Vers. 1-12.-The conquest of Og. Og, King of Basban, was II yet more formidable adversary than Sihon. We read with wonder of that extraordinary territory over which he ruled, the region of Argob, with its sixty cities built of black stone, hard as iron, and perched amidst the masses of basaltic rock, which are the characteristic featme of the district, and which formed an apparently impregnable barrier against assault. The suddenness, completeness, and decisiveness of the conquest of this region, naturally so strong, so thickly peopled, so powerfully defended, and ruled by a king of the race of giants, is in any view of it, an astonishing fact, and would naturally raise the courage of the Israelites to the highest pitch of confidence, while striking dismay into surrounding nations (eh, ii. 25). We consider- I. Oa's CONFIDENT ATTACK. Like Sihon, he came out against the Israelite~, "he and all his people" (ver. 1), and doubtless with great hopes of success. Had he been less confident, he would probably have remained within his fortifications. Though Joshu:i. speaks (xxiv. 12) of him being driven forth by the hornet, the spirit of the attack reminds us of Goliath's boastful advance against the armies of Saul (1 Sam. xvii. 4-12). His assault symbolizes the giant-power of the world in its hostile relations !o the Church: pagan-papa.I-infidel; science-learning-philosophy; powerful in itself, strongly entrenched, boastful in spirit. Voltaire boasted that it took twelvu men to set up Christianity, but he would show that one man wi!.s sufficient to over- throw it, Christianity lasts still, but Voltaire--? . II. _Hrs COMPLETE ROUT (vers. 3-8). Moses dwells on the d.itails of this astonish- mg victory with lively gratitude and wonder. 'l'be victory wa,, as in Sihon's case, completo, only here more remarkable from the strength of the cities and towns. And ag~in all the people were devoted to destruction (ver. 6). Somewhat analogous to this rout have been many of the victories of Christianity. We think of the downfall of ancient paganism, so strongly entrenched, but now swept so entirel:y: fro:11 the earth; of the collapse of ei"hteenth-century deism; of the mighty men of their own days, boastful of their powe;' to destroy the Church's faith, who are now, like Og, unly romembered by their coffins. '!'he tomes of Voltaire, l3olingbroke, Shaftesbury, and a 62 THE BOOK OF DEUTirnONOMY. (CR. Ill. 1-29,
/1,,~t ()f ()l]wrs lio unroRd on dusty shelves, while the Dible is multiplying its circulation e,·ery ~•oar. New, and it may be even mightier, foes arc springing up in our rnoclcru n:;:nos(ic and positivist and pantheistic schools, but to the serious student of history there cnn be no real doubt as to the issue of the conflict. III. THE oacuPATION OF HIS LAND (vcrs. 9-1~). The land and tho cities thus conquered were taken possession of by the conquerors, and as speedily as possible occupied. The enemy was dispossessed and spoiled. So did the Church in tho early ren\urics first conquer, and then possess the ground previously held by paganism. '.' \\ c arc of yesterday, and yet_ we have filled every place belonging to you-cities, islands, castles, towns, assemblies, your very camp, companies, palace, senate forum. "\\'c leave you your temples only" (Tcrtullian). The same thing takes place ;soften as the treasures of unbelieving science, learning, and philosophy, in their varied forms and applications (inventions, arts, etc.), fall into tho hands of the Church, and aro made to subscn·e her ends. The unbelieving criticism of the Bible, e.g., has furnished a rnst amount of material available for the purposes of faith. So tho discoveries of science, which were dreaded as hostile, prove at last to bo confirmatory and helpful, nnd arc appropriated by belief. Every victory of Christianity in the outward world or in the regions of thought, enlarges its possessions and extends its influence.-J. O. '