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Deuteronomy episode 1 - Fighting Giants: Overcoming Life's Impossible Challenges
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What stands between you and your promised land? For the ancient Israelites, it was literal giants. For us today, it's often giants of fear, doubt, addiction, or seemingly insurmountable challenges. Our journey into Deuteronomy reveals why a trip that should have taken 11 days stretched into 40 years, and what that teaches us about our own spiritual transformation.
Deuteronomy might seem daunting at first glance, but this powerful book—quoted by Jesus more than perhaps any other Old Testament text—offers profound wisdom for facing life's giants. As our panel of theologians, psychiatrists, and educators unpacks these ancient words, a striking truth emerges: "It took one night to get them out of Egypt, but 40 years to get Egypt out of them." Physical freedom came quickly, but mental transformation required decades.
We explore the fascinating stories of actual giants like Sihon and Og (whose bed measured 13 feet long!), and how their defeat proved God's power over impossibilities. These accounts weren't preserved merely as historical curiosities, but as reminders that the giants in our own lives—whether addiction, selfishness, greed, or doubt—can be conquered not through our strength, but through divine intervention.
Moses' own story serves as both encouragement and warning. Despite leading magnificently for decades, one moment of public disobedience cost him entrance to the Promised Land. The message is clear: past victories don't exempt us from continued obedience. Yet the overarching theme remains God's faithfulness captured in the promise quoted in Hebrews: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Ready to face your giants with renewed confidence? Join us as we discover that life is hard when we try to fight our battles alone—but with the Divine Warrior fighting for us, no giant is too tall to fall.
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Introduction to Deuteronomy Series
Speaker 1Hello and welcome to Book by Book . My name is Steve Nicholls . Book by Book is Bible study for small groups or individuals , and at its heart is the joy of meeting Jesus in all the scriptures . And today we launch a brand new series in the book of Deuteronomy . What a book Deuteronomy is . Maybe you feel a bit daunted by it . Well , don't be , we're going to learn from it together . You know it's quoted again and again throughout the Bible Old Testament and New . And did you know Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy probably more than any other book in the Old Testament . It's full of our sin and failure , but it's even fuller , if we can say that , of God's love and grace . So this is a really important book for us to understand and take to heart . Pick up a Bible , if you have one , and we'll get straight into it .
Speaker 1I'm joined today by Dr Paul Blackham , a church planter , church minister and theologian . Also by Dr Sunil Raheja , a psychiatrist coach , author from a Hindu background but a follower of Jesus for many years , and also by Dr Dawn Carew-Smith , a former head teacher , now international speaker . Wonderful to be together today . Well , let's turn to Deuteronomy , chapter one , and we'll read some verses together . Deuteronomy , chapter one , and I'm going to begin in verse one . These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan , that is , in the Arabah opposite Suph , between Paran and Tophel , laban , hazaroth and Dizahab , and on to verse 3 . Sonal , if I can start with you , what's the background to the beginning of
40 Years for an 11-Day Journey
Speaker 1Deuteronomy ? How long has it taken the Israelites to get from Egypt to the border of the Promised Land there ? Yes , stephen .
Speaker 2It's taken them 11 days . Well , it should have taken them . I should say it should have taken them 11 days . It's actually taken them 40 years and in the previous books we know and we learn about why that's been so difficult . One of the people we've had on Book by Book who's in a sense started Richard Richard Buse . He gave a very helpful summary of the previous books and I think it's just so helpful because it will feed into where we're at now .
Speaker 2Genesis is about a ruined people . Genesis is about a ruined people . Exodus is about a rescued people . Leviticus is about a holy people . Numbers and this is where it goes into how long has it taken is about a travelling people , and so what should have taken 11 days and that was verse 2 in Deuteronomy , chapter 1 , it's actually taken them 40 years , and the reason why it's taken them 40 years is the way I like to think of it .
Speaker 2It took them one day , one night to get from Egypt out of Egypt , but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of them . Egypt was the mindset , the thinking , the slavery , the mindset of being a slave to becoming someone who's now rescued and free is a complete transformation . But all the grumbling and the wandering , their lack of faith . It just kept on holding them back . And they were only two . When they went back in Numbers 13 and 14 , when they were being told that they should go and spy out the land , only two came back , joshua and Caleb , saying yes , we should go for it . Everybody else was full of disbelief and fear and trepidation . That generation had to die out because God said you're not fit to enter , you can't do it .
Speaker 2But the next generation , this is where do it but the next generation this is where we are now .
Speaker 1we're the new generation , Right ? That's really helpful . So , because of lack of faith , 40 years instead of 11
Fighting Giants with Divine Help
Speaker 1days , Paul . There's a lot in chapter 1 about fighting giants . Why is that ?
Speaker 4I love that . Yeah , it comes up again and again . It's because so at first it sounds . This is why when people go , oh , the Bible's boring , I'm like it's crazy , good , it's got giants , it's even got dragon and things like that , but it's giants fighting giants .
Speaker 4Because if you remember that first generation who went and spied it out , the reason they Because they were at this point 40 years before . Let's go in , go into premise land . The spies come back . Oh , it's full of giants and they live in giant cities will never be able to do it . And because they were real giants it's not a metaphor they said they were really like 10 foot tall or bigger .
Speaker 4And , uh , the point is they goes we can't defeat them because human beings , we that we can't defeat them . It's human strength isn't enough . And the lord's like , yeah , but I'm not asking you to defeat them in Human strength isn't enough . And the Lord's like , yeah , but I'm not asking you to defeat them in your strength , the Lord will do it . And that's what stopped them .
