If God be for us...Deuteronomy 3

 Christ in all the scriptures

More than conquerors   Deuteronomy 3

Fresh from a notable victory against the Amorites, Israel faced another foe, even more battle hardened and resolute than Sihon king of Heshbon.  King Og of Bashan confronted them with his army as they journeyed by the city of Edrei.  He was the last of the Rephaim (these were giants in stature and possibly descended from the corruption of fallen angels with humans in Genesis 6).  His bed measured nine cubits by four (13 feet long by 6 feet wide in our terms).  Bashan is located in the northernmost part of Transjordan, east of the sea of Galilee, and is known for its fertile land and abundant resources.  Bounded by mount Hermon to the north, and Gilead to the south, the region included notable cities as Edrei, Ashtoreth, and Golan, which is recognised today as the Golan Heights, north of Israel.  Bashan is mentioned 60 times in scripture and is noted for its high hills (Psalm 68v15); its tall oaks (Isaiah 21v3 and Ezekiel 27v6 with Zechariah 11v2); plenteous fruits (Isaiah 33v9) strong cattle and lush growth (Deuteronomy 32v13-14, and Psalm 22v12); fatlings (Ezekiel 39v18 and Micah 7v14).  They were a cruel, unruly lot who oppressed the weak among them (Amos 4v1), and would fight to the end to protect their heritage.

And they did so, but it was all in vain for the Lord of earth and heaven was with Israel, and a total rout was the outcome.   Israel had become notable warriors in the hands of Almighty God..  Note the comments throughout the early verses:

"Fear him not; for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land into thy hand..."-3v2

"So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining, and we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.  All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many"-3v3-5

"And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites, the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon.....All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan"-3v8-10

This unlikely, but decisive, victory over a ruthless enemy, not only provided Israel with much needed resources, but ensured the neighbouring nations respected them.  The reversal of more than 400 years of exile was now a reality.  This marks them out as overcomers, and this is the plan of the Lord for His people in all generations.  He will not have us defeated through sloth or disobedience.  His people are on the victory side in all situations.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 2v11-14, in the context of victory over the arch enemy Satan, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place".

To the seven churches in Revelation 2/3, each letter ends with a promise to the overcomer-Rev. 2v7; 2v11; 2v17; 2v26; 3v5; 3v12; 3v21.  In Christ, all God's people are overcomers.    In Christ we can overcome the world (John 16v33, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"; 1st John 5v4, "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith"; in Christ we can overcome the flesh (Romans 7v23-25, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord"; in Christ we can overcome the devil (2nd Corinthians 2v14-already quoted; James 4v7, "Submit yourselves unto God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you".

We have three very identifiable enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Of ourselves we are no match for any of these, but in submission and obedience to Christ we can be victorious.  This is not to assert triumphalism, which is the hallmark of many false cults: it is to genuinely overcome in personal and corporate life in the strength of the Lord.

Paul summed up the triumph of Christianity in four rhetorical questions (questions that have obvious answers) in Romans 8v31-39:

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"   8v31

"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God who justifies?"  8v33

"Who is he that condemns?  Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?"  8v34

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword?.....nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us"  8v35-37.

He goes on to say that the extremes of existence (neither death nor life); the extremes of spirit beings (nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers); the extremes of time (nor things present, nor things to come); the extremes of space (nor height, nor depth)..and beyond even that, NOR ANY OTHER CREATION, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"  8v38-39.

Not triumphalism, but true spiritual triumph that will pervade all existence, and restore the cosmos from the chaos of ungodliness and unrighteousness.

Israel went on to inherit the lands taken: all the territory, taken from the Amorites, was given to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (3v12-17).  Long term this will culminate in Israel occupying the extremities of the land, and, from there ruling the world.  What seems an impossibility now will be a reality according to the promise of Almighty God.  He makes provision for the ongoing posterity of Israel by appointing Joshua as their new leader after Moses is gone (3v18-29).