`Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so

much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a

possession' (Deut. 2:5).

`Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I

will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given

Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession' (2:9).

`And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress

them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of

the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the

children of Lot for a possession' (2:19).

In contrast with these prohibitions, we read concerning Sihon and Og and

their lands:

`Behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon,

and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle'

`Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan

came out against us ... thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon

king of the Amorites' (3:1,2).

The destruction of Sihon and Og was an utter destruction: `Men, women and

children of every city were destroyed; none were left' (2:33,34; 3:3 -6).

The lesson underlying this differentiation is as fundamental to the

Church as it was to Israel.  Let us seek to understand it.

First, let us observe one difference between these two classes.  Esau was

the brother of Jacob; Ammon and Moab were both the sons of Lot, the nephew of

Abraham.  Sihon, on the other hand, was an Amorite (2:24), and Og one of the

remnant of the `Rephaim'; the former was a Canaanite (Gen. 10:16), the latter

one of the evil seed whose origin is indicated in the opening verses of Genesis

6.  The first thing, then, to remember is that here are the two seeds --

Israel, Esau, Moab and Lot belonging to one line; Sihon, Og, the Canaanite and

the Rephaim belonging to the other.  In one case God gives possessions and

preserves; in the other, He deprives of possessions and destroys.

Before Israel cross over the river Arnon, Moses reminds them of a

principle already in operation.  When God had promised the land to Abraham, he

was told, in effect, that his children would not be allowed to enter into

possession until the iniquity of the Amorites was full (Gen. 15:16).  Let us

observe what Moses said, and its application both to Israel and to ourselves:

`The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and

tall, as the Anakims; which also were accounted giants (Rephaim)' (Deut.

`The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau

succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt

in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the

Lord gave unto them' (Deut.  2:12).

`That (i.e. Ammon's inheritance) also was accounted a land of giants

(Rephaim): giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them

Zamzummims; a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the

Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in

their stead' (Deut.  2:20,21).