Deuteronomy 2:1-25, Yahweh Sans Frontiers

Please open your Bible with me to Deuteronomy chapter 2 Deuteronomy chapter 2 be reading verses 1 to 25

Hear the word of the Lord Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the

Red Sea as the Lord told me and for many days We traveled around Mount Seir then the

Lord said to me You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough turn northward and command the people

You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the people of Esau who live in Seir and they will be afraid of You so be very careful.

Do not contend with them for I will not give you any of their land No, not so much as the sole of the foot to tread on because I have given

Mount Seir to Esau as a possession You shall purchase food from them for money that you may eat and you shall also buy water of Them for money that you may drink for the

Lord your God has blessed you and all the work of your hands He knows you're going through this great wilderness these 40 years.

The Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing So we went on away from our brothers the people of Esau who live in Seir away from the

Arab uh wrote the Arab a road from Ila Ila and is he on Gibber and We turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab and the

Lord said to me Do not harass Moab our contend with them in battle for I will not give you any of their land for a possession

Because I have given our to the people of lot for a possession The mm formally lived there of people great and many and tall as the

Anakim like the Anakim They are also counted as Raphael but the Moabites call them mm The Horites also lived in Seir formally but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place as Israel did to the land of their possession which the

Lord gave to them Now rise up and go over the brook Zerod so we went over the brook

Zerod and The time for our leaving Kadesh Barnea and the top and until we crossed the brook

Zerod was 38 years Until the entire generation that is the men of war had perished from the camp and the

Lord had sworn to them as The Lord had sworn to them for indeed the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from the camp until they had perished so as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead and From among the people the

Lord said to me today You are to cross the border of Moab at our and when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon Do not harass them or contend with them for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a

Possession because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession It is also counted as a land of Raphael Raphael formerly lived there

But the Ammonites called them Zamzum him a people great in many and as tall as the Anakim But the

Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites and they dispossessed them and settled in their place as he did

The people as he did for the people of Esau who lived in seer when he destroyed the

Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day as For the of him who lived in villages as far as the got as Gaza The Kaftar him who came from Kaftar destroyed them and settled in their place

Rise up set out on your journey and go over the valley of the Arnon behold. I have given them in Given into your hand

Sihon the Amorite king of Heshbon and his land Begin to take possession and contend with him in battle this day

I will begin to put the dread of in fear of you on the people who are under the whole heaven Who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you

The Lord had his blessings the reading of his Holy Word Well, everybody needs to know their place, right?

They need to know what belongs to them What what what doesn't belong to them what their responsibilities what's none of their business

Where they can go where they can't What's out of bounds? I mean key to knowing most any sport like basketball.

Where's that about? Why can't you step over that line? I mean, what would you think though? Someone who after the service today went out to the parking lot and began to try to drive off in your car

I mean, you know get set the path in the driver's seat. You might you know protest Hey, I got

I have the keys the titles in my name, you know, go get your own car There's boundaries for everything and everyone

Everyone needs to know their boundaries, right? It's weird when someone steps over them.

We naturally assume the same about God Surely God has his boundaries, doesn't he?

The areas of life that he is interested in The things or the people that he claims these are mine.

He says what he what belongs to him the rest Though the rest is outside of God's concern, isn't it?

so if a religious person believes in tithing, you know, then they give their 10 % and the rest then the 90 % is

Theirs to do with as they want one, isn't it gamble it away on a trip to Vegas? Splurge it on themselves.

Whatever. God doesn't really care as long as he gets his cut, right? Some things after all

God just isn't concerned with Does God care about sports?

Some people pray fervently that their team will win There's this picture of Tim Tebow with John 316 written under his eyes and I black

Crying as his Florida Gators were being deprived of another national championship

By a team that will go nameless Some think that God is for the team with the most devout

Christians on it. Well, that's so why did Tebow lose? some think that God is

Is he interested in that at all and the more sophisticated people though Will scoff at the idea that God even cares about sports.

