Wars of the Lord

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

February 11, 2024

Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:14:

“Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the LORD, What He [the LORD God of Israel] did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon.”

There are many pastors who are called “prosperity preachers” where they encourage their congregants to “sow their tithe” to God, by giving it to their ministry. In return, they say that God will bless them many-fold times more than what they gave as a tithe (if they have the faith).

These preachers are some of the wealthiest men in the countries that they minister in. Kenneth Copeland is the wealthiest of these types, for he has accumulated several jet airplanes, a huge mansion, many expensive automobiles and lives a very luxurious lifestyle in the United States. There is even a preacher in Nigeria, Africa, Oyedepo, that has a worth of over $150,000,000.

There are, besides Copeland and Oyedepo, Osteen, Meyers, Duplantis, Dollar, Parsley,  Jakes, Furtick, White (former President Trump’s preacher), Hinn, Tilton, King, Morris, Veach, Prince, Coontz, Peason, Wommack (voted to the Senate in Georgia), Joyner, Bickle, Jacobs, Bentley, Valloton, Murdock, Crouch (now deceased), Muldoon, Bynun, Hagin, Price, Johnson, Roberts, Hagee (founder of the Christian Zionist organization, Christians United for Israel), Browne, Oyakhilome, Bushiri, Baker, Ahn, Engle, Todd, Stanley, Lentz, Bell, Robertson, Roth (a Messianic Jew), and Kerr. These preachers are the heads of many mega-churches or have television shows that are watched by millions of viewers.

Then there are the Catholic and Protestant churches which are both universal. But there are many differences in their teachings too. Some of these are:

• Catholics baptize infants, while others only adults,
• Catholics teach that communion or Eucharists is the actual turning of the bread into Jesus’ flesh and the wine into His blood, while others teach that it is just a symbol, not the actual flesh and blood,
• Catholics believe that the Virgin mother of Jesus was sinless; while others believe that the mother of Jesus was a pure seeded Israelite, but sinful,
• Catholics have a different Bible than Protestants. Protestant Bibles have just 66 books whereas Catholic bibles include the books of:
  • Tobit,
  • Judith,
  • Wisdom,
  • Sirach or Ecclesiasticus,
  • Baruch,
  • 1 Maccabees,
  • 2 Maccabees,
  • Plus more verses in Esther and Daniel,
• Catholics have a structure that God gave to Peter the authority which was passed down to his successors called the “Pope,” while others have a clergy that is from the people,
• Catholics celebrate their two big holidays as the Mass of Christ and Easter, while others celebrate their holy days as Passover and Tabernacles,
• Catholics can ask anyone who are “saints” who are in heaven for help, while others deny this,
• Catholics say that they follow Scripture and church tradition, while others say they follow the Scriptures alone,
• While others teach that there are only two sacraments: Baptism, and Communion, Catholics say that there are seven sacraments:
  • Baptism (Infants),
  • Eucharist (Transubstantiation),
  • Penance (Confession),
  • Confirmation,
  • Holy Orders (Priesthood),
  • Matrimony, and
  • Extreme Unction (Anointing of the sick)
• Catholics believe that a person is saved by faith and works (life-long process), while others believe that it is by faith alone (instantaneous),
• Catholics believe that in the afterlifeeveryone will go to either Heaven, Hell, Purgatory or Limbo, while others say it is either Heaven if you repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in His sacrificial death and Resurrection, or Hell if you reject His completed work on the Cross, sacrificial death, and Resurrection from the dead (see chart),

Then there are the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, Church of Scientology, and others that are outside the realm of Protestantism and Catholicism but who are still universalists. They have differences in how the Scripture is interpreted. Here are just some of the differences of interpretation of Scripture:

• Dispensationalists,
• Preterists,
• No preachers,
• No Satan,
• No giants,
• No angels,
• No genetic or physical enemy of Christians,
• No world-wide flood,
• Racism is a bad word,
• Only one communion cup,
• The Romans are guilty of killing Jesus,
• Certain animals are unclean to eat,
• No women preachers,
• No intimate relations outside of marriage,
• Everybody on earth is descended from Adam and Eve,
• Everyone is created equal in the eyes of God,
• No rapture,
• And so on and so on.

There are so many differences of opinion that it is impossible for anyone to believeeverything that another person does. And if they do, it won’t be long till they find something to disagree about.

Christian-Identity believes that Almighty God made an everlasting covenant with His friend Abram, and then gave those promises that He made with him to his son, Isaac, and then eventually gave it to his grandson, Jacob whose name was changedto Israel.But there are others who say that all the tribes of Israel, except for the tribe of Judah, are the Caucasian race and the tribe of Judah are the Jews. Others say that all the tribes of Israel are now called the Jews.

