Deuteronomy 3 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Deuteronomy 3 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• These events occurred immediately after the Israelites 40 years wandering in the wilderness.  

• The Israelites were in the wilderness from approximately 1490-1450 B.C.

• The Book of Deuteronomy opens on the 1st day of the 11th month in the 40th year (Deu 1:3) following the Israelites’ departure from Egypt (approximately 1450 B.C.).

CHARACTERS:

• Israelites (Hebrews) – The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God granted them freedom after several hundred years in slavery in Egypt. Leading up to the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness as they made their way to Canaan, the land God promised to give them as a home.

• Moses – Moses was selected by God to lead the Israelites to Canaan. God spoke directly to Moses and Moses communicated God’s words and laws to the people.    

• Sihon – King of the Amorites, king of Heshbon.

• Og – King of Bashan.

WHERE:

• Deuteronomy 1:5 tells us Moses spoke the words recorded in Deuteronomy while in Moab, probably on the plains of Moab near Pisgah (Numbers 22:1).

• This chapter describes how Moses divided up Bashan, Gilead, and the land of the Amorites and distributed it between the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.

OUTLINE:

• THE DEFEAT OF KING OG OF BASHAN (3:1-11):

  • Og, the king of Bashan, prepared his army and went to fight with Israel.

  • God told Moses not to fear Og because God intended to give Og’s land to Israel.

  • At the battle, the Israelites defeated all of Og’s men and took possession of his 60 cities.

  • The cities and their inhabitance were destroyed.

  • The text tells us Og was a descendant of the Rephaim, men renown for their height (2:20-21).

  • The dimensions of his bed are mentioned, roughly 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide (4.1 x 1.8 meters).

• THE INHERITANCE OF REUBEN, GAD, AND HALF OF MANASSEH (3:12-20):

  • The land the Israelites had conquered east of the Jordan was given the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. These tribes had specifically requested the land because of their large number of livestock (Num 32:1-5).

  • But Moses required the men of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to keep their word and help the other tribes conquer the land west of Jordan before settling in their homes (Num 32:20-27).

• MOSES IS PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING CANAAN (3:21-29):

  • Moses encouraged Joshua to remember Israel’s defeat of Sihon and Og and allow it to give him confidence God would aid him as he led the people across the Jordan to fight more battles.

  • Moses knew God had forbidden him from entering Canaan (Num 20:24), but he plead with God to change His mind.

  • God was resolute and would not permit him to enter.

  • He told Moses to ascend the nearby mountain, Mount Pisgah, and look over the land of Canaan from afar.

APPLICATION:

• Godly people may still have to endure consequences of previous sins.

• Moses was a godly man and there is no doubt he was faithful to God following the misstep that prohibited him from entering Canaan.

• There will be times when we must face the consequences of our bad decisions even after we’ve repented and gotten back on track.

• This truth should give us pause when judging other people. A person struggling through the consequences of sin may no longer be a sinner, they may be a godly person working through the consequences of poor decisions in a past life.