Does God care who wins a game? They'll say of course not they expect everyone every thinking person every clear thinking person to understand after all

God has his boundaries. There are some things he just doesn't delve into But yes,

God does care Who wins a game? About whether the Cleveland Cavaliers will beat the

Golden State Warriors this year unlikely, but his agenda is not ours He'll use victories and defeats for his purposes

Maybe to teach young Tebow that life is more than sports championships. Who knows?

But God does God care about business is business None of God's business God is very interested in business but not always as a way to make us rich so that we can have the

Most expensive cars and the gadgets of the stuff that we want maybe instead as a way to equip us to give

To others to support the work of the ministry to make us generous Maybe it's kind of like sandpaper, you know

You use something rough to make something else smooth by rubbing against greed constantly teaching us

To have what the Puritans called weaned affections that our loves our desires

Would be on things above Not on things on the earth Does God care about family?

Well, of course Christians today are quick to say absolutely cares about family In fact, he wants us to focus on the family

They insist almost as if they will say it out loud, but it seems like they're implying it all the time

Almost as if God exists almost the very purpose of God's existence is to help the family

That's what he that's what he's all about. Isn't he about enriching marriages and helping us raise obedient kids?

So we can all go up to heaven and have an eternal family reunion And if jesus wants to drop by occasionally, that's great, too

By the way, when we have that eternal family reunion, do I get to be the dad or am I the kids?

I get confusing because my parents would want me to be the kid. I don't know where Well, then if that's so though of all of all the things of life

That jesus could have challenged Why did he challenge the family?

Whoever loves father or mother or wife or children more than me

Where are god's boundaries That's the question. Where does his jurisdiction jurisdiction

Begin and end where's where's the zone? Like when germany was divided between occupied zones after world war ii

You know, there's the french and the british and the russian and the american zone and there were even these signs On the roads you are now leaving the american zone

Where's the zone? That belongs to the lord something God is the god of america

America is or was or was supposed to be a christian nation. So while i'm in america

I should be a christian or at least kind of look like one Some immigrants actually think that way now some of our immigrants here were christians before they came

They were christians in china some got baptized in china, but there's but there are other people Out there the immigrants who before they came to the u .s

Didn't care at all about the lord When they were where they came from They weren't christians at all and then they arrive if they're chinese in china

They were they believed in chinese religion ancestor veneration familyism Now if you want a religion that focuses on the family you should try traditional chinese religion

I mean, that's what it's all about. So if that's what you're it's what you're in christianity for you might want to try that instead

But it's it's this mixture of buddhism and taoism with some confucian philosophy to live by the three religions

They call it what the chinese call themselves the people of the three religions And by the way, they don't mean you choose one of the three.

They mean they believe in all three at the same time But you know, that's the way they would be maybe in china and then they come to the u .s

And they think well Now since i'm here I should be a christian Or at least go to church and look like i'm one

Since i'm in a christian nation after all the lord Is the god of this nation? You might think

You don't want the god of this nation this zone to get mad at you You know, you're you're in his territory and you don't want to be

Offending him Maybe if you went back to china I guess you'd be one you might go back to being one of the people of the three religions

The lord wouldn't mind would he because I mean well after all anyway He's in the u .s. And he can't see on the what's going on on the other side of the world.

Can he? I guess that's what people think Is that is that what the lord is?

Is he our national god sort of like our tribal deity? We believe in him because we just happen to be born within his boundaries

Uh When mary was young and I may get the story wrong But this is the way I remember hearing it second hand when mary was a young christian a teenager in singapore

Her mother asked the taoist priest if if she should make mary eat the food sacrificed to idols

Uh to participate in the taoist idolatry and the priest said no That would cause a conflict among the gods

The christian god here. He is kind of like a wwe smackdown. Here. He is

The christian god and on the other hand the taoist gods playing tag team, I guess they would get into a fight

Kind of like having a sumo wrestlers, you know fighting in your living room. They'll make a mess So you don't in the taoist priest told

Mary's mother you don't want that going on in your home So the gods have their boundaries Keep them separate.