Speaker 4And remember , I love it there in verses 29 to 33 . Here he's like don't be terrified , because it says we saw the Anakites there at the end of verse 28 of chapter 1 . Anakites are the giants . And then don't be terrified , don't be afraid of them . The Lord , your God , who's going before you , will fight for you , as he did in Egypt . They've already defeated the superpower of Egypt and the gods of Egypt , and then that was the angel of the Lord who brought them out of Egypt and carried them and brought them . Then the angel of the Lord , who is the Lord Jesus , he's the divine warrior . And then he's like why don't you be worried , I'm the one who's going to beat them . So that's what the big issue is . It comes up time and time again here giants . They've had to have a mentality now where they're like we're not scared of giants , we're ready to go in .
Speaker 1That's great , that's wonderful Dawn , if I can come to you . If Deuteronomy is quoted so much in the rest of the Bible and by Jesus himself , how important then is it for us to be trained to fight giants ?
Speaker 3Well , it's absolutely , vitally important , because if you're a Christian , you are going to meet some giants . There's an enemy of our progress , there's an enemy of our promise , there's an enemy of our purpose , and what he does is he'll throw giants up just in front of the promise . So God gives us the promise , but we have to possess the land . So we have the promised land , but if we're going to ever possess the promised land , we've got to understand that it's not our might , we can't do it . So we have to understand . As you were saying , the mindset is I leave it to the angel of the Lord . Yes , wonderful . Oh , that's so helpful .
Speaker 1Thank I leave it to the angel of the Lord . Yes , wonderful , that's so helpful , thank you , thank you . So , just moving on to chapter two , other nations are mentioned here in chapter two . Why do we need to think about them ? The Edomites , the Moabites , the Ammonites ?
Speaker 2It's a great question . It's a great question , Steve . I think what I think is so wonderful about this is that God is not just the God of the Israelites . God is the God of the whole world and he's interested in every nation , every people . So the Edomites they're the descendants of Esau , Jacob's twin brother , who had his . Esau had his birthright stolen by him . And the Moabites , the Ammonites , they go back to the time of Lot , Abraham's nephew , and I mean again the Bible's messy . It gives us all the messy details from an incestuous relationship . But God is still interested in these people and he cares about the way that they're living . And so why do we need to think about it ? Because God is God of the whole world , of the whole universe . He's interested in people and he's got plans and purposes for them , and we have a God . The Bible is an international book and it's not just about one people in one place , it's about everybody , and God is interested in everyone .
Speaker 4Yeah , just like the fact of Jonah , isn't it ? Where Jonah's like , oh , no , no . And he's like go and pronounce judgment on this other nation , and then Jonah's like , no , I don't want to do that , because I know what you're like . You're going to just go and save them . You're going to just go and save them . You've got this international heart , isn't it ? No , you've got to go . I am going to save people all over the world . Yeah .
Speaker 1You've got to plan for all peoples . All peoples . That's right , paul . If I may stay with you , sion and Og mentioned there at the end of chapter 2 and start of chapter 3
God's Plan for All Nations
Speaker 1. Who are they and why are they mentioned so often throughout the Bible ?
Speaker 4Yeah , they come up all the way through the Bible . They're in the Psalms , they're quite often in the Psalms and it's like we defeated Sion and Og . Og's such a good name for a big giant , isn't it A giant Og ? I mean , I love that and he's a big one . He's like 13 foot big . He's got a big bed , hasn't ?
Speaker 4he , he's got a big bed , an iron bed that's 13 foot . And then the most famous one is Goliath , and he's only like nine foot . He's just a little tiddler compared to Og , but Sion and Og . The reason for that why Moses wants to remind them and he keeps saying because they've already defeated two mega giants , sion and Og . So if they were there going , we're never going to be able to beat the giants . So he's like we already done two big ones . So he wants them to remember .
Speaker 4And they were really big , because like 35 . I mean , I don't know , this room might be that high or something , but it's really big . And he's like no , we've already done two . And moses is in like he's over 100 , even maybe he's 120 or something , but he's well over his 80s and he done two , two big giants . So it's great for them to go . Oh , yeah , that's right , sion and Og . And we've got his bed to prove that we took him down . So I like that . And they come up all the way through the Bible and every time the Lord's like yeah , don't forget , we were able to do Sion and Og , so don't be scared of giants .
Speaker 1Yeah remembering is going to be a big thing . We'll come to in the book of Deuteronomy , isn't it ? Yeah , dawn , if I may , so Moses , he's fought mighty giants already , but at the end of chapter 3 , we remember he's not allowed to go into the Promised Land himself . Why is that ? Where had he gone wrong
Sihon and Og: Giants Already Defeated
Speaker 1?
Speaker 3See in Deuteronomy 32 , verses 48 to 52 , the Lord tells Moses that he's going to die in the mountain rather than enter the Promised Land , because of an incident that happened at Meribah Kadesh . And if you look in Numbers 20 , there's a situation there where there was no water and the children of Israel were getting very angry and agitated . And you know , aaron and Moses went before the Lord and the Lord told them that he was going to provide water if they would speak to the mountain . But unfortunately , moses was so frustrated with the way that the children of Israel were responding to him and approaching him that he didn't just speak to the mountain . In his anger , he hit the mountