Deuteronomy Part 1

Copied from the Sermon Notes of Pastor Don Elmore

December 10, 2017

Scripture Reading:  Deuteronomy 1:1-5

1) “These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dezahab.

2) (There are eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

3) And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

4) After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

5) On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying.”

First, this week has seen over ¼ of a million-people evacuated from their homes in the western part of America. Where and why? It is in southern California near Los Angeles that wild fires, spread by high winds, up to 70 mph, are devastating neighborhoods, practically without any warning. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, with the threat of many more. A quote from a resident: “I have lived in this area for 30 years and I have never seen anything like this.” Guess what city Meghan Markle was reared in. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Second, President Trump agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel that the United States will recognize Jerusalem, the main city of the three major religions, as the capital of Israel. Mr. Trump, officials said, would make clear that the United States is not taking a position on whether, or how, Jerusalem is divided between Israel and the Palestinians. He will also not take a position on who will control a disputed area of the Old City, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al-Sharif to Muslims, which has been a flash point for tensions.

President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American Embassy there, upending nearly seven decades of American foreign policy and potentially destroying his efforts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The very pro-Jewishness of our government should be very evident. They put fake-Israel first. Palestinians as well as many of our allies decry this position. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Third, who is the only “American” with his own holiday? Michael King, Jr., his real name, or Martin Luther King, Jr., his changed name. Do you think that the schools, news media and political establishment have told the complete truth about MLK? Do you know the following answers?

1. Name the judge who has sealed King’s FBI surveillance file until the year 2027?
2. Who was the person that said that King spent his last night on earth in an adulterous liaison, which included beating the white prostitute women he was with?
3. Who was the United States Attorney General who ordered the FBI to wiretap King?
4. Who called King a “hypocrite preacher?”
5. What United States newspaper reported that King had plagiarized his doctoral thesis at Boston University.
6. According to whom had King “privately described himself as a Marxist.”

How many answers do you think you answered correctly? The correct answers:

1. The Honorable John Lewis Smith, Jr.
2. King’s right-hand man: Ralph Abernathy, a co-leader in the civil rights movement along with MLK, in his book, “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down.”
3. Robert F. Kennedy.
4. President Lyndon B. Johnson.
5. The Wall Street Journal.
6. King’s biographer, David J. Garrow.

We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Fourth, it is the same with Rosa Parks, who was a Communist Party member who worked as a secretary for the NAACP, a Jewish organization. They had Jewish presidents for almost one hundred years. John Lewis, the same person who lauded Martin Luther King, said about fellow Communist Rosa Parks that she “stood up for what is right, what is fair, and what is just, by sitting down on a Montgomery city bus and refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Her actions took raw courage and helped ignite a movement.” Rosa Parks was honored by a national postage stamp and a statue in the Capitol. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Fifth, John Conyers, a democrat from Michigan spoke at the Rosa Parks postage inauguration. Conyers first refused to resign his post in the House of Representatives, because he has been accused of sexual harassment by several women. But Tuesday, he resigned while lying in a hospital bed in Detroit for a stress-related illness. He has been the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, by being a member for 52 years. It was strongly advocated by both parties that Conyers should resign his office.

Conyers hired Rosa Parks, who served on his staff until her retirement in 1988, and four days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Conyers introduced the first bill proposing a holiday in honor the Jewish civil rights icon. He was a major defender of the Communist platform.

He suggested that his son would be available to take his place. What a confused, mixed-up democratic country we are living in. We honor Jewish/Communists and their policies, and we are taught to hate Jesus the Christ, his teachings and his followers. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Sixth, both Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks were attendees at the Highlander Folk School of Monteagle, Tennessee.

“Churches all over the country are asking their members to reexamine their consciences and to measure practice against profession. More and more the churches are willing to cry out in terms so deep and patient faith, ‘Out of one blood, God has made all nations of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth’” was spoken by King at Highlander Folk School.

The school, in the late 1940s and early 1950s began addressing civil rights issues directly. One of the results of its work for both unions and civil rights is the song, “We Shall Overcome,” now a worldwide anthem of the oppressed.

I am ashamed to tell you that I sang this song at protest movements at Miami University in the early 1960s. I gathered with people of diverse backgrounds and races and we held hands and sang this Communist protest song. I don’t even remember what the issue was that was being protested, but I remember singing the song. We swayed from one side to the other, as we sang, “We shall overcome, We shall overcome some day.” How ignorant was I. I raised the ire of our LORD God.

Seventh, The Highlander School was ideally suited for the risky business of mobilizing the great civil rights campaigns to come. It accomplished this by bringing together leaders already involved in the local level to exchange ideas. Earlier programs had inspired courageous and effective civil rights actions: Rosa Parks, for example, had been to Highlander workshops at least twice before she sparked the 1955 Montgomery boycott by refusing to give up her seat on the bus.

