This small group Deuteronomy 2 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 2 Bible Study Commentary – The Wilderness Years
Outline
I. Israel’s travels in Edom, Moab, and Ammon (1-23)
II. Israel defeats the King of Sihon (24-37)
I. Israel’s travels in Edom, Moab, and Ammon (1-23)
Discussion Questions
• How did the people know where to go as they journeyed in the wilderness?
• What do you observe about God’s leading of His people?
• What do you observe about God’s promise toward the people of Esau? Moab? Ammon?
• What does His faithfulness toward these pagan nations tell you about His character?
• What do you see about God’s faithfulness toward His people (verse 7)?
• What does God’s faithfulness toward those who were rebellious teach us about Him?
• Who are the Enim? The Anakim? The Rephaim?
• What do you learn about God’s justice in verses 14-16?
Cross-References
Deuteronomy 29:5-6 – I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.
Psalms 136:16 – To him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Hosea 13:5-6 – It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
Acts 13:18 – And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. God directed His people – Throughout Israel’s time in the wilderness, God was their leader. He told them when to go, where to go, and how long to stay. In addition to giving directions through Moses, the Lord also led them visibly through a pillar of cloud.
Exodus 13:21-22 – And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Reflect – Do you think it would be easy or difficult to wait for instructions from God at every stage of the journey? Why?
On the one hand, it seems easy to simply follow God’s instructions. It takes all the decision-making out of one’s control. You simply wait for God’s instruction. He says, “Go,” and you get up and go.
However, that is not as easy as one might think. The Israelites did not know if they would have to stay in a location for a day or months (or longer). It would be impossible to make any kind of long-term plans. Every day they would go to bed not knowing if they would have to move the next day. That could be stressful.
That lifestyle forced them to depend on God. They had to trust in His goodness and timing.
It was a very practical way to practice the instruction given in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
God was faithful. He did not leave them hanging. At the appropriate time, He led them to the next place. He is always the good shepherd, leading His sheep.
Application – Perhaps you feel like the Israelites. You may be in a situation where you cannot make long-term plans and need to depend day-by-day on His leading. That can be difficult. Yet it is also an opportunity to learn to trust Him in a deeper and more personal way than ever before. Ask Him to help you rest in His plan, to cease striving, and know that He is God. (James 4:13-16, Psalm 46:10)
2. God’s faithfulness to Esau, Moab, and Ammon – When Israel was getting ready to enter the Promised Land, God made it clear that the lands of three nations (Esau, Moab, and Ammon) were protected. He had given those lands to their people.
The area around Mt. Seir is often called Edom and was given to Esau for a possession. Moab and Ammon were sons of Lot. Even though these sons were conceived illegitimately, God graciously provided for them and their descendants.
All three of these nations were pagan nations. In the future, they would often be enemies of Israel, oppressing God’s chosen people. God knew what they would do in the future. Yet because of His consideration for Abraham and his family, He still extended grace to these pagan people groups. It was not something they deserved based on their actions. It was unmerited divine favor.
The grace shown to these nations stands out against the judgment executed on King Sihon and his people later in the chapter.
Every person and nation deserve judgment, but God sovereignly decides to extend mercy to some. He is the one on the throne, and this is His divine prerogative.
Exodus 33:19 -And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Application – God’s mercy to undeserving people is good news for us! We do not deserve His mercy either. We should often step back from our busy lives and take the time to thank the Lord for His compassion. Think about all of the ways He has been good to you, and all of these despite your sin.
3. God’s faithfulness to His people –
Deuteronomy 2:7 – For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.
Verse 7 is a reminder that throughout their time in the wilderness, the Israelites lacked nothing. He provided for all of their needs. Day after day, He supernaturally gave them manna to eat. Water and meat were also supplied. Even their clothing and shoe lifespans were miraculously extended so that they did not wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5-6).
This was not done as a reward for good behavior. In Deuteronomy 1, we see how rebellious the people were. That disobedience continued during their forty years in the wilderness. There were frequent complaints and occasional insurrections. As a good Father, God did not stop loving His people. He did not abandon them to their devices. As Paul said, God continued to “put up” with them (Acts 13:18). At any point He could have said, “Enough is enough!”
Application – It is also good news for us that God is faithful even when His people are not.
2 Timothy 2:13 – If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
To cast aside His covenant with His people would be to abandon Himself, to betray His very being. And God cannot do that. God is gracious. He is not seeking a chance to cast us aside. Rather, He is faithful. Think about your own past. How many times have you gone your own way, even after salvation? How many times have you had to confess? He is always there like the father of the prodigal son, waiting to receive you again.
4. God was also just – Although God was gracious in providing for His people, neither did their sin go without consequence. In the last chapter, we saw that God promised that none of the people who willfully disobeyed His command to enter the land would be able to enter it. It was a classic case of “you reap what you sow.” They would not enter the land, so in essence, God said, “I will give you what you wish for. You can’t ever enter it.”
His judgment was that the only adults who could enter were Joshua and Caleb. They were the ones who attempted to persuade the people to obey. All of the men were culpable for their disobedience and God decreed that they would die in the wilderness. In normal circumstances, some of the hundreds of thousands of adults would have lived longer than forty more years.
But not a single twenty-year-old lived past 60. Not a single thirty-year-old lived past seventy. What we see happening is a case of what I will call “reverse providence.” It is similar to what happened to the people in the book of Haggai.
At that time, they refused to build God’s temple and focused on building luxury upgrades to their own houses. God therefore worked against them. Their supplies rotted and were dispersed. When they expected a bountiful harvest, they reaped little. It was as if nature itself was working against them (hint: it was).
People often blame God, accusing Him of injustice. Those who do are looking at things with a worldly perspective. If we adjust our perspective, we will realize how merciful He is and how serious our sin is.
In the wilderness, God sovereignly ordained that this group of people would die early. Some would accuse God of being harsh.
But let’s adjust our perspective. He did not cause them to die immediately even though they deserved it (Romans 6:23). Mercifully, He extended their lives and gave them more opportunities to repent. During those forty years, they witnessed many more miracles. They had the opportunity to place their faith in the Lord for salvation, be forgiven, and receive eternal life (an opportunity they would not have had if God judged them immediately). But the life extension was limited to forty years. This was a real-life “grace period.”
II. Israel defeats the King of Sihon (24-37)
Discussion Questions
• How would Israel’s victory over Sihon influence other people in that area?
• Are there any cases of anyone believing in the Lord because of it? If so, who?
• What did this reveal about the heart of King Sihon and his people?
• What does it mean that God hardened his heart? Why?
• Was Sihon responsible for his pride or did God cause it (30)?
• Are there any other similar cases in Scripture?
• What can we learn from this about sin, responsibility, and God’s sovereignty?
• Is there a point of “no return” for people after a certain amount of sin?
• What would you say to a person who asks why God commanded them to kill even the children?
• Why did God give this command?
• What would be the results of disobedience?
• What does this show us about the heinous nature of sin and its consequences?
• What were the Canaanite people and religion like?
• Did God change from the Old Testament to the New Testament periods?
• How was Israel acting as God’s agent of justice on earth?
Cross-References
Deuteronomy 29:7-9 – And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
Romans 9:18 – So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Psalms 81:12 – So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
Verse by Verse Commentary