Now, who is right? Who are the descendants of Jacob/Israel? Is it the Jews, who are descendants of Jacob’s twin brother--Esau? Is it the Sephardic, or Ashkenazi, or Hassidic, or Mizrahi Jews? Or is it the people, also known as the Caucasian race or as “Christians.” Christian-Identity believes that it is the latter.

From there, the different views are staggering. The purpose of this sermon is to help those who have made it all the way to believe the main doctrine of Christian Identity to believe some of the other truths of the Bible.If we are the true descendants of the covenant, what difference does it make?It made a big difference in the Old Testament, why wouldn’t do the same in the New? Christian Identity is overrun by the enemies of God who dismiss the issue of race in Scripture.

ISRAEL’S INFANCY

Beginning from the separation of Joseph from his older brothers to the reuniting with them in Egypt, after being in Egypt for 215 years and experiencing the miraculous escape from the Egyptians.To their being punished for forty years before they could enter the Promise Land, to their wanderings on the eastern side of the Jordan River; we come to one of the most intriguing events in Israel’s history. For the land east of the Jordan River was ruled by two Amorite kings; Sihon and Og.

But first, who were the Amorites? They were descendants from one of the sons of Canaan, whose father was Ham, whose grandfather was Noah as recorded in Genesis 10. On the eastern side of the Jordan River is where these two Amorite kings ruled. There were also tribes of Amorites who lived on the western side of the Jordan River and in modern-day Syria.

The Amorites were known as fierce warriors and some ancient books refer to these two kings as being brothers. The Bible describes King Og’s bed as being about 131/2 feet long by 6 feetwide and says that he was the last of the remnant of the Rephaim giants. Both nations of Amorites were very strong and had a reputation of great military might.

But before we go on, we must discuss that there is a huge problem among Judeo-Christian scholars, students, teachers, and preachers. For they have a great deal of difficulty understanding why God would tell His covenant people to annihilate every person of the Canaanites. That includes all the men, women, and children. That is genocide!

The problem is that the Judeo-Christian believes the false doctrine that everyone who lives on the earth were created equal. They believe that there is no difference between the pure seeded individuals and the mixed-seeded individuals. In other words, they believe that there is no difference between a Mexican, Korean, Inca, Canaanite, Zulu, Portuguese, Israelite, Chinese, New Guinea savage, etc. All are the same.

So, the big question is: Why did God command His people to commit genocide against the Canaanites, in this case the Amorites? Israel was told on several occasions that God would fight on their behalf against their enemies.Notice that He never said that He would fight for the Canaanites or any other race of people.

Exodus 14:13, 14:

13) “And Moses said unto the people. Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14)“The LORD shall fight for you [Israel], and ye shall hold your peace.”

Exodus 23:20-23:

20) “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into theplace which I have prepared.

21) Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for My name is in him.

22) But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine [Israel’s]enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

23) For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.”

Exodus 23:27-30:

27) “I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

28) And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee.

29) I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

30) By little and little I will drive them out from before thee[Israel], until thou be increased, and inherit the land.”

Deuteronomy 7:1, 2:

1) “When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the landwhither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out manynations before thee, the Hittites, andtheGirgashites, andtheAmorites, andtheCanaanites, andthePerizzites, and theHivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater andmightier than thou;

2) And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee[Israel]; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:”

Israel was told that the LORD God would fight for them, the Israelites, make all their enemies turn their backs unto them, deliver the seven nations of the Canaanites before them, and will fight for them against your enemies. Why not? For they were His people, and He was their King.

What if you were descended from the line of Canaanites? The LORD God fought against your ancestors! Would you love or hate our LORD God? Does He still fight for Israel if they are obedient to Him? God is a racist! He fought for the kingdom that He was King over!

And it was not Israel’s strength that assured them of victory, it was God’s strength. An example of this was when the Israelites were facing an invasion by the Midianites. Israel had an army of 32,000 men which the LORD told Gideon, the leader of the Israelites, that they had too many men. God reduced the army all the way down to just three hundred men. After He discharged 29,000 soldiers, He then told Gideon this:

Judges 7:7: “And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you[Israel], and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.”

God gave His covenant people instructions on how they were to fight any battle. The first thing they were to do was to see if the enemy that they were about tofight really wanted to engage in battle.