Highlander School was also supported by Maurice McCrackin, a white, who had helped solicit funds in the Cincinnati area. When Maurice died (1997) the media that covered his death spoke great words about this traitor. McCrackin had led successful campaigns to integrate the Cincinnati music schools and the Coney Island Amusement Park. McCrackin was excited by the many people who came to the Highlander School, such as:

• Martin Luther King, Jr., president of the Montgomery Improvement Association and founder and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
• Rosa Parks and Ralph Abernathy of the Montgomery bus boycott.

There was much talk at the Highlander School about the end of segregation in the schools, unions, amusement parks and the churches. The school at Monteagle was shut down by the State of Tennessee in 1961 but was then set up in Knoxville. After ten years, it moved to New Market, Tennessee. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Eighth, despite the legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states, tech millionaire Tim Gill said he is not satisfied with the movement’s progress. He plans to use his immense wealth, corporate influence and political network to target red states with laws protecting religious people who disagree with the LGBT movement’s worldview.

“We’re going into the hardest states in the country,” Mr. Gill said, according to an interview published by Rolling Stone June 23. “We’re going to punish the wicked.”

Mr. Gill said his effort to block religious-freedom bills in Southern states has already paid off. Last year, the Gill Foundation rallied more than 100 corporations, including Coca-Cola, Google and Marriott, behind a front group called Georgia Prospers. Threatening to pull business out of the state, the coalition successfully lobbied Republican Governor Nathan Deal into vetoing a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Nineth, The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) begins its 40th season with the Lavender Pen Tour, visiting cities in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. There is no cost for the concerts – they have been completely underwritten. They will, however, receive a love offering at each stop with the proceeds going to charity. In Greenville, funds will go to United Ministries, PFLAG Greenville, AID Upstate and FBG’s Tragedy Relief Fund.

SFGMC was founded in October of 1978, and its first public appearance was a month later at the candlelight vigil following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The chorus now has over 275 singers in the large chorus and four outreach vocal ensembles. Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig leads the chorus in a wide array of styles and genres; their high-energy performances are known for their mixture of beautiful music, humor and personality.

In 1977, a year before his death, Supervisor Harvey Milk sponsored a gay civil rights bill. Mayor George Moscone signed that bill into law with a lavender pen given to him by Harvey. The Lavender Pen remains a symbol of the fight for equality for all and is the reason for the tour’s name. With the divisiveness in the United States now, this tour hopes to promote equality and inclusiveness and the value of treating all with respect and dignity. The choir performed at the First Baptist Church of Greenville, South Carolina on October 13 of this year. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

Tenth, Al Franken has resigned his position in Washington. He didn’t want to quit, but he was pressure by many or his peers to step down. Senator Franken repeated that he was innocent of the accusations of many of the women who have spoken against him, but he did apologize. In his retirement speech he talked about President Trump and candidate Roy Moore who were accused of the same sins by several women. We have raised the ire of our LORD God.

But that is enough. We could talk about the sins that our nation has committed that raises the ire of our LORD for longer than this sermon will last. But was Israel ever in a position that they hadn’t raised the ire of their LORD God. Have they ever been blessed by their God? Yes, they have. One such situation is today’s sermon.

We will look at one incident that occurred where Israel received the blessings of their God. How did ancient Israel defeat two mighty kings east of the Jordan River? Sihon and Og. Sihon ruled from his capital city which was Heshbon. Og, the king of Bashan, was one of the remnant of the giants who slept in a huge bed that was over 18 feet long (Deuteronomy 11). Sihon first gathered his troops and attacked Israel in battle. These two victories gave the Israelites about the same amount of territory as their future battles against the other Canaanite countries on the western side of the Jordan River.

Number 21:21-23

21) “And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22) Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into thy vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king’s high way, until we be past thy borders.

23) And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.”

How did the million plus people of the Israel camp feed themselves? They had no farms, no vineyards, no orchards. How did they have enough water to drink as they were dwelling in a desert? They were living as the nation without a country for 40 years.

But they had their livestock traveling with them and God supplied a miraculous seven-day supply of manna every six days. Manna was a food of angels that fell from the heaven every morning. It happened for about 40 years and then never occurred again. When they were stuck in the middle of the arid desert, the rock divinely supplied water to the congregation.

Deuteronomy 2:26-30

26) “And I (Moses) sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

27) Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.

28) Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and given me water for money, that I may drink; only I will pass through on my feet;

29) (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.

30) But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.”

Israel bought meat and water from the Edomites and Moabites but Sihon refused to sell anything to the Israelites. God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate for the purpose that He might deliver him into the hand of Israel. Sihon and his army attacked and was soundly defeated. Israel took all his cities and smote him, his sons and all his people. There was no one that was left after Israel was done with the battle.

So, Israel took of the cattle for a prey unto themselves and the spoil of the cities which they also took. They had enough food to last them for a while. Eventually, two and one-half tribes—half of the tribe of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben, asked and were given permission to live in this part of the land east of the Jordan River. The cities of the Amorites became the cities of these 2 ½ tribes as Manasseh also had territory to the west of the Jordan River too.

The kingdom of Sihon extended along the mountain range and plateaus east of the Jordan from the river Jabbok on the north to the river Arnon on the south. Sihon had taken this land from Moab.

