Deuteronomy 2
Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.
And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.”
Deuteronomy 2:24,31
The third question in Search the Scriptures today asks, “What do [these two verses] teach about the relationship between divine grace and human faith? Cf. Eph. 2:8.” That’s good food for thought.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is that God is the One Who takes the initiative. God gives Sihon and his land into the hand of Israel, and He starts that process even before Israel shows up. (v. 31: “I have begun to give…”) Further, He initiates the call to Israel to take the land with the (repeated) command, begin to take possession. Only after God’s initiative do we see Israel’s response of faith and obedience. In marked contrast to Israel’s faithless actions years earlier in Kadesh (remember the spies?), Israel steps out in faith to engage in the hard work of doing battle and taking possession of the land.
So it is with us. God’s grace and call come first, and we have the opportunity to respond in faith — faith that is shown by obedience. But before we start patting ourselves on the back for whatever faith we might demonstrate, we should note that even that faith is itself a gift from God. In other words, it is all God’s good grace.
See also: February 21 (2023) / Deuteronomy 1-2