FINDING VICTORY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon, king of the Amorites:

"Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."

But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the desert against Israel.

When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel. Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified. Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements. Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.

That is why the poets say:

"Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon's city be restored. Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the citizens of Arnon's heights. Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihon, king of the Amorites.

But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have demolished them as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba."

So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.

After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. The Lord said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.

Numbers 21:10-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we have studied through the Book of Numbers, we haven’t seen the Israelites enter into any armed conflicts with their enemies but that all changes in chapter 21 where we find God’s people finding conquest over those who tried to rise up against them. We should note that this is in stark contrast to the Israel who had been so afraid to enter into Canaan, the land God had promised because they were afraid of the opposition living within.

Indeed earlier, we saw an Israel that was unfaithful and unbelieving, an Israel who was afraid to take a hold of what God had given them. We also saw an Israel that turned and went away from a challenge, specifically when Edom resisted them crossing through their land on the king’s highway.

Well, in our passage for today, we read where Israel is now trying to pass through another land, this time the land of the Amorites. As was the case with Edom prior, they sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the following request:

"Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."

So how did Sihon respond?

The scriptures tell us that he followed the same tact as the king of Edom had used. He (Sihon) “would not let Israel pass through his territory" and "mustered his entire army” to march “out into the desert against Israel." When he did, Israel didn’t turn and flee. Rather, they took the fight to Sihon, meeting his challenge “when he reached Jahaz" and putting him "to the sword". They then took "over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified".

When the dust had settled from the battle, Israel had "captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements". They had met their challenges head on and came out victorious, not by their own might but rather through the power of God that was with them.

As we move on in this passage, we can see where the great win emboldened the Israelites for we read that after "Moses had sent spies to Jazer", the Israelites "captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there". They then “turned and went up along the road toward Bashan" where they met resistance from "Og, king of Bashan, and his whole army" who "marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei".

Another conflict was on the horizon but note that the people of Israel didn’t jump into it before consulting the Lord as to what they should do. This showed us that they knew He would need to be with them in order for them to triumph again.

The scriptures tell us that God enters into the situation, saying this to Moses:

"Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

And so Israel, buoyed up with the confidence that came with knowing God was with them, "struck down” the king of Bashan “together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors". Then, Israel then took possession of their land.

Through these encounters between Israel and their enemies, first the Amorites and then the Bashan king and army, we learn an important truth that we need to keep in mind as believers today. For in any and all challenges we encounter in life, within every hardship we face, we can be assured that we’ll have victory because God is with us.

How do we know this?

Because He promises that He is with us and for us, and He has never broken any promise that He has made. All we need to do is to hold onto those blessed assurances and continue to trust Him as He leads us from potential times of worry and despair into times of hope, from times of doubt into an attitude of perpetual faith.

But here’s the thing. Too often, we allow our life circumstances to overshadow the promises of God. We allow the dark situations we’re in to begin to displace the light of the Lord’s love, provision, and protection. We trade in joy and peace and confidence for despair, depression and hopelessness.

If you find yourself in this place today, God is speaking to you today through His Word and I pray you will allow these verses to penetrate your heart, mind, and soul as they seek to liberate you from despondency and discouragement, bringing an escape from darkness into His light:

For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. Psalm 33:4

As believers, we serve a Lord who is committed and faithful to us, infinitely more than we are to Him. His is always working things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) so don’t allow the enemy convince you to lose trust in Him.

"I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, ‘This is a sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’” So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all life on the earth." Genesis 9:11-17

When you see a rainbow in the sky, remember God’s covenant promise and how He so loved the world that He send His only Son to save anyone who would believe in Him so they might gain Heaven instead of Hell.

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and shield. In Him, our hearts rejoice for we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:20-21

Our faith and trust is refined in the waiting. So be patient and allow the Lord to do His perfect work, rejoicing that you serve a God who cares for you so deeply while drawing from His strength as you endure and persevere through difficulty.

Come near to God and He will come near to you. James 4:8

God is the only One who is close to you forever. He is always available and always ready to care for you and your needs. No one else in your life loves you like He does so draw near to Him every day because the closer we are to the Lord, the further away we are from the enemy.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8

Do you find yourself confused over life?

I encourage you to turn to the One who promised to instruct, counsel, and watch over you, teaching you “in the way you should go” and how to handle any and all situations.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

There is no greater source of faithfulness and forgiveness than the Lord. His mercies and grace are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Let us rejoice and be glad in this promise.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

There is no question that the Lord wants the best for those who place their faith and trust in Him. And so stay focused on Him, ever seeking His will and way. For He and He alone has the power to deliver you into hope, now and in the future.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Friends, this verse seals the future in the best way possible for anyone who would simply believe in Jesus as Savior. While we don’t know how the chapters will read within the story of our life, through Christ, we know how the story finishes and it’s the best happy ending ever, a happy ending God has promised.

So thanks be to God for His assurances found in the scriptures and especially for His Son, Jesus. For through Him, every Christian believer will find victory over death and the grave, trading them in for the glory and majesty of Heaven.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.