That was his philosophy The taoist priest was half, right? The christian god would be upset indeed

He would be wrathful if one of his little ones was tempted to sin In fact, he said it would be better for someone who does that who tempts one of his little ones to send

Uh be better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea Better than what would come about When he has he or she has to face god

Uh what the taoist priest was wrong about is the idea that there are boundaries behind which you can confine the true god

There is no sign anywhere Declaring you are now leaving the lord's zone

He is the god without boundaries And we see that here in four parts

He is the first the god of the edomites Second, he's the god of the moabites Third, he's the god of the not israelites

And finally, he's the god of the amanites None of those four nations believes in god not really but the lord is still the king of them all

Whether they believe it or not First the lord is the god of the edomites Whether they know it or not

We continue from where we left off We're in the middle actually of this speech that moses is giving To the israelites as they are poised for the second time to enter the promised land

About 40 years earlier when they were on the verge of the promised land to the south of it Israel refused to go in I had to turn back into the desert and wander around waiting for that entire generation to die off For many days moses says in verse in verse one many days

It's 38 years to be exact We traveled around Around like on the outside of a mount seir.

That's the way that's the Uh country of the edomites. That's their territory mount seir the descendants of esau the edomites

Jacob's brother now. Finally the lord says to them in verse three You have been traveling around the mountain country long enough

This wandering is over now turn northward This time the lord will lead them another way to the promised land this time east of the dead sea uh

And the jordan river if you have a map on the back of your bible may help you see it there But uh, if they if they take a road, there's what's called the king's highway

There's this nice road that goes right through edom If they take that they'll have to cross the boundary into edom

And go right through there that other country now Um, of course they need permission that they should ask for permission

They don't actually need it They can probably fight their way through but the lord tells them in verse 4 that the people of esau The edomites will be afraid of them

So he says be very careful Kind of like coming across a bear in the woods Don't provoke it.

Be very careful. Don't do anything Uh to provoke it to attack you back away slowly don't provoke them don't provoke the edomites

Don't contend with them in verse 5 for I will not give you Not give you any of their land not so much as the sole of the foot to tread on so in other words

They're out of bounds at least for taking you walk through them if they give you permission But you can't you can't take anything from them now is

If they're they're out of bounds, is that because The lord is the god of israel

And the god of edom Is a different god And so we don't want a conflict of the gods, you know kind of like that taos priest

Is that because the the land of edom is outside god's territory? It's beyond his jurisdiction

He didn't have any power there That he's not god there. Is that what's going on? No, of course not

Indeed notice what the lord says next in verse 5 Don't go try to take land from esau because this is the reason you cannot take their land

I have given To given mount seir. That's the land of edom again to esau

To the people of edom i've given that territory to them as a possession and the key word I think is

I the lord speaking I have done it They have that territory because I the lord have given it to them

Whether they know it or not But how can that be? You know the people of esau didn't worship the lord at least not purely they may have believed in them kind of but they believed in bale and other things

Um, probably a hodgepodge of stuff. They had sold their birthright. They didn't believe in god's promises They were not god's chosen people.

They are outside the boundary Of his promised land now, does that mean they're outside the boundary of his concern?

outside the boundary of his sovereignty of his power no They have their land because the lord gave it to them their boundaries were set by the lord

They were still under the lord's control Whether they know it or not So israel, you can't take their land even if you want to Because I the lord haven't given it to you

I've given it to them So when you pass through the land remember Everything there in their land is theirs

Because the lord gave it to them So you have to pay You have to pay for every kernel of grain you pluck every drop of water you drink

It's theirs and if you're going to take any of it, you have to pay for it. You can't say well I'm the chosen people.

