Deuteronomy Chapter 2 Summary
The wanderings and conflicts in the wilderness.
Discussion Questions for Deuteronomy, Chapter 2
- Deuteronomy 2:4 states, “And command the people, ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful.’” (ESV) Why would the people of Esau be afraid of the Israelites? What would it have meant for the Israelites to be careful with them? What would this have looked like?
- Deuteronomy 2:6 states, “You shall purchase food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.” (ESV) What would this have encouraged among the people? How does this help us see God’s heart for peace among peoples?
- Deuteronomy 2:7, “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows you are going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” (ESV) What did it mean for the Israelites to lack nothing? How is it for you to know you have no lack in Christ? How have you seen the Lord’s provision in your life? Are you in a season of seeing His care, or is your heart in need of a caring reminder of His loving provision?
- How would you summarize or describe each people group mentioned in this chapter? How does understanding where each group comes from impact the way you understand the book as a whole?
- Deuteronomy 2:14 states, “And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.” (ESV) What took place during those thirty-eight years? What was the purpose? What would that time have meant to the hearts of the Israelites?
- Deuteronomy 2:25, “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.” (ESV) How would the Israelites have stood out among the rest of the world? How would this have shaped the way other people groups viewed them? What kind of scene do you envision when picturing the message of the Israelites being spread around the world?
- Deuteronomy 2:30, “But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.” (ESV) What does it mean for the Lord to harden someone’s heart? Why did the Lord do this to the king of Heshbon?
- Deuteronomy 2:34 states, “And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors.” These parts of Scripture can be heavy and difficult to read. Do you have a difficult time understanding verses like these? What is the context of this verse? How does understanding the context shape your approach to the passage? How can you allow yourself to ask questions about Scripture, even if it is hard?
- This chapter shows various approaches to conflict: sometimes avoiding it and sometimes facing it. Has there ever been a time in your life when it was best to either avoid or face a conflict?
- Deuteronomy 2:36: “From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. The LORD our God gave all into our hands.” (ESV) What message is being conveyed in the words “there was not a city too high for us”? How would you express that same message in your own words?
Key Words/Phrase
Journeys, v. 1.
Characters
God, Moses, Sihon.
Strong Verse(s)
7
