And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
Fear of Defeat
Moses and the Israelites had to win a lot of battles in order to live in the land promised to their forefathers. However, their victories were not based on how mighty the men fought nor how large their numbers were. Their triumphs were solely dependent on the grace of God. Moreover, God gave them instructions to be faithful to Him and in return, He will be faithful to them. When they go against the words of God they were defeated, but when they obeyed His statutes, success was rewarded to them.
Under the leadership of Moses, who was obedient to God’s words, the Israelites won almost all their battles against the pagan tribes who inhabited the Promised Land. The battle against King Og was no different. Seeing the multitude of King Og’s army, Moses felt fear, but God assured him when He said, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land (ESV). God had granted them victory over this enemy despite Moses’ fear to be defeated. God had strengthened him and the people to win the battle.
Let us be reminded of this verse when faced with hard situations or challenges in life. Moreover, keep in mind that the word and commandment of God do not bring defeat but victory. We should strive every second to be faithful to God through Christ and as His promise goes, He will also be faithful to us.
Prayer
Our Father, praise and honour to your name. We ask for your forgiveness for the moments when we are unfaithful to you. May the Holy Spirit, reprove our thoughts, speech and actions that will be aligned to God’s statutes. At the moments of defeat may we see God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ and never lose hope in His promises. We pray these in Jesus’ name, Amen.