They're not god is for us God mit ums in german the german soldiers had that embroidered on their uniforms in world war ii

Thinking that gave them the right god is with us and that gave them the right to take anything. They wanted even whole countries

Well, the lord didn't quite go along with that. The lord is the king here Not just of israel not just of nations that believe in him not just of the united states because it's supposedly a christian nation

He is the god of china too of ethiopia and singapore their boundaries their people

Their gold their uranium their oil their farmland their grand canyon their three gorges their mississippi their young sea

Rivers were given them Given to them by the lord if other nations want to have some of it

They want to have some of the grain they want to they want to tour the rivers. Well, then they have to pay Because it belongs to the nation.

God gave it to the lord is the god even of unbelieving nations Now here israel pays you have to pay israel for your stuff there in verse 7 because The lord your god has blessed you in all the work of your hands

All that work they did in egypt They got paid eventually for it. They were supposed to be slaves But on their way out god let them take the riches of egypt as back pay

And so now they can pay for what they need and you think about it for 40 years They had all this stuff they got from egypt their back pay for 40 years.

They haven't had to buy anything They haven't had to spend any of the money they have though the gold they have they wandered in the sinai desert

There's nothing to spend on, you know, there's no there's no mall there to go to go peruse Now they go through edom

So they should they should be able to pay without grumbling because the lord your god has been with you

He sent manna from the sky. He's water out of rocks. Their clothes have miraculously not suffered wear and tear

They've had everything they need and here we see that god's provision for his people Is supposed to make them free to spend or to give

Without grumbling without panicking About where you know, it's all gonna run out. All my money's gonna run out

No, don't pay god's supplied for your need you can trust him for tomorrow. God has given us what he didn't owe us

And so now we can freely give others what we owe them But as it turned out the edomites were so afraid of israel

They didn't even allow them to go through even though they were, you know offering will pay for everything. No, they said no way They wouldn't didn't allow them to cross their boundaries.

And so israel had to march all the way around Uh edom go way south For and then east tacky going yet more unnecessary miles on their journey

They could have invaded And probably forced their way through I guess they could have but the lord had told them that he had given edom their land

Uh, so edom could put up a no trespassing sign on their boundaries if they wanted The lord the god

They didn't recognize Had given them that right Well, then next they come to moab as they're skirting around the outside outskirts of edom next next

Kingdom is moab north of that in verse 9. Moses recalls that the lord told him

Do not harass moab or contend with them in battle In other words, it would be nice to make another a shortcut through moab

But the lord says I will not give you any of their land as a possession It's off limits, too the israelites were were not a marauding band of nomadic barbarians who just were going to take any land and take anything they

They wanted they wanted and then they just eventually settled on the land on the land of canaan That's why many sometimes liberal unbelieving scholars interpret the early israel

But no, they're they're not there are nations that are off limits And they are off limits even in the old testament

Because god is not just the god of israel He's not just the god of the promised land though.

That's his territory that other nations and other lands are not Beyond him. They're not outside of his interest

Not outside of his ability. No quite the opposite The reason why they can't take moab's land is because in verse 9 again

I the lord speaking have given r that's the name of that land to moab

The the people the people of lot for a possession and moab's people were descended from lot

In other words, it doesn't matter If the religion of moab was the worship of a god called chemosh

Or chemosh, however, we pronounce it. They call themselves the people of chemosh. That's what they call themselves

You know, it doesn't matter if it was moab that hired balaam to try to curse israel

That didn't work. It doesn't matter that it was moab that attempted many israelites to worship The bail or ball properly pronounced the ball of pure It was called

Yes, they are an enemy of israel They've tried opposing israel. They tried to stop them. They don't at all believe in the lord

But the lord declares that they have their country because he Gave it to them

I god says I not chemosh have given their land to them

It doesn't matter If the people of china are the people of the three religions That's the way they call themselves whether they live like confucians while venerating their ancestors and die like taoists and sprinkle a little buddhism

In it doesn't matter if the chinese communist party declares their commitment to atheistic materialism

The lord has given china to the chinese whether they know it or not whether they praise him for it or not

He is the lord. He is just as much the lord of china as he is of the united states or of ethiopia

Or of europe or of israel. He is the lord without boundaries

There's a medical charitable organization Called in french now. I don't speak french.

