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THE STRENGTH OF THE CAPTURED CITIES
TUESDAY, JULY 20
Deuteronomy 3:1-17

Isaiah 11:14-16

 

“…they shall lay their hand upon Edom
and Moab; and the children of

Ammon shall obey them.”

 

THE STRENGTH OF THE CAPTURED CITIES
 
Security in ancient times depended on the strength of the city walls. They were built so high that it was not easy for an invading army to scale them. Watch towers were also put at certain intervals and soldiers manned them round the clock. The gates were kept secure and locked as the night set in. Some were small and some were very big.
 
Israel felt threatened by the high walls in the land of Bashan, but Moses told them that the Lord had delivered their enemy into their hands and they needed not to fear. They were able to capture sixty cities, this was no mean feat from man’s point of view. However, Moses and Israel knew that they would not have succeeded without the hand of God.
 
Israel utterly destroyed them and all their inhabitants. They took the cattle and other valuables as the prize of war. This was again with the permission of God. In some instances, when they had to fight, there were express instructions given to them not to take anything. When such a command was given, then they were not to take anything. This was the case in the capture of Jericho under Joshua. Later in the history of Israel, King Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites and every living thing. He failed to obey the command and reserved the fat animals. This caused Saul to lose his throne. Israel was a nation under God and carried out her day-to-day activities under the direction of the Heavenly King. If they paid attention to what God said, they would be united in their approach to the battle. Moses rehearsed all these in the ears of Israel to remind them of God’s hand among them.
 
The strength of the walls was not a problem to them. What they were supposed to do was told to them, they just had to obey God’s direction. The people that fought this battle belonged to the new generation. They were children when their fathers refused to occupy Canaan forty years earlier. Here, Moses was still in command, and they won.
 
THOUGHT: God’s promises never expire.

PRAYER: Lord, let me ever hold to Thy promises and not fail Thee.

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