But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” (Numbers 21:34 ESV)
There was a small country town west of where I lived (and coached) in South Dakota who always fielded an undefeatable football team. They were repeatedly State champions. They were the standard of what football teams aspired to be.
They were the Ranchers. And we were not.
But I often imagined (in the first five minutes of the annual football game) what it would be like to defeat them. Not only would THAT day be amazing, but from then on, we would remember when the Ranchers fell.
A bad tornado is coming? Yeah, but remember when we beat the Ranchers!
Taxes are going up? Maybe so, but remember when we beat the Ranchers!
Our favorite politician lost the election? So… remember when we beat the Ranchers!
Stubbed your toe? Have a cold? Lost five dollars? Ran out of gas? Missed a deadline? Forgot a friend’s birthday? AHHHH…. But remember when we beat the RANCHERS!
Sihon, King of the Amorites must have been like the Ranchers. When God brought Israel to military victory over King Sihon, they never forgot it.
That victory is mentioned TWENTY-THREE times afterwards!
And usually, as a reason to not be afraid of whatever trouble God’s people were facing.
Are you afraid? Remember Sihon!
The fall of Sihon, King of the Amorites probably does not bring that encouragement to you. I suspect most of us would not be able to point to his kingdom on a map… describe his previous accomplishments… or recognize his face on a postage stamp.
But there is an event that is even bigger than Sihon’s defeat.
When you are afraid, or facing troubles, or starting to worry, or think something BIG is coming…
You don’t have to remember Sihon.
Remember the cross.
The defeat of sin. The defeat of sin’s effects. The defeat of death. The defeat of every sorrow, every tear, every pain, every failure, every mistake, every falsehood, every terror, every problem.
Fear not, because of the CROSS.