I've never had a french lesson in my life, but I believe it's pronounced something like medicis sans frontiers

Joyce joyce must know french because she laughs that's not french in english is doctors without borders

They offer medical help and run clinics and so forth in poor countries. They're very large charity across boundaries in other words here the lord is yaweh sans frontiers the lord without borders

And to prove it we're giving this little history lesson. You probably read this One of these things you read in the old testament your eyes start to glaze over what in the world is this about?

There's a little history lesson on the origins of moab And then he begins to talk about the origins of edom too And then the other people and you want in the world.

Does that have to do with me? But where they where they now live Or the moabites now live

There used to be a kingdom called the emim In verse 10 and it says that they were these emim were a great people many and tall

As the anakim so they're like a bunch of nba players there Like those giants the spies saw in the land the promised land, you know, they frightened them

Remember, they said these spies in the promised land and they saw these giants and they said no way we can take that The majority thought they're too big

But we don't have a chance against them. They thought but the moabites came up against the people just as gigantic Just as formidable the moabites did it

The lord gave them their land the lord gave to the people of chumash

The people who worship the baal appear and who all do all kinds of other weird things

The moabites he gave to them the power to defeat those huge emim

The edomites before came up against a nation called the horites in verse 12 It wasn't as though it was the land that the edomites and the the moabites that the land they got they got

Was empty there was no one in it before they moved in. No, they had opposition The moabites had gigantic opposition and they still got it done

And here it says they got it done because the lord the lord of all nations presided over them

He gave them the power to take it. He reigned over those nations, even though they knew nothing about him

Notice at the end of verse 12 they these pagan peoples these unbelieving nations they took their land as In other words in the same way

That israel did to the land of their possession which the lord gave to them In other words just as as the conquest of the promised land, you know in the book of joshua

Just as that was a work of the lord. So too the conquest of Of the lands of edom and moab by their people was also

The work of the lord It was all under his control The lord is not just a tribal deity of israel just confined to the boundaries of canaan and maybe well we happen to believe in him now because Of some accidents of history and now he's the god of just the u .s.

No Or it could have been you know Some people say what if history had taken a different turn we could just as easily be believing in the god the greek gods

Like zeus or the norse gods like thor. No, he is the lord of all nations

And so people of all nations Are under his control whether they believe in him or not, but they are all called

To believe in him He's even the god of that most unbelieving nation

Not israel. I don't know what else to call him But in verse 13 moses says after they marched all the way around edom

Uh to cross a boundary they cross a boundary there That's he he he mentions it like three times in a row the brook zered

That's probably not a it's probably a little Not much of an obstacle. It's a little probably a little brook

But it it marked a boundary They cross a physical boundary and it turns out to be a a crossing of a generation gap a boundary in time to a boundary in their

And their growth as they cross on their way around moab The last of the unbelieving generation of israel

Passes away about the time they crossed this brook zered the last of the unbelievers among them

It's been 38 years From the first when they when they rejected the first offer to go into the promised land

Been 38 years when they were on the verge of the promised land and they and they they would not believe

And the whole generation was sent back to wander in the desert And now they're on the verge of it again

Now in those 38 years at verse 14 the entire generation that is the men of war every man 20 years or older From that time in the next 38 years all of them died off It means a lot of them died before you know

You should have been able to live longer than that But all the men who were old enough to fight the first time had perished from the camp god did them in And there are boundaries in space

And there are boundaries in time sometimes we have Boundaries in our own life like when you reach age 18 or 21

You reach a boundary into a new stage in life. Some people think god is this the god of old age

Or maybe a childhood and old age You know teach the children the bible stories and leave the church to the old folks

Those are the stages of life that the lord is kind of confined to When we're young adults or middle age

We have too many other important things to be doing, you know getting married and having children and building career or a business when we get all that taken care of Then when you know when we can retire

