Conquering the Unconquerable

Text:  Deuteronomy 3:1-11

The time was drawing near for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land.  Quite a few things had taken place including a whole generation of people being denied the blessing of entering the Promised Land.  Their being denied this blessing was a result of their own actions and words.  In addition, God told Moses he would not enter the Promised Land either.  Joshua has been appointed the new leader of the Israelite people.  Before he took over, Moses took the time to address the people.  In his address, we find our text today. 

“Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei. The LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."  So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city—men, women and children. But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.  So at that time we took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon. (Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.) We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, towns of Og's kingdom in Bashan. (Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide.  It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)”  (Deuteronomy 3:1-11, NASB, Emphasis Mine)

I found something interesting as I read this passage.  Take a look at verse 5.  It says, “All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages.”  In Biblical times, the best way to protect a city was to build high walls around it.  To add to that gates and bars would have made it even that much more secure.  A city fortified with high walls, gates, and bars would have been considered almost unconquerable.  It would have taken great strategy, large numbers of soldiers, and immense strength to take down such a city.  Yet, our God is bigger than any walled city.  He can conquer the unconquerable.  And so it happened that God gave these cities over to the Israelites and they overtook what would have seemed unconquerable.

This same God who helped the Israelites conquer the unconquerable is the same God who can help you conquer the unconquerable in your life.  The huge wall of bitterness, depression, loneliness, addiction, or whatever it may be called is not too huge for our God.  Listen to Him tell you – “Do not be afraid!  I can conquer the unconquerable!  Step up and step out and have faith in My power!  You are not alone!”  Freedom is not cheap nor does it come easy.  You have to be willing to step up and surrender to God.  You have to be willing to step out and fight.  You have to have faith in God’s power – not your own.  For in your own power, you will lose.  But walking in God’s power, you are more than a conqueror.  (Romans 8:37)  Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  God is for us!  God is for you!  Are you willing to step up, step out, fight the good fight, and have faith in God’s power? 

©2008 KRL The T.A.G. Blog  http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog