The Hardened Heart Highway: Text: Numbers 21:21-32
Introduction: The Non-Negotiable Right of Way
We live in an age that prizes negotiation, compromise, and polite requests. The prevailing spirit of our time is that every claim to absolute truth or a divine mandate is an act of aggression. To say, "Thus saith the Lord," is considered the height of arrogance. The world believes that every king has a right to his own borders, every man a right to his own truth, and every pagan a right to his own gods. And into this soft, relativistic consensus, the book of Numbers marches with hobnailed boots.
The story before us is not a quaint travelogue about a border dispute. It is a fundamental clash of kingdoms, a collision of two diametrically opposed claims to sovereignty. On the one hand, you have Israel, the covenant people of God, marching under the direct command of the King of the universe. Their journey is not a suggestion; it is a divine imperative. They are not tourists; they are an army of occupation on their way to claim a land promised to them by the God who made the dirt it sits on. On the other hand, you have Sihon, king of the Amorites, a petty tyrant ruling over a doomed civilization. He sits in his stolen city of Heshbon, puffed up with his own importance, believing he is the master of his domain.
Israel's request to pass through his land is not a plea from a position of weakness. It is a formal, diplomatic courtesy offered before the execution of a divine warrant. It is the final opportunity for Sihon to recognize a reality greater than himself. It is a test. Will he bow to the purposes of the God of Heaven, or will he harden his heart and stand in the path of the divine bulldozer? We know the answer, and in his defiant refusal, we see a perfect illustration of how God in His sovereignty uses the proud rebellion of men to accomplish His own righteous ends.
This passage is deeply offensive to the modern mind because it is about conquest, judgment, and the absolute, non-negotiable authority of God. But for that very reason, it is a passage full of immense comfort and encouragement for the people of God. It teaches us that when God is on the move, no obstacle is insurmountable. It teaches us that the enemies of God, in their very attempts to thwart His plan, actually become the instruments of its fulfillment. And it teaches us that the victory of God's people is not won by their own strength, but by the sovereign power of the God who goes before them.
The Text
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.” But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel in the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon was Jazer. And Israel took all these cities, and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her towns. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites. Now it was he who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. Therefore those who use proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established. For a fire went forth from Heshbon, A flame from the town of Sihon; It devoured Ar of Moab, The dominant heights of the Arnon. Woe to you, O Moab! You perish, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon. But we have cast them down, Heshbon perishes as far as Dibon, And we have made desolate even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.” Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its towns and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.
(Numbers 21:21-32 LSB)
The Reasonable Offer and the Hardened Heart (vv. 21-23)
We begin with the diplomatic overture from Israel.
"Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 'Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.' But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border." (Numbers 21:21-23a)
The terms offered by Israel are exceedingly reasonable. They promise to stick to the main road, the "king's highway." They will not forage for food or water, causing no economic disruption. They are essentially asking for safe passage, and nothing more. This is not the behavior of a marauding horde. It is the formal request of a disciplined nation on a mission. This courtesy is important because it establishes the righteousness of Israel's cause. They are not looking for a fight. They are seeking to obey God peacefully, if possible.
But Sihon refuses. Why? On the surface, it is a political calculation. He sees a massive host of people, and fear or pride or a combination of both dictates his response. But the Scriptures give us a deeper, theological reason. In Deuteronomy, Moses reflects on this very event and tells us, "But Sihon 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" (Deuteronomy 2:30). This is crucial. Sihon's refusal was not a surprise to God; it was part of the plan. Just as God hardened Pharaoh's heart to display His power in the exodus, He now hardens Sihon's heart to display His power in the conquest.
This does not absolve Sihon of his guilt. God does not infuse a righteous man with sin. Rather, He gives a proud and rebellious man over to his own pride and rebellion. He removes restraining grace and allows the man's own wicked inclinations to come to full fruition. Sihon made his choice, and he was fully responsible for it. But God, in His sovereignty, orchestrated that choice to serve His own undeceived purposes. The world thinks in terms of luck and political maneuvering. The Bible thinks in terms of divine providence. Sihon thought he was making a sovereign decision to protect his borders. In reality, he was punching his ticket to his own destruction, precisely on God's timetable.
The Foolish Attack and the Divine Victory (vv. 23-25)
Sihon does not simply refuse passage; he escalates the conflict dramatically.
"So Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel in the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land..." (Numbers 21:23b-24a)
This is the height of folly. Sihon is not content to defend his cities. He musters his entire army and marches out into the wilderness to engage Israel on their turf. He initiates the battle. This is pride in action. He has heard of what the God of Israel did to Egypt, but he thinks he is different. He thinks his strength is sufficient. This is the perennial mistake of the ungodly. They underestimate God and overestimate themselves.