THE PREPARATION OF THE ARMY

Deuteronomy 20:1-20:

1) “When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

When Israel begins their battle against their enemies and sees that they are disadvantaged, as they have fewer war weapons and less powerful ones, they are not to be afraid. Israel was commanded to not fear even though the enemy had superior:

• Numbers,
• Technology, and
• Equipment.

The reason Israel was not to fear was that the LORD their God would be fighting for them and was against their enemy. One with God makes an unbeatable majority.

2) And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people.

3) And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

4) For the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Right before the battle begins, the priest would come and say to the people, “Don’t be afraid and be terrified. For the LORD your God is going to fight for you against your enemy.” It was the job of the priests to encourage the soldiers to trust in their God. When Israel was obedient, and trusting in God, they could never lose. But when they were disobedient, or not trusting, they could never win—even if they had superior forces.

5) “And the officers shall speak to the people, saying: What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it?Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6) And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7) And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? Let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

8) And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint hearted? Let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

9) And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.”

And here is the part that no army does today. Israel’s officers were instructed by God to send any soldier home for a period of time who had built a new house and not dedicated it; to send home all the soldiers that had a vineyard that was just planted and not had a harvest; and all the men who were engaged with a woman who he had not marriedor were just married, let them all go home and dedicate, or eat their harvest, or begin their marriage experience.

The exemptions were allowed because of the need for total commitment by every soldier. Distractions could not be allowed. Anything that might distract a soldier had to be eliminated. Commitment was an absolute necessity when marching into battle. Without commitment, the battle was lost even before it began. For this reason, the basic qualification for a soldier was personal commitment to the army and its purpose. It was not necessary to have the largest possible army but the best possible army. The best possible army was the army totally committed to God, and confident that God would give them the victory over the enemy.

In addition, all the soldiers who were fearful and fainthearted were sent home by the officers of Israel’s army. The fearful and fainthearted could make the others fearful also. In this army, God only wants willing, brave soldiers. These exemptions, remarkable among any army, were a powerful testimony that Israel trusted in God for military victory, not in their own ability to raise a mighty, large army.

To God, the size of the army wasn’t important; the heart of the army was far more important. He didn’t want people who might be distracted from the real battle by worrying about the cares of everyday life (their home, their vineyard, their fiancée); nor did He want people who were not really trusting Him. God could do more through a smaller army that was really committed to Him than through a bigger army that was full of compromise.

God commanded that His army have leadership. No matter how good the soldiers were, they needed to have order which included good leadership. The soldiers were to choose their own officers.

Aren’t the same instructions given for Israel’s ancient army, good for His churches today? Is the size of the church the most important thing? No. It would be the commitment of the church. A church that is committed to obeying the instructions that God gave to His covenant people would be a lot more useful in the battle than the largest mega-church in the nation.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BATTLE

It is important to note that God gave instructions to Israel on how to conduct war. There are, in God’s way of doing things, rules for war. It cannot be conducted in any way conceivable or in any way that might bring victory. 

Continuing in Deuteronomy 20:

10) “When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

11) And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found there in shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.”

Before they begin to fight, Israel is told that they must proclaim an offer of peace to their enemy. And if the enemy accepts their offer of peace, then Israel must accept it and all the people that they were about to fight would be placed under tribute and serve the nation of Israel. It was important that Israel did not fight unnecessarily.

12) “And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

13) And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.

14) But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

15) Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.”

If a city would not agree to their peace offer, then Israel should besiege the enemy. And when the LORD your God delivers it into Israel’s hands, then they should kill every man. But the women, the children, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself. You shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the LORD your God gives you. Thus, you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these Canaanite nations. Plunder provided the wages for the army in ancient warfare and underwrote the expenses for the battle.

16) “But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

17) But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

18) That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.”

The previous commands regarding warfare did not apply to the upcoming conquest of Canaan. Not only was Israel not to offer peace to the cities, but they were also to destroy everything, not only the adult males. This was a unique war of judgment, more than a war of conquest of defense.

Why was this? Because the Canaanites would teach the Israelites to do according to their abominations which they had done for their gods. They had a different father than the Israelites had. This explains why such a complete destruction was commanded. The culture of the Canaanites was so corrupt, socially, morally, and spiritually, that God considered it irredeemable, and ripe for judgment. In this unique war, the armies of Israel were to bring that judgment upon the Canaanites.

19) “When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:

20) Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.”

When an army surrounded a city during a siege, the army would look around the countryside for supplies. Needing wood for building and fuel, it would be common for the besieging army to cut down trees in the area around the city. Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down. However, God commanded Israel against cutting down trees for food when they besiege a city. They had to take a long-term view and see that their immediate need for wood was less important than the long-term good of the area.

