Yahweh's Dealings With Sihon, King of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 2:26-31).
There is no suggestion that Yahweh had given the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites to him. Sihon had rather taken it by force of arms from Moab and had no divine right to it, especially as he was an Amorite, and the Amorites were under sentence. It was Yahweh's intention that Sihon and the Amorites should be destroyed and their land give to Israel as a possession. However, in spite of that, they were at first given the opportunity to prove their worthiness. They could have shown compassion to Israel. But in their response they simply indicated that they were ‘Canaanites' to the core. The importance of this time comes out in that Israel were now to take their first possession of the land, and establish their reputation for the future.
Behind the treatment of the Amorites lies the concept of holiness. Israel were a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), and the land promised to Abraham was a holy land (Exodus 15:17; Zechariah 2:12), the land of Yahweh's inheritance (Exodus 15:17), belonging to Yahweh. Thus nothing unholy could be allowed to remain in it. That was why the unbelieving Israel had been refused residence in the land (Deuteronomy 1:28). That was why the Canaanites must be utterly destroyed from it. They had defiled the land. That is why once the land has been taken in holy war by God's holy nation, all the inhabitants, men, women and children, must be ‘devoted' to Yahweh in death in order to purge the land. The stain of the sinfulness of the Canaanites must be removed by the shedding of blood. That is Yahweh's sentence. And that is why if His people depart from holiness they too must be driven from the land. It is a holy land for a holy people.
This passage may be analysed as follows:
a Moses send messages out of the plains to Sihon, the king of the Amorites offering peace (Deuteronomy 2:26).
b His request is that Israel might pass through, and he promises that they will stick to the King's Highway and not trespass from it either to right or left (Deuteronomy 2:27).
c He desires that the Amorites will sell them food and water. All they want to do is march past (Deuteronomy 2:28).
c He points out that the Edomites and Moabites had done precisely this for them, and it would simply be until they crossed the Jordan into the land which Yahweh their God was giving them (Deuteronomy 2:29).
b But Sihon would not let them pass because Yahweh had hardened his spirit and made his heart ‘strong' so that He might deliver Sihon into Israel's hand at this very time (Deuteronomy 2:30).
a And Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you.” They are to begin to possess and inherit his land (Deuteronomy 2:31).
Note that in ‘a' Moses offers Sihon peace, but in the parallel Yahweh makes known His purpose that Sihon will be delivered into the hands of Israel. In ‘b' Moses requests that they might pass through the land and in the parallel Sihon refuses to let them pass through. In ‘c' he requests that the Amorites might behave in the same way as in the parallel Edom and Moab had done.
‘ And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, “Let me pass through your land. I will go along by the highway. I will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on my feet, as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me, until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which Yahweh our God gives us.”
Emissaries were sent to Sihon with the reasonable request that they be allowed to pass along the highway, paying their way, and the promise was given that they would not stray from the highway. They would pay for all provisions required. The children of Esau and the Moabites had to a certain extent allowed their passage, for they had not attacked them, and they had suffered no harm. Would they not do the same? Their aim, Moses explained, was simply to reach the Jordan where they could pass over it and enter the land which Yahweh had promised to give them.
Note the kingly use of ‘I' to include his nation. As far as the nations were concerned Moses was Israel's king.
‘ But Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him, for Yahweh your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as at this day.”
But Moses makes it clear that it was never Yahweh's intention for Sihon to agree. Yahweh all along knew Sihon's innermost thoughts. And He had assessed him correctly. By this approach Yahweh hardened Sihon's spirit, and made his heart obstinate. But this was not an independent act. It was because of what Sihon was. He could not blame God. Had he been amenable it would not have hardened his heart. (Compare Numbers 21:23 where the blame is laid squarely on him). He may well have been angry at the thought that this people were intending to invade Canaan where many of his brother Amorites were. He was also no doubt suspicious of what would happen when such a large contingent suddenly arrived in the middle of his land. They could then fan out and attack, taking the Amorites by surprise. And he knew that neither Edom nor Moab had been quite as accommodating as Moses had made it sound. Thus he refused, demonstrating His refusal to respond to Yahweh's request.
The ‘hardening of the spirit and the making obstinate of the heart' paralleled the behaviour of Pharaoh in Egypt. It brought down total judgment.
‘ And Yahweh said to me, See, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you. Begin possessing to possess, that you may inherit his land.'
Then God told Moses that if he would look he would see that the beginning of Sihon's delivering up was taking place. He would see the army of Sihon coming to make war and prevent their access. They could now go forward and begin to possess the land.