2:25
God then says that He will begin to put fear and dread of the Israelites into the peoples. They would “tremble and be in anguish” because of the Israelites. We can think that the church is a small insignificant entity. If we do not follow the Lord, then we are indeed irrelevant, as parts of the church are finding. But if we do follow the Lord, then the world fears us. This does not mean the world will not attack the church, indeed often it will do so out of fear.
2:26-30
Having been told that they were to take the land of Heshbon, Moses adopted a reasonable attitude. He requested to be allowed to pass through, offering to pay for any food and drink consumed. Sihon, the king, refused. We see some important aspects in understanding the sovereignty and decree of God. God had given the land to the Israelites, but this did not mean they were not to act in a reasonable manner. In the same way, even though David had been anointed as king, he showed respect towards Saul, even after Saul’s death. At the end of this section it says that God had made Sihon’s heart stubborn. This does not mean that Sihon had no choice in the matter, he was still responsible for his hard-heartedness.
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