HOW DO THESE RULES COMPARE WITH OUR OWN TODAY?

Are there any exemptions given from serving in the United States Armed Forces? Yes, there are. But they are not the same as in Israel’s ancient army.

I was exempted from service because I was in college working on a math teaching position. It was figured by the authorities in power that there was already a shortage of math teachers and if the future or present teachers were not exempted, then there would be, of course, a much larger shortage in the future. So, math teachers were exempted from the service.

After I graduated, the school system superintendent, where I was teaching, was required each year to write to the War Department telling them that I was teaching math. There were a couple of other categories in teaching that were exempted. I think science was one and there were probably a couple of others that I do not remember.

There are several other exemptions besides teachers of certain subjects, like ministers, certain elected officials, veterans, immigrants, and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship, height below 60 inches and over 80 inches, weight from 127 to 241 pounds and so forth.

I know of no one who was exempt from service for building a house and not dedicating it or planting a new vineyard and not experiencing its harvest or being engaged to a woman or just married or anyone who was scared, or faith hearted. How many soldiers married their girlfriend, and then were sent immediately overseas to fight the enemy? Many of them never came back alive. And the man of God was never called to encourage the soldiers and to tell them that the LORD God would fight for them in the upcoming battle.

WHAT WAS SO BAD ABOUT THE CANAANITES?

Every time Israel was fighting their enemy, the Canaanites, that were living in the land that God gave to Abraham’s covenant seed,God instructed His people to destroy completely all of them--the men, the women, the children, their animals—everything. God wanted His nation, Israel, to annihilate the Canaanites.

What was the reason for this behavior?  Seems kind of strange, doesn’t it? That implies that the Canaanites could never be influenced by anything that God’s covenant people would say or do for the Canaanites. They would never hear the words of God because they were not His people. In fact, God told His people that if the Canaanites were not all killed and some were left, they would be like snares and thorns unto the Israelites.

Joshua 23:13: “Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.”

Didn’t Jesus Christ tell us, when He spoke to the Jews the same thing?

John 10:26: “But ye [Jews; verse 24] believe not, because ye [Jews] are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.”

The Canaanite [Jews] don’t believe because they are not the LORD God’s sheep. They are a different kind of people—snakes, vipers, goats, tares, bad fish, and wolves. They can never believe and never repent. That is the reason that God said to genocide them, for they were not of His original creation. They were the fig tree that didn’t produce any fruit. They were of a different seed line.

God told His people in Leviticus 20:23: “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.” 

As Moses advanced toward Canaan, which was located west of the Jordan River, he encountered some of the Amorites, who were living of the eastern side of the Jordan. Going from South to North, there were the Midianites, the Edomites, the Moabites, the Amorites of the kingdom of Sihon and the Amorites of the kingdom of Og.

Originally, Moses offered Sihon peaceful terms if he would let the Israelites pass through his land toward Canaan, even offering to pay for whatever food and water they consumed (Deuteronomy 2:24-29). However, Moses reveals:

Deuteronomy 2:30: “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 appeareththis day.

Grace was offered one last time, but Sihon rejected it, and, in this regard, Sihon brought judgment upon himself and his people. Israel went to war.

Deuteronomy 2:31-36:

31) “And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.

32) Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

33) And the LORD our God delivered him before us; andwe smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

34) And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, every city, we left none to remain.

35) Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

36) From Aroer which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:”

The Amorites could have moved out and avoided the conflict by settling in another area. Like other residents of Canaan, they’d no doubt heard about how the LORD God of Israel had delivered His people from the Egyptians and provided for them during their almost forty years in the wilderness. To stand against God and His army was madness. 

Numbers 21:26 “For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.”

Sihon, the king of the Amorites, had conquered the king of Moab and had taken all his land. This original territory of Moab, which was later taken by the Reubenites and Gadites, became know as the “land of Moab.” After conquering completely Sihon, there was another nation of Amorites to conquer. King Og of Bashan was the next battle.

Deuteronomy 3:1-7:

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)  And 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 thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which 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, 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 for a prey to ourselves.”

So, Israel did as they did to Sihon’s kingdom—they destroyed all the men, women, and children in the nation of Bashan. The two kingdoms of Sihon and Og had no one living in them. They were desolate lands now.

CONCLUSION

The Israelites made a complete destruction of the Amorites to the east of the Jordan River. They kill all the men;old, middle-age, young, boys and infants and well as all the girls. No one was left. The ½ tribe of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben were given the land, where there were no people left alive from the Amorites—the former kingdoms of Sihon and Og.

