Deuteronomy 2-3: A brief history of the last 40 years, part 2

See yesterday's post: part 1.

Deuteronomy 2: The Desert Years / Defeat of King Sihon
Deuteronomy 3: Defeat of King Og / Moses Views Canaan from Pisgah

This brief history is an account of Moses telling the congregation of the last 40 years spent wandering in the wilderness. It concludes today with some familiar stories from Numbers, though the details of these stories do not always match up.

The Desert Years: Deuteronomy 1.46-2.25
Israel wanders for a while in the wilderness, until the Lord commands them to pass through Seir, the territory of Esau's descendants. [Esau, if you remember, is Jacob's older twin brother. Jacob tried to get the better of Esau since birth, when he came out gripping his brother's heel. Jacob subsequently convinced Esau to see his birthright and stole Esau's blessing. Despite this, Esau received Jacob surprisingly well when they met years later.]

The Lord commands the Israelites to not fight the residents of Seir (Esau's land that God gave him); "for I  will not give you so much as a foot's length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession" (Deut. 2.5). This is logical; why should the house of Jacob steal anything more from the house of Esau? The Israelites may purchase food and drink.

The Israelites then head to the wilderness of Moab, and are commanded by God not to harass Moab or fight them, because this land too has been granted to a protected people. The land, known as Ar, has been given to the descendants of Lot, who was saved from the destruction of Sodom. Presumably the residents of this land are the ancestors of an incestuous drunken tryst between Lot and his daughters. [It's a good story. Check it out!]

An editorial note informs the reader that this land was preciously inhabited by the large and numerous Emim, who were "as tall as the Anakim," which I suppose is pretty gigantic. Apparently Emim are usually called Rephaim, though the Moabites refer to them as Emim. Go figure! Oh, and the Horim also lived there back in the day, "but the descendants of Esa disposessed them, destroying them and settling in their place, as Israel has done in the land that the Lord gave them as a possession" (Deut. 2.12). That's a pretty remarkable statement. The victory of the descendants of  Esau is put on the same level as that of the Israelites. God can seemingly aid those who are not even Israelite. [Another important note: the destruction and settling is anachronistic; Israel has not yet settled the promised land. This is key evidence that the book was written after the time of Moses, and not by Moses himself, as some believe.

They cross the Wadi Zered, which marks 38 years since their doubt that they would be able to settle in the promised land. The Wadi Zered is a literal as well as a figurative threshold - at this point the entire generation of warriors that had doubted God's protection have died and a new generation is set to enter the promised land. In fact, the Lord commands Moses to cross the boundary as soon as the old generation has died off.

In a parallel passage to the one above, the Israelites are not to harass the Ammonites on the other side, for this land too has been divinely granted to Lot's ancestors. There is also a parallel editorial note: THe land of the Amonites is known as Rephaim, for they formerly inhabited it, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummin, and they were strong and numerous and tall as the Anakim. The Lord [actively] destroyed them so the Ammonites could dispossess them and settle there [again, the Lord can act as a divine agent for people who are not his]. The Lord also destroyed the Horim in the same manner for the descendants of Esau. And for something completely outside the Israelite story, the narrator informs us the Avvim were destroyed by the Caphtorim.

The Israelites are instructed to begin their conquest:

This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven; when they hear report of you, they will tremble and be in anguish because of you.
(Deut. 2.25)

Defeat of King Sihon: Deuteronomy 2.26-37
Moses sends messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon asking for safe passage. However, the Lord hardens King Sihon's spirit and makes his heart defiant. The Israelite conquest of Heshbon is approved. In opposition to the Numbers account, not a man, woman, or child survives. Only the livestock survive, and are taken along with the spoils of the towns.

Defeat of King Og: Deuteronomy 3.1-22
King Og of Bashan comes out against the Israelites to do battle at Edrei. The Israelites leave no survivor. They take the towns and fortresses and keep the plunder and livestock.

Apparently King Og was a big guy: his iron bed measured 9 cubits by 4 cubits (13.5 feet by 6 feet) and "can still be seen in Rabbah of the Ammonites."

The land is given to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and the biblical author explains how the land is divided.

The men of these tribes are still required to fight to drive out the residents of the promised land. But as long as the Israelites trust in the Lord, the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites will live to see their families again. As Moses tells Joshua:

“Your own eyes have seen everything that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so the Lord will do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. Do not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.”
(Deut. 3.21-22)

Moses Views Canaan from Pisgah: Deuteronomy 3.23-29
This passage is so poignant that I will put it here in its entirety. One wonders exactly what Moses did wrong; it seems that it was the Israelites who doubted God, not Moses. Moses speaks with God:

At that time, too, I entreated the Lord, saying: “O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your might; what god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours! Let me cross over to see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and the Lebanon.” But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not heed me. The Lord said to me, “Enough from you! Never speak to me of this matter again! Go up to the top of Pisgah and look around you to the west, to the north, to the south, and to the east. Look well, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because it is he who shall cross over at the head of this people and who shall secure their possession of the land that you will see.”
(Deut. 3.23-28)