At Peace with All Men
“‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle." “And I sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, ‘Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the road, and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left.” Deuteronomy 2:24, 26-27
It seems odd for Moses to offer terms of peace to Sihon when the Lord told Moses that He had “given Sihon into your hand." This is an OT Biblical picture of how the Lord will sovereignly harden the hearts of an adversary to pursue conflict in order to glorify His name and promote His people. There are numerous Biblical examples of the Lord using creative conflict to further his kingdom: hardening of Pharoah's heart to resist releasing Israel (Exodus 7-8), causing the Philistines to unknowingly pick a fight with Samson regarding his betrothed wife (Judges 14:4), rebuking King Asa for forming a military alliance with Syria when the Lord wanted to defeat them (2 Chron 16:7).
The Lord caused Sihon to gather into an army outside the protection of their fortified cities in order to make it easier for Israel to defeat them. Romans 12:18 gives the Elect their default strategy, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” We must recognize that conflict and persecution is part of the sovereign plan: "These things [regarding coming trials] I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world [for you and through you].” (John 16:33, see also John 15:18-25). Pursing peace should never devolve into pursuing passivity out of fear of conflict. We can walk in the Lord's victory when men rise up against us despite our best efforts to live in peace because the Lord is sovereign over both peace and conflict. “If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing [to defeat you]; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.” (Isaiah 54:17 NIV) "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. (Is 54:17). "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all." (Ps 34:19). May we walk in HIs peace today as the Lord uses creative conflict to build His kingdom.
It seems odd for Moses to offer terms of peace to Sihon when the Lord told Moses that He had “given Sihon into your hand." This is an OT Biblical picture of how the Lord will sovereignly harden the hearts of an adversary to pursue conflict in order to glorify His name and promote His people. There are numerous Biblical examples of the Lord using creative conflict to further his kingdom: hardening of Pharoah's heart to resist releasing Israel (Exodus 7-8), causing the Philistines to unknowingly pick a fight with Samson regarding his betrothed wife (Judges 14:4), rebuking King Asa for forming a military alliance with Syria when the Lord wanted to defeat them (2 Chron 16:7).
The Lord caused Sihon to gather into an army outside the protection of their fortified cities in order to make it easier for Israel to defeat them. Romans 12:18 gives the Elect their default strategy, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” We must recognize that conflict and persecution is part of the sovereign plan: "These things [regarding coming trials] I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world [for you and through you].” (John 16:33, see also John 15:18-25). Pursing peace should never devolve into pursuing passivity out of fear of conflict. We can walk in the Lord's victory when men rise up against us despite our best efforts to live in peace because the Lord is sovereign over both peace and conflict. “If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing [to defeat you]; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.” (Isaiah 54:17 NIV) "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. (Is 54:17). "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all." (Ps 34:19). May we walk in HIs peace today as the Lord uses creative conflict to build His kingdom.
Posted in 1 & 2 Chronicles, Exodus, Isaiah, John, Psalms, Deuteronomy, Romans, Judges
Posted in Peace/Soul Health, Conflict, Sovereignty of God, Testing-Temptation-Trials
Posted in Peace/Soul Health, Conflict, Sovereignty of God, Testing-Temptation-Trials