Deuteronomy 3:21-28 New International Version
Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan
21 At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”
23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? 25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”
26 But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Deuteronomy 3:22 in the King James Version of the Bible reads, “Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.”
This verse comes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is the fifth book of the Old Testament and is attributed to Moses.
The context of this verse is very important for understanding its meaning.
In the preceding verses, Moses is recounting to the Israelites the victories they had over the kings of the Amorites and Bashan.
He reminds them that it was not their own strength or military prowess that had enabled them to defeat these enemies, but rather it was the Lord alone who fought for them and gave them the victory. In verse 21, Moses encourages the Israelites to not be afraid of the enemies they will face as they continue their journey to possess the Promised Land, for it is the Lord who will fight for them.
One of the key themes of this verse is the now nearly foreign idea of courage, strength and trust in God’s protection.
The Israelites were facing formidable enemies as they advanced towards the Promised Land, and it would have been quite natural for them to feel fear and uncertainty entering a “promised” land they knew virtually nothing about.
However, Moses assures them that they do not need to fear because the Lord their God will be the one to fight for them. This theme of courage and strength in the face of an unknown measure of adversity and crisis level trust in God’s provision is a recurring motif throughout the Bible is particularly emphasized in the book of Deuteronomy – Moses’ final discourse before Joshua took over.
The verse also highlights the absolute sovereignty and limitless power of God.
The Israelites are reminded their victory over their enemies is not dependent on their own capabilities or resources, or lack thereof, but on the Lord alone who is and always will be able to fight for them and secure their success.
This serves as a powerful reassurance to the Israelites that their security and wellbeing are ultimately 100% safe in the hands of a mighty and faithful God.
Symbolically, this verse can be interpreted as a representation of the broader theme of spiritual warfare.
While the Israelites were facing physical battles against their enemies, the underlying message is that there are spiritual battles taking place as well.
The assurance that the Lord will fight “unbeatable foes” for them serves as a reminder that believers are not alone in their struggles against spiritual forces, but that God is actively interceding, continually intervening, on their behalf.
Additionally, this verse speaks highly to the concept of divine protection and provision. The Israelites were being led to a land flowing with milk and honey, but they had to face numerous challenges and adversaries along the way.
The promise that God would fight for them is an undeniable demonstration of his everlasting commitment to care for his people and to ensure that they will ultimately inherit the blessings he has promised to them from the beginning.
Deuteronomy 3:22 contains a powerful message of assurance, confidence and courage, of strength, trust, and divine intervention.
It reassures believers, even us today, that they can face their enemies with confidence, knowing that the Lord their God will be the one to fight for them.
This verse serves as a source of encouragement and hope for believers facing adversity and serves as a sure reminder of the faithfulness and power of God.
One too many of us will always trust in Chariots and Horses …
Psalm 20 New International Version
Psalm 20[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
I do not know of anyone who has not been afraid of something or someone at some time in their life.
Have you experienced the fear of a medical diagnosis, or of being harmed, or of being threatened by someone in authority, or of moving from a place of comfort and safety to a place that could be unwelcoming or even dangerous?
Have you feared growing old, or being alone in your old age, or perhaps of our losing your cognitive and or physical abilities or something you have worked for? Have you been getting afraid of losing loved ones or even your own life?
When we are afraid, it can be helpful to recall times when God demonstrated his love, care, and power.
We can trust in the Lord, who is faithful. We do not have to be afraid (Psalm 27:1).
Psalm 27:1-2 Complete Jewish Bible
27 (0) By David:
(1) Adonai is my light and salvation;
whom do I need to fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life;
of whom should I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assailed me
to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
they stumbled and fell.
Moses faced his own fears when hostile kings and their armies threatened the people of Israel (see Deuteronomy 2:24-3:11).
But God told him not to be afraid because God would defeat their enemies.
God told Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua so he too would trust God, not rely on his own limited abilities or be afraid of other nations as they crossed the Jordan River. (Joshua 1:1-9)
Joshua 1:1-9 Christian Standard Bible
Encouragement of Joshua
1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s assistant: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
We can face our fears on our own, or we can listen to God. We should obey when the Spirit nudges or tells us to be still. God has our back. He will give us strength and courage to stand. The Lord is always with us and will always take care of us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 8
God’s Glory, Human Dignity
For the choir director: on the Gittith. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
You have covered the heavens with your majesty.[a]
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,
you have established a stronghold[b]
on account of your adversaries
in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I observe your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you set in place,
4 what is a human being that you remember him,
a son of man[c] that you look after him?
5 You made him little less than God[d][e]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
8 the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 