After these two kingdoms fell in a complete defeat, news spread quickly over the neighboring nations. The giant Sihon and all his kingdom is completely gone. The giant Og and all his kingdom are also completely gone. Are they nexton the list was what they thought?

This is what Balak thought ofwho reigned over the remaining territory of Moab. The sight of the oncoming Israelites terrified him as he learned of the genocidal victory of the two Amorite kingdoms. So, he called for Balaam, from Mesopotamia, to come and curse them.

Balaam eventually advised him to send Moabite and Midianite women to lead the Israelite men astray. Balaam couldn’t curse Israel, but he made them experience the judgement of Almighty God against them when they race-mixed with the Midianites and Moabite woman. The debauchery and paganism that followed resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 Israel men.

But first, let us review the two previous battles:

THE BATTLE OF JAHAZ

• Sihon gathered all his army into the wilderness to attack Israel.
• The Israelites cross the Arnon River Gorge into Amorite territory.
• The two forces met at Jahaz. Sihon lost the battle and was killed.
• Israel counter-attacked and took over the land from the Arnon River to theJabbok River.
• They halted near the Bashan frontier. As this was fortified, they would need to regroup and plan a new attack later.
• After the advance, Israel eliminated all pockets of resistance within the territory, cities, andsettlements.
• Heshbon, the capital, was the key prize and cleared up all local opposition.
• Effectively attacking the enemy in the rear, they continued south and took Dibon back in the Jahaz area.

THE BATTLE OF EDREI

• After defeating the Amorites at Jahaz the army sent spies to Jazer and invaded Bashan.
• They defeated King Og from Bashan at Edrei.
• They then took sixty fortified cities in the region of Argob in Bashan.
• Advancing as far as Mount Hermon
• Consolidating their occupation in Gilead, and Edrei.

The Israelites struck down Og, his sons and his whole army taking possession of his land. The conquest of Sihon and Og and all their cities took some time. But it was a glorious victory as there was no one that was left of these two mighty kingdoms.Both kingdoms were totally annihilated.

The Israelites killed every man, woman and child who lived in these two kingdoms of Sihon and Og. Not one of them were left. After this great victory, half the tribe of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben took their land and inhabited it. What a great and glorious victory. 

How many Amorite soldiers were killed in the two big battles with the king of Sihon and Og. All of them, plus the rest of the old men, boys, women, girls. Everyone was killed. I have never heard of such a slaughter. The Israelites wiped these two Amorites kingdoms off the map!

How many Israelites soldiers were killed. Could it have been any? I don’t know, but there weren’t many, if there were any. Maybe the answer is found in the book, “The Warsof the LORD.”

But after these two victories that eliminated the Amorites, the king of Moab got very scared. If the Israelites did this to the mighty kingdoms of Sihon and Og, what would they do to us?

As the children of Israel traveled through the wilderness, they employed the services of a guide familiar with the desert—Moses’ Midianite brother-in-law, Hobab (Numbers 10:29). However, the relations between the Israelites and the Midianites began to sour when the Midianites joined forces with the Moabites in order to hire Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22).

Later, when Israel fell into adultery with the Moabite women (Numbers 25), we find that a prominent Midianite woman was also involved (Numbers 25:6). The Lord then told Moses to wage war against the Midianites:

Numbers 25:17-18:

17) “Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

18) For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.”

The Israelites did eventually attack the Midianites that had been involved in the situation at Baal-Peor, with divine retribution against their enemies (Numbers 31). This battle was one of the last things Moses accomplished as leader of the Israelites.

THE DESTRUCTION OF MIDIAN

The attack on Midian went on with unprecedented fury. Every single enemy soldier was killed, including their kings Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba and the sorcerer Balaam.

The towns were burned, and the women and children were spared as plunder, against Moses’ instructions.In return to their camp on the eastern bank of the River Jordan, Moses admonished the officers for having spared the women, responsible for leading the people into sexual sin as directed by Balaam. Moses reiterated the order to kill all women, specifying the ones who had slept with men and leaving the virgins alive.

Israel went to War against the Midianites with 12,000 soldiers, 1000 from each tribe. Israel did not fight all the Midianites. Killing all the Midianite males would have the effect of wiping out the people of Midian. Moses then died at Mt. Nebo. 

We are facing a major judgment in the history of our Israelite nations. We have not remained separate. We have allowed all the different races in the world into our “melting pot” of a nation, including the antichrists. We have not learned from the history given to us in our Bibles. And our people are marrying more and more of the other races. We will experience the same fate.

May God have mercy on our souls.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel.