The Way
Winning the Land East of the Jordan
A battle that began on the King's Highway
Story
Having come up around the wilderness, Israel stood north of the Arnon Valley, before the land of Sihon king of the Amorites. Israel sent messengers to Sihon. Let us pass through your land. We will not go into any field or vineyard, nor drink water from any well. We will keep to the King's Highway until we are out of your land. But Sihon would not let them pass.
Sihon gathered all his people, marched out into the wilderness and met Israel at Jahaz. Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok River. Israel moved into Sihon's royal city of Heshbon and the villages around it. It was the very city the old singers had sung of, the city from which fire went out and consumed Moab.
Israel turned again and went up toward Bashan. Og king of Bashan came out with his whole army to meet them at Edrei. The Lord said to Moses, Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his people and his land. Israel struck down Og, his sons and all his people and took possession of his land. For the first time, the high plains east of the Jordan became the land of Israel.
Walk this scene on the map →God's Words
Do not be afraid of him. I have handed him over to you, with his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.
Let us pass through your land. We will not go into any field or vineyard or drink water from any well. We will keep to the King's Highway.
The sayings are fresh renderings of the original meaning in today's language. Text: Num 21:21–35
Background
Heshbon is identified with Tell Hesban, north of Madaba in Jordan, but excavations have found no clear remains of a town from this period, so views differ. The southern border, the Arnon, is today's Wadi Mujib, and the northern border, the Jabbok, is the Zarqa River.
Pause and Reflect
When the way is blocked, do I wait for God's leading, or insist on my own way?