Israel asked the Amorites if they could travel through their land. They would not bother any of their crops or fresh water. They would leave everything that the Amorites owned alone. But the Amorites forbid Israel to enter. The Amorites gathered their forces and came and attacked Israel.

Let’s stop the narrative and think about this situation. Israel had been freed from being slaves in Egypt. They had been treated very badly, as a matter of fact. But they were not freed by an insurrection or by a major war. They were freed by the LORD their God.

One of their own, Moses, had been adopted by the royal family of Egypt. He grew up and became a general in the Egyptian army. One day, he killed an Egyptian who was treating an Israelite wrongly. He fled the country.

Forty years later, he was told to come back to Egypt and lead his people to freedom. It took a while and he had to battle against the occultist of Egypt, but on the first Passover night the Israelites finally gained their freedom. But it didn’t last long, as the Egyptian army soon went after the Israelites. The Red Sea was one border and the Egyptians were attacking on the other. What could the Israelites do? Just trust in their God.

The Egyptian army, the most powerful in the world, all drowned in the Red Sea, as they attempted to follow the Israelites who had walked through the opened Sea. The Israelites were now free. But where were they to go—to the Promised Land. The land inhabited by the Canaanite nations were the land that the Israelites were given by their God.

Og is introduced in the Book of Numbers. Like his neighbor Sihon of Heshbon, who Moses had previously conquered at the battle of Jahaz he was an Amorite king, the ruler of Bashan, which contained sixty walled cities and many unwalled towns, with his capital at Ashtaroth where there still exists a 70-foot mound.

Following the defeat of Sihon, Moses sent spies north to Jazer and “captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there” (Numbers 21:32). The Israelites continued north and defeated Og king of Bashan at Edrei in southern Syria.

Joshua 12:1-6

1). “Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Herman, and all the plain on the east:

2) Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which upon the bank of the river of Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

3) And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea of the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah:

4) And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and Edrei.

5) And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half of Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

6) Then did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.”

The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 3 says:

1)“Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

2) But the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him and all his people and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as you didst unto Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.

3) 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.

4) And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities [60], all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

5) All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, beside unwalled towns a great many.

6) And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.

7) But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities we took as a prey to ourselves.” 

Og’s destruction is told in Psalms 135:10-12 and 136:18-22 as one of many great victories for the nation of Israel.

Psalms 135:10-12

10) “Who (LORD God of Israel) smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

11) Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.

12) And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.”

Psalms 136:18-22

18) “And slew famous kings: for His (LORD God of Israel) mercy endureth for ever:

19) Sihon king of the Amorites: for His mercy endureth for ever:

20) And Og the king of Bashan: for His mercy endureth for ever.

21) And gave their land for an heritage: for His mercy endureth for ever:”

And in the Book of Amos, it refers to former blessings to magnify the crime of Israel’s continued rebellion.

Amos 2:9, 10

9) “Yet destroyed I (LORD God of Israel) the Amorite (Sihon and Og) before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

10) Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and let you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.”

Joshua 9:8-10

8) “And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are Ye? And from whence come ye?

9) And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt.

10) And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.”

The fame of the LORD God of Israel spread to the Canaanites living in the western side of the Jordan River. They heard of the mighty things that their LORD God had done for them. This led to their deception by the Gibeonites who deceived the Israelites.

Joshua 9:9, 10

9) “And they (Gibeonites) said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God; for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt.

10) And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.”

CONCLUSION

The fear of the LORD God of Israel had spread to all the Canaanite countries. What if you were a descendant of the Canaanites? How would you feel towards the LORD God of Israel? The Israelites had escaped slavery in Egypt. The army of the Egyptians had been destroyed, drowned in the Gulf of Aqaba. The two mighty kings of the Amorites, of the Canaanite countries, had been total destroyed. The two kingdoms east of the Jordan River, about the same amount of territory as on the western portion, were annihilated. The LORD God of Israel had helped the Israelites win the war between the Amorites.

And now the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River. They were coming to conquer completely all the Canaanites living on the western side of the Jordan. Fear spreads. Would they all be killed too?

Well, we know that Israel sinned and some of the Canaanites survived. Those that remained became a test for the Israelites. What kind of test? Would the Israelites remain true to their own God or would they believe and perform the practices and rituals and way of living that the Canaanites lived?

Look at what has changed in the Unites States and the other Israel nations? We witness chaos from coast to coast. Truly the “heathen rage and the people imagine vain things.” Christianity, once the powerful guiding force, has become invisible in the scheme of things. Churches are apostate and powerless, incorporating strangers in high places, teaching not the powerful Covenant Word of our LORD God, but cowering in the face of such abominations as:

• Sodomy,
• Infanticide,
• Race mixing,
• Feminism,
• Transgenderism,
• Lying,
• Deceit,
• Fraud,
• Same-sex marriages,
• Free-love,
• Drug abuse,
• Income tax,
• Private bank supplying the credit-money for the nation,
• Property tax,
• Tolerance,
• Etc.

Have we failed the test?

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel.