Deuteronomy 2:1-37
During the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Lord God was with them and they lacked nothing. However, the Lord was against the men of war, who had rebelled against him and feared the people in the land of Canaan. As they came near the promised land, they passed through Esau and Moab, but did not go near Ammon, because the Lord had given these lands to the sons of Esau and the sons of Lot to possess but he gave the sons of Israel the land of the Amorites in battle. The had wanted to pass through the land as they did in Esau and Moab but the Lord hardened the heart of Sihon king of Heshbon, in order to deliver him into the hand of the sons of Israel. They took possession of all that land but did not go near Ammon as the Lord had commanded.
As the sons of Israel wandered in the wilderness, he the Lord their God took care of them; however, the lord was against the older generation. For forty years the Lord waited for the older generation to die in the wilderness but cared for the younger generation on the way. They were not to take possession of the land that the Lord gave to the sons of Esau their brother, nor of the land that the Lord gave to Moab and Ammon, the sons of Lot, Lot was Abraham’s nephew. Of the land that they were to possess, the Lord hardened the heart of the king.
This chapter is about the sovereignty of God in election. The Lord told Moses, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Ex 33:19) The Lord God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and truth; he keeps his loyal love for thousands, forgiving their iniquity, transgression and sin; yet he will not leave the guilty unpunished. (Ex. 34:6-7) The name of the Lord is demonstrated in his sovereign election! Why does the Lord chose a people to gracious and compassionate to when all have sinned and fall short of his glories standard? I do not know the answer but he does nonetheless.
