What is the meaning of Numbers 21:26? Heshbon was the city Heshbon sat roughly 17 miles east of the Jordan River—an elevated, well–watered city that controlled trade routes crossing the central Trans-Jordan. • Numbers 32:37 tells us the tribe of Reuben later rebuilt it, showing its lasting strategic value. • Deuteronomy 1:4 links Heshbon to Israel’s march, underscoring God’s orderly plan to lead His people. Because Scripture records real places, Heshbon’s mention grounds the narrative in verifiable geography and reminds us that God’s redemptive acts unfold in actual history, not myth. of Sihon king of the Amorites Sihon ruled a coalition of Amorite towns, making him the region’s dominant power (Deuteronomy 2:24). • Amorites were already marked for judgment in Genesis 15:16; Israel’s encounter with Sihon reveals God’s timetable coming due. • Joshua 13:10 notes Sihon’s influence stretching north and south, clarifying why taking his capital mattered. By identifying Heshbon as Sihon’s, the text highlights God’s ability to overturn entrenched authority and prepare territory for His covenant people. who had fought against the former king of Moab Long before Israel arrived, Sihon waged war with Moab and won (Judges 11:18–21 echoes the account). • Deuteronomy 2:9 shows God had forbidden Israel to attack Moab, yet He allowed Sihon to humble Moab instead. • Numbers 21:28–29 describes Moab’s lament after losing Heshbon. This history demonstrates God’s sovereign orchestration: Moab’s defeat at Sihon’s hands weakened both nations, clearing the way for Israel without violating God’s earlier command. and taken all his land Sihon’s conquest stripped Moab of its most fertile plateau. • Deuteronomy 2:31–33 testifies that the Lord later delivered Sihon’s stolen land directly into Israel’s hands. • Psalm 135:10–12 celebrates this chain of victories as evidence of God’s steadfast love. The sequence—Moab loses to Sihon, Sihon loses to Israel—reveals how God can repurpose even pagan warfare to fulfill His promises (Romans 8:28). as far as the Arnon The Arnon Gorge, a deep canyon emptying into the Dead Sea, became Moab’s new northern border (Numbers 22:36). • Joshua 12:1 pinpoints the Arnon as the southern edge of Israel’s eventual Trans-Jordan inheritance. • Deuteronomy 2:36 confirms that every town from the Arnon northward fell to Israel. Mentioning the Arnon fixes the extent of the territory and shows God marking boundaries long before Israel’s tribes took possession (Acts 17:26). summary Numbers 21:26 is more than a historical footnote; it traces a divine chess move: 1. Heshbon, once Moabite, became Amorite under Sihon. 2. Sihon’s victory weakened Moab and inflated Amorite pride. 3. God then delivered Sihon to Israel, granting land already wrenched from Moab. The verse testifies to God’s precise, literal fulfillment of His word, His control over nations, and His faithful preparation of an inheritance for His people. |
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