August 7, 2013
TRUSTING GOD
Numbers 21:21-35
Nico Deadman
Central Truth
Trust that God will help you through your tough time.
Key Verse | Numbers 21:34
But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." (Numbers 21:34)
Numbers 21:21-35
King Sihon Defeated
21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the ballad singers say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;
let the city of Sihon be established.
28
For fire came out from Heshbon,
flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured Ar of Moab,
and swallowed
1
21:28
Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of
the heights of the Arnon.
29
Woe to you, O Moab!
You are undone, O people of Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters captives,
to an Amorite king, Sihon.
30
So we overthrew them;
Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished;
and we laid waste as far as Nophah;
fire spread as far as Medeba.”
2
21:30
Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba
King Og Defeated
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.
Dive Deeper | Numbers 21:21-35
School life comes with many troubles. An example of this is your reputation with the people in your hall. It's difficult to maintain a good reputation. In this passage of Scripture, Moses trusts that God will help him conquer other towns. In verse 34, God reassures Moses that he is not alone and that He will help the Israelites conquer the land of the other kings just like He helped them conquer Sihon, king of the Amorites, and his people.
In the small issues that I have to deal with at school, I often forget that God is with me because He isn't physically here with me the way my friends are, or anyone else for that matter. We need to trust that God is with us like He was with Moses and the Israelites as He guided them to the Promised Land. He guided them because they trusted Him.
It's the same thing in my situation, and I realized that last year. I have started to go to God more with my problems in school. We have to realize that we can't deal with anything by ourselves because we are just too small, but God is big! And, there is nothing that He cannot do. I remember that He is with me in any situation I face. Even though I can't sense Him here physically, He can still help me.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you worry about most in life?
2. Do you go to God to help guide you through your troubles?
3. Who do you tell first about your problems?