Remember the Road (2 of 2)

In context

Moses goes on with the story. Og, king of Bashan, the high country east of the Sea of Galilee, came out to fight, and Israel took his sixty walled cities and, as with Sihon, destroyed them, “with the women and the little ones” (Deuteronomy 3:1–7). Og was the last of the Rephaim; his iron bed was nine cubits long, about thirteen and a half feet (3:11).

Moses begged to cross over and see “that fine mountain, and Lebanon,” but the Lord said, “Speak no more to me of this matter,” and told him to look at the land from the top of Pisgah and to strengthen Joshua (3:23–28). At Meribah the Lord had told Moses he would not bring Israel into the land (Numbers 20:12).

Moses asks, “what great nation is there that has a god so near to them as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him?” (4:7). At Horeb the people heard a voice but “saw no form,” so they were to make no carved image (4:12–16). If Israel is ever scattered among the nations, he says, “you will find him when you search after him with all your heart” (4:27–31). Then Moses sets apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan: Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead and Golan (4:41–43).