Then we'll have time for god again until then He'll stay out of my life

And i'll stay out of his church Right. We have our boundaries But just as the lord is the god of all nations all areas of life

He is also the god of all stages of life Now here they've crossed a boundary into a new stage of life as a nation the old generation that saw the exodus

They they came through the sea out of egypt saw mount sinai smoke and shake

Was carried by the lord. They said in the previous chapter one like a man carries a child

Yet they still wouldn't believe Despite all that. They still wouldn't believe that israel that had no faith

And so was it the true israel? That israel finally died off Paul quotes paul writes in romans chapter 9 verse 6 that not all who are of israel are of israel interesting phrase

Earlier in romans 2 he wrote that to be a true israelite is a matter of the heart by the spirit

It's to have faith in the true god those who genuinely believe in the lord like like ruth from moab

Ruth is originally one of the people of chimosh But because she has faith in the lord she is of israel

But if all you have is physical descent You belong to the nation ethnically genetically, but you don't have faith in the lord.

The lord says The lord says i've given you the land Or jesus is lord and you say

No way, those giants are too big or The christ isn't crucified

Then you're not really in the spirit in the eyes of the lord part of the true israel you're not israel

Not all who are of israel are of israel. The rest are not israel. Not my people. Hosea called them

If they're not god's people Does that mean they're outside of god's concern? He's just not gonna he's not dealing with them in any way

They're beyond the boundaries of god's work No here in verse 15 at this time with this generation for indeed

Why did they all pass away? This is this is why they all died in 38 years The hand of the lord was against them to destroy them from the camp until they had perished

The lord was against them he opposed them Being natural israelites didn't make them one of his chosen people

It meant that they knew more they had heard more they had seen more So they were responsible for more much was given and so much was expected

As we studied in sunday school last year There's been a big theological movement in christianity called dispensationalism that has taught that all ethnic israel is israel

The true israel and that they are god's people by just by virtue of their ethnicity They were born in the boundary of god's kingdom literally by being born and this is false for the reasons.

We've just seen And john the baptist called not israel to repent and become

True israel and he baptized them the sign of their crossing the boundary From being not my people to being one of god's people

Paul wrote that the the flesh or natural descent is of no avail that god's peace

Rather than his opposition like here. These people had his opposition. They're not israel for 38 years, but god's peace comes on the israel of god

That is through faith Those who are his people by believing in him But that doesn't mean that god is done with not israel

Mary and I have a jewish friend in the chicago area who once over lunch. I remember spoke approvingly

Of someone whose life got transformed by jesus And I was kind of taken aback

I didn't know what to say. You know, I felt like saying hey, wait a minute. You don't believe in jesus. You're jewish but what she would probably say back is

I believe jesus is good for you and for others I'm all for what works for you

Good for you But he's not for me You'll find some people that actually hardly approve

Of your religion they'll call it But it's just not for them That they will like that you believe

In your life But they don't like it if you try to win other people to jesus from other religions like judaism or islam

Jesus Is outside the bounds of their life if he if you're in his his territory if you're in his zone

That's great for you He's just not for me they say But he's the lord of everyone including not israel

Next israel coming to another border starting in verse 16 All the old generation the old non -israel, they wouldn't believe were dead.

So in verse 18 Today you were to cross the border of moab at r The next nation over that border is ammon

So we three in a row like edom First one they came across and then moab next north of that and then north of that still is ammon

And The lord says to them in verse 19 Do not harass them or contend with them for I will not give you any of the land of the people of ammon as a possession in other words no trespassing israel

It's not yours. You don't have a right to take it Because I the lord have given it that's the land to the sons of lot for possession like moab

Ammon was also descended from lot Now like before the ammonites have their land because the lord gave it to them

Now they don't know that they don't recognize that they don't praise him for it, but it's true.

