities of Gilead to the Reubenites and the Gadites, per their request in Numbers 32.

(13) "And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants."

The other half of Mount Gilead with its cities, which included all the region of Argob (v. 4), with all Bashan, which had been called the land of giants (Og apparently being the last), Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh.  Below is a map found at FreeBibleImages.org, specifically at http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/joshua-altar/, that shows the land of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River:

(14) “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan Havoth Jair, to this day."

Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshur and Maachah, shown in the first map above.  He called it Bashan Havoth Jair, which literally meant "Bashan, villages of Jair".  At first I wondered which map was imprecise, as the western border of Jair's land in the map immediately above doesn't exactly match the territory of Og in the first map.  Then I read that the exact position of Maachah and of Geshur cannot be ascertained.

(15) "And I gave Gilead to Machir."

Moses gave Gilead to Machir, another son of Manasseh, or perhaps more precisely to the Machirites, his descendants.  This map which I cut from a larger map found here at BibleQ, shows Gilead to be the southern portion of the half tribe Manasseh that settled on the eastern side of the Jordan.

(16) “And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead to the river Arnon half the valley, and the border to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; (17) The plain also, and Jordan, and its coast, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth Pisgah eastward."

To the tribes of Reuben and Gad Moses stated he gave land from Gilead to half the valley of the Arnon River.  The original word "nachlah" translated as "valley" usually more often means "stream or river" or the like.  A valley is the middle of a river, but in this case, most Biblical scholars agree that the middle (or half) meant in the length of the river.  Their land extended from the Arnon River (half of it) northward to the Jabbok River which bordered the Ammonites.  This area is better illustrated on the map earlier that showed the kingdoms of Sihon and Og.  All the plain and the coastland along the Jordan River from Chinnereth to the Salt Sea (or Dead Sea) was included.  Ashdoth Pisgah actually translates "slopes" or "springs" of Pisgah.  Their land went eastward from the Jordan and Salt Sea to the eastern slopes and springs of Mount Pisgah.  This portion of a map shows Mount Pisgah in relation to Heshbon and Nebo seen on the map above this one:

(18) "And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess; you shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all who are meet for the war.'"

Part of the agreement that Moses made with the tribes of Reuben and Gad for the land they requested east of the Jordan, was that they would pass over the Jordan with the rest of the tribes, all who were able being armed to assist them in the conquest of Canaan (Numbers 32:29).

(19) "‘But your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that you have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you, (20) Until the LORD has given rest to your brethren, as well as to you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God has given them beyond Jordan; and then shall you return every man to his possession, which I have given you.'"

When the tribes east of the Jordan went over to fight with their brothers to gain possession of the promised land west of the Jordan, they were to leave their wives and children and livestock in the cities they had been given.  Once the Lord brought victory and gave peace to the children of Israel in their promised land, then the two and a half tribes could return to their possessions east of Jordan.

(21) “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. (22) You shall not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself shall fight for you.'"

Moses related what he had told Joshua at the time.  After the victories over Sihon and Og, and the assignment of territories to the two and a half tribes east of Jordan, and Moses knowing that he would soon die, he gave charge to Joshua his successor.  He told him that he had seen all that the Lord had done to deliver victories over Sihon and Og, and that the Lord would continue to do just that to all the kingdoms they would pass through to possess their promised land.  There was no need to fear any of the peoples because the Lord Himself would fight for the children of Israel.

(23) "And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, (24) ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god in heaven or on earth can do according to your works and according to your might?'"

Moses reflected that he had pleaded with the Lord at that time, first showing that he recognized how great and mighty his Lord was, that no other false god or idol could do what He had done.

(25) "‘I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that pleasant mountain, and Lebanon.’"

The subject of Moses's plea was that he be allowed to cross over the Jordan River to see the promised land.

(26) “But the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and would not hear me; and the LORD said to me, 'Let it suffice; speak no more to me of this matter.'"

Moses related that the Lord had been angry with him and would not listen to his plea.  Moses said what the Lord had been angry with him about was for the sake of the people.  It was the time at the rock at Meribah, when he spoke for the sake of the people, but spoke ill-advisedly and did not act in the way the Lord had commanded him, and he did not sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.  Apparently the Lord had answered Moses's prayer and plea by telling him not to speak of it anymore.  The Lord had already spoken to Moses on the matter, and more pleas would not change His mind.

(27) "‘Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east, and behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.'"

The Lord continued to tell Moses at the time that he would be allowed to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look all around him, and he would be allowed to see the promised land, but he would not be allowed to cross over the Jordan into it.

(28) "'But charge Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.’"

The Lord continued instructing Moses that because he would not be able to cross over Jordan, he was to charge Joshua as his successor, encouraging and strengthening him because he would be the one to lead the people to inherit the promised land that Moses would be allowed to see.

(29) "So we abode in the valley opposite Beth Peor."

This chapter ended with Moses stating the people abode in the valley, the plains of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, which literally meant "house of Peor", probably named for a temple of the god Peor who was worshiped there.

Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, made an interesting observation.  He wrote that the promised land was symbolic of heaven, and Moses represented the law.  The law itself could not bring the people to possession of their kingdom of heaven.  Moses was a great leader, and as good a man as there was at his time, but no one is good enough under the law to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Joshua, whose name is the same as Jesus, Yehoshua, the name meaning "salvation", was appointed to bring the people into the rest God had provided for them.  I love how we can find the promise of Jesus in every book of the Old Testament!