The result is swift and decisive. "Israel struck him with the edge of the sword." The victory is total. Israel not only defeats Sihon's army but takes possession of his entire kingdom, from the Arnon to the Jabbok. They move from being travelers to being landowners. They take all the cities, including the capital, Heshbon, and they dwell there. This was not part of their original request. They asked for passage, and in return for Sihon's arrogant refusal, God gave them possession. God's people received exceedingly, abundantly more than they asked or thought, all because of the enemy's opposition.
This is a foundational principle. When the world sets itself against the Church, it thinks it is thwarting God's plan. But it is always, without fail, accelerating it. When the Sanhedrin conspired to kill Jesus, they thought they were ending His movement. In reality, they were providing the sacrifice that would save the world. When Rome persecuted the early Christians, they thought they were stamping out a pesky sect. In reality, they were fertilizing the soil of the empire with the blood of the martyrs, ensuring the Church's explosive growth. And so it is here. Sihon's "No" became the very means by which God established Israel on the east side of the Jordan.
The Taunt of the Victors (vv. 26-30)
What follows is a piece of inspired, sarcastic poetry. It is a taunt song, a proverb, celebrating the downfall of Heshbon and mocking the impotence of its gods.
"For Heshbon was the city of Sihon... who had fought against the former king of Moab... Therefore those who use proverbs say, 'Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!... For a fire went forth from Heshbon... It devoured Ar of Moab... Woe to you, O Moab! You perish, O people of Chemosh!'" (Numbers 21:26-29)
The song has two parts. First, it recounts Heshbon's former glory. Under Sihon, Heshbon was a regional power. It had conquered Moab and taken its land. Sihon was a man who built his kingdom through violence and conquest. The "fire" that went forth from Heshbon was the fire of his army, devouring his neighbors. He was a big fish in a small, pagan pond.
The song mocks Moab and its god, Chemosh. Where was Chemosh when Sihon's army came? He was powerless. He gave his own people, his "sons and daughters," into captivity. This is a classic piece of biblical polemic. The Bible consistently mocks idols as useless, pathetic things of wood and stone that cannot save. The conflict is not just between Israel and the Amorites; it is between Yahweh and Chemosh, and Chemosh did not even show up for the fight.
But then the song turns in verse 30. "But we have cast them down." The "we" here is Israel, speaking by the Spirit of God. The great conqueror Sihon, who overthrew Moab, has now himself been overthrown. The fire of Heshbon has been extinguished by the fire of God's judgment. Heshbon, the mighty capital, is now desolate. The mocker has become the mocked. The victor has become the victim. This is the biblical pattern of irony in judgment. God loves to use the proud man's own tools to bring about his ruin. Sihon lived by the sword, and he died by a far sharper one.
Consolidating the Conquest (vv. 31-32)
The narrative concludes with a summary statement and one final action.
"Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its towns and dispossessed the Amorites who were there." (Numbers 21:31-32)
The victory is not temporary. "Thus Israel lived in the land." This is a permanent settlement. This land would become the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. This is a picture of the tangible, landed, historical nature of God's covenant promises. God doesn't just promise spiritual feelings; He promises real estate. He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and He gives portions of that earth to His people.
The mopping-up operation at Jazer shows the thoroughness of the conquest. This is not a partial victory. God has given them the whole land, and they are to take possession of all of it. This sets the stage for the next confrontation with Og, king of Bashan, and ultimately for the crossing of the Jordan. This first victory is a down payment, an earnest of the full inheritance to come. It is a sign and a seal of God's faithfulness.
The Gospel According to Sihon
So what does a story about a long-dead Amorite king have to do with us? Everything. This is not just history; it is typology. Sihon is a picture of every arrogant power that stands in the way of the kingdom of God.
The world, like Sihon, stands on its borders and says to Christ and His church, "You may not pass." Secularism says Christ has no place in the public square. Relativism says Christ has no claim to absolute truth. The flesh says Christ has no right to rule our hearts. Every tyrant, every godless ideology, every rebellious impulse in our own souls is a little Sihon, guarding a highway that belongs to God and refusing passage to the King.
And the Church, like Israel, comes with a reasonable request. The gospel is the most reasonable message in the world. "Repent and believe." "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry." We are not asking for much, just for men to bow to their rightful Lord. But the world, with a hardened heart, refuses. It musters its armies of mockery, persecution, and legislation to fight against the people of God.
But the outcome is never in doubt. For our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, has already met the ultimate Sihon on the cross. He has conquered sin, death, and the devil. He has struck them with the edge of the sword of His resurrection. And He has taken possession of the land. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). He is now dispossessing the squatters, town by town, heart by heart.
Our task is to be faithful Israelites. We are to march forward on the King's highway, which is the Great Commission. When we encounter opposition, we are not to be dismayed. The hardened hearts of the enemies of God are simply the tools He is using to give us a greater inheritance. Their refusal is the prelude to their ruin and our reward. We fight, not for victory, but from victory. And one day, the taunt songs will be sung over every last idol, every last tyrant, every last rebellion. The fire that went forth from Heshbon has been quenched, but the fire that went forth from Pentecost is devouring the whole world, and it will not stop until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.