[Deuteronomy 3] Defeating a Controlling Spirit. In this chapter God sends the people to content for the area of land known as Bashan which is now the Golan Heights. Bashan means “a place of fruitfulness”. Bashan was held by the last of a race of giants whose name speaks of stubbornness and a spirit of control. If you are to come to your fruitful place you will encounter controlling spirits, willful people who will oppose you in the thing God has called you to do. In this chapter we learn how to war for our fruitful place and receive all that God has for us in a time of transition from the wilderness to our personal Canaan.
[Deu 3:1-29 KJV] 1 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 3 So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining. 4 And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these cities [were] fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city. 7 But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves. 8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that [was] on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon; 9 ([Which] Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;) 10 All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead [was] a bedstead of iron; [is] it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits [was] the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. 12 And this land, [which] we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which [is] by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, [being] the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day. 15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir. 16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon; 17 The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast [thereof], from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward. 18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all [that are] meet for the war. 19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, ([for] I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you; 20 Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and [until] they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and [then] shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you. 21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. 22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. 23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, 24 O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God [is there] in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? 25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. 26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. 27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold [it] with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. 29 So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor.
The journeying of Israel, their battles and their encampment speak to us of the Christian walk. The names, dates and places where these events take place give us understanding of our own personal spiritual journey. This viewpoint is how we lay claim to the value of the Old Testament record. Paul refers to this in his letter to the Corinthians:
1 Cor. 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The word ensample here is the Greek word “typos” which is where we get the word “type” and “typewriter”. The definition of this word is “to strike a blow” or “to impress” or to “prefigure in an image”. Technically speaking typology is understood to be a manner of biblical exegesis whereby an anecdotal event in the Old and New Testament is understood to represent or prefigure a deeper meaning applicable to Christian life or revelatory to the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ. Approaching the scriptures through typology makes the stories of both the Old and New Testament find new meaning and depth for us as believers.
In this chapter Moses leads the people toward Bashan. Bashan includes the modern day Golan Heights. Throughout history and even today it is a hotly contested area with many battles for its control. Bashan means “place of fruitfulness”. Spiritually speaking if you are turning toward Bashan you are seeking a place of fruitfulness and blessing. The Golan Heights have been strategic for Israel’s security as well. We all want fruitfulness and security in our lives. This chapter reveals the challenges that we find in that pursuit.
Bashan was controlled by a king who was the last of a race of giants by the name of Og. Og’s name means “the long necked one”. The neck in the bible and in modern culture is a metaphor for the will or the willpower in man. Og came out and battled Isreal at Edrei. Edrei means “strength, force, arm or power”. If you are going to find fruitfulness and security in your life you will come into conflict with willful people around you operating in a controlling spirit. Additionally you will have to deal with your own willfulness and any tendency you may have to control and lockdown the circumstances of your life to avoid uncomfortable changes that you don’t feel serve your best interests. Kitty made a statement just yesterday before preparing this bible study that we have to “hold everything loosely” if we are to follow God’s path for our lives.
King Og of Bashan speaks of the willful controlling influences that are activated in the place of blessing. Just because you are seeing fruitfulness in your life doesn’t mean the battle is over. There will be people around you that will content for your blessing. Not everyone will be thrilled with what God is doing in your life for a variety of reasons. They think you have not legitimately come to a place of blessing. They think they should have been blessed before you were.
One of the most bitter human enemies I have had in my life was a man who openly resented the early ministry successes I had. I had raised him up from a religious misfit to be a deacon and an elder in my church. We underwrote his ministry so he could devote himself fulltime to building a church in a nearby community. For all of this he resented his dependence upon us as his mother church and railed in the pulpit against me by name claiming God had declared that all of the blessings of my ministry were rightly his. Eventually this man lost his church and his reputation and for decades has wandered from city to city trying to reclaim ministry portion in his life with little success.
You have to wonder about people like this. You have to deal with these influences by walking in love and obeying God and not falling prey to the intrigues and manipulation of people who will attempt to influence you by not for your good. This is what it means to battle Og king of Bashan in your own life. They are “long-necked ones” with very strong wills and an appetite for control. Because they want to have control they are adept and never letting you know where you stand with them. One moment they are your dear friend and supporter and the next a bitter enemy. They are very skilled at keeping you off balance while they inexorably pursue an agenda of deconstructing your life and denying you access to the fruitfulness God has for you. As Moses did with in the battle you have to destroy this influence and all its offspring or it will keep cropping up in your life just when the blessings are coming to fruitfulness in your behalf.
The Lord was bringing the children of Israel into transition from daily manna and water from the rock – to supernatural battle and taking the land of promise. In the wilderness they took their children and wives with them through the experience. In the battle they were to leave them behind in a place of safety. There is a lesson to be drawn from this. Your personal life, your children and your spouse are not to be capitalized on for ministry purpose. Your children are not missions tools to advance your ministry. We heard a lady minister in at a luncheon give a heartbreaking example of this. She is very well known and a household name in the prophetic movement. She allowed her daughter to spend the night with the daughter of a man whose family she was mentoring and ministering to. As a result the little girl in her words was sexually brutalized and took years to recover.
There is a line to be drawn where you protect your family life and your personal environment. No matter how accurate you think your discernment is you have to set up boundaries. This is one of the problems in our modern culture. Lines are blurred. Relationship dynamics are dialed down to where everything is ultra casual. Watchfulness and propriety is considered a sign of being uptight and unspiritual. This is a recipe for trouble. Protect yourself. Maintain a modicum of privacy. Everything doesn’t have to go on Facebook. Realize that not everyone thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread. Love yourself enough to protect yourself and shield yourself from unnecessary vulnerability that can lead to disappointment and loss, particularly in a time of transition when the enemy will use such things to derail your vision.
When you transition from manna every morning into conquest for your personal Canaan you cannot get into fear. Fear destroys vision. Fear stops you from moving forward in God. God promises Moses and the people that they will prevail in the new and unfamiliar territory ahead just as they were taken care of in previous challenges.
Moses is also informed that he is not going forward. In a moment of anger he disobeyed God – striking the rock the second time instead of speaking to it. Anger is a very dangerous thing. Moses had dealt with sedition in the people, idolatry, challenges to his leadership and in an unguarded moment allowed his frustration to be taken out on the people in a moment of disobedience. He could not afford this and the cost was great. Neither can we afford to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with frustration when we are challenged, maligned, and injured by those we are called to serve in God’s stead. It can cost us our promised land. Stay sweet in your soul. Deal with people not according to their problem but according to their need. Check your own spirit first before you open your mouth in a hasty judgment. In so doing you will be preserved and not lose out one what God has for you in a time of transition.
