Nov 21, 2019
Israel is still on the wrong side of the Jordan. They have yet to cross over and it was because God had work for them to do on the east side of the river. According to God’s command and with His divine help, they defeated the armies of Og and Sihon, capturing their cities and putting all their inhabitants to the sword. These battles on the eastern side of the Jordan had to take place before Israel could begin their conquest of Canaan. And God had good reasons for requiring these seemingly unnecessary battles. He was preparing the Israelites for the years of warfare that loomed before them and was revealing that what He did east of the River, He could do in Canaan as well. But before they had time to celebrate their God-ordained victories over the Amorites, Moses found himself faced with a potential problem. The tribes of Gad and Reuben approached him with a request to settle in the recently liberated lands located outside the land of promise. They saw an opportunity to settle in an area with prime pasture lands, perfect for their many flocks. But Moses saw a rebellious people refusing to do what God had commanded them to do, and he had been down that road before.