Anyway Again their history is Also his story

The actions of the lord in all the events of the earth in verse 20 the ammonites land Used to belong to people called the raphael

There are these tall people the ammonites called them the Zamzum em and that great this little bits of historical trivia thrown in there

This is a sign of authenticity that this is really what what those people experience

And in history they were in verse 21 and people great and many and tall as the anikim The former generation of not israel was afraid of the anikim.

Remember? That the spies and we can't take them. They're beyond us They didn't think the lord could enable them to overcome the anikim but the ammonites faced similar great and tall

Many people but the lord destroyed them before the ammonites notice that the lord destroyed them It's not just something the lord allowed when pagan people fighting another one

And really the lord just kind of shrugged his shoulders. I have no dog in this fight Whoever whoever comes out on top i'm fine with it

No, he presided over it and the result was what he had ordained The result they the ammonites dispossessed them and settled in their place so they had their country

Because god gave it to them Paul preaching into the philosophers in athens says in act chapter 17 verse 26 that god made every nation and determined their allotted periods their boundaries in time for the rise and fall of nations and empires and their boundaries

In space of their their boundaries of their dwelling places god ordained them They say that in the first century the philosophers taught that all gods were equally false

The common people thought that all gods were equally true And the rulers thought that all gods were equally useful

But here comes the christians the israel of god Saying there is only one god

And he is universally true Now here the lord gave the people of esau their land

Dispossessing the horites the people of moab their land never mind about chumash or the baal of pior

Sure, that's who they praise for their land, but that's not who really did it. He gave the ammonites their boundaries Even the philistines of all people doesn't really happen in this book

But later in the history of israel, the philistines are important the people from kaftor. They're called here Originally from crete the great enemy of israel for so long probably the one nation that gave them the most trouble

So much trouble for centuries until the time of david, uh, they were they were they were not a force outside of god's control

They were not just barbarians running amok That finally israel had to subdue the lord was behind their migration

Too they're coming to gaza, which is on the mediterranean coast. He was behind that he orchestrated it

That was all the lord's doing moses is saying that all the events of the world all the wars the migrations

Are directed by him in this divine drama So if the lord can give the giant raphael to the ammonites

The giant mm to the moabites And those horites remember them to the edomites

Well, then if he can do that he can give the promised land to you to israel If the lord can enable unbelievers to overcome temptations to kick addictions because there are unbelievers like that, you know overcome their addictions

Overcome their problems their temptations their weaknesses born in horrible situations and they rise above it to be self -controlled discipline to achieve their goals

If the lord can give to a young michael jordan the drive and the determination to overcome being cut from his high school basketball team

And rise to be one of the best basketball players in history if the lord can give good relationships healthy marriages to unbelievers

And he does, you know sometimes If he can give to otherwise unbelieving immoral people the secrets to success and whatever they do

And business and sports and academics and politics If you do that for them and he does do that sometimes for them he can do that for you too believer

Of course you might find Like tim tebow You might find that he's more interested in setting your mind on things above weaning your affections off of Championships and luxury cars and big houses and dollars and jewelry and exorbitant vacations even other people the relationship the fantasy family

Your promised land believer Is with christ at the right hand of the father so in verse 24 rise up Stop being distracted by the paltry things of the world

Set out on your journey. He says you're going to the promised land. It's closer than you think

You thought it was just all over the jordan You thought it was all in heaven after death. No, you're right on the border of it now.

So now Rise up Take the promised land the life that god has for you in christ overcome the enemies

God can triumph over them all Because he is the god of them all whether sihan or lust or greed or lack of self -control, whatever it is see

Open your eyes He's given it into your hand So now you cannot let sin reign in your mortal bodies

You can contend with sin you can fight against every thought that opposes the knowledge of god

This day the lord says in verse 25 now All your enemies the world the flesh the devil will tremble because now you can begin to overcome them

And he'll do it for you And now you know That there is not one square inch of this world of art or sports or politics or academics or business not one second of your life of your work or your home or your reading or your tv watching your

Music listening you're eating your social media your shopping not one cent of your money

Not one thought of your mind not one breath that you take that the lord does not say mine