Dave Burnette's Commentary

Deuteronomy Chapter 2

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses 
Date Penned: (1407 BC)
Overview: To Remind and Rededicate Israel to the Lord (c 1-34)
Theme: A Reminder of What God Has Done (c 1-4)
Message: A Review of the Wandering  (v 1-37)

Deuteronomy 2 Commentary

(2:4-6) Respecting our Neighbors - When the Israelites passed through Seir, God advised them to be careful. The Israelites were now known as a formidable fighting force, and the descendants of Esau--the Edomites- would have been understandably nervous as the great crowd passed through their land. God warned the Israelites not to start a fight, to respect the Edomites' territory, and to pay for whatever they ate or drank. God wanted the Israelites to deal justly with these neighbors. We must also act justly in dealing with others. Recognize the rights of others, even your opponents. By behaving wisely and justly, you may be able to establish or restore a good relationship.

(2:14-15) A Price of Disobedience - The Israelites did not have to spend 40 years to get to the Promised Land. God had sentenced them to wander in the wilderness because they had rejected his love, rebelled against his authority, ignored his commands for right living, and willfully broken their end of the agreement made in Exodus 19:8 and 24:3-8. In short, they had disobeyed God. We often make life's journey more difficult than necessary by being disobedient. But by accepting God's love for you, reading and following his instructions in the Bible, and determining to trust him whatever your situation, you will find that your life will be less complicated and more rewarding.

(2:25) The Lord Fights Israel's Battles - God told Moses he would make the enemy nations terrified of Israel. By worldly standards, Israel's army was not intimidating, but the Israelites had God on their side. They no longer had to worry about their enemies because their enemies were worried about them. God goes before us in our daily battles, preparing the way for us and overcoming barriers. We need to follow him wholeheartedly and be alert to his leading.

 

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Give the Gospel

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of Deuteronomy with Chapter 2 and we see re-publishing of the law given to the 1st generation of Israelite's. This deeper look reveals the word Deuteronomy means second law in Greek and this is not a second set of laws but rather a re-publishing of the law to this second Generation of Israelite's. In our chapter today we see a review of the wanderings and battles of the past generations as an example to not walk in the same steps. What catches my eye in our text is how God told Israel to be respectful of the people of Seir as they passed through their land. In making application I see the importance to be respectful to the lost as we too go through this foreign land. I have been with some Christians who look down and are disrespectful of the sinful lost. I believe the Lord would have us to proclaim the truth but to season it with salt. Having compassion making a difference. The truth is not for the grace of God I would be the one to reach. I am so grateful that someone shared the Gospel with me in this manor. When the men from the Church visited our home when I was a child they were very respectful to our family that was lost. We accepted their invitation to Church, heard the Gospel, and received Christ individually. How about you? Do you witness to others in a respectful way? Let us learn from today's text and give the Gospel in a respectful way. 
 

 

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Deuteronomy 2

Deuteronomy 2

 1Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.

 2And the LORD spake unto me, saying,

 3Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.

 4And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:

 5Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

 6Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.

 7For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.

 8And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

 9And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

 10The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;

 11Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims.

 12The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.

 13Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered.

 14And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.

 15For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.

 16So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

 17That the LORD spake unto me, saying,

 18Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:

 19And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

 20(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;

 21A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:

 22As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

 23And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)

 24Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

 25This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

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

 27Let 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.

 28Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give 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.

 30But 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.

 31And 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.

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

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

 34And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

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

 36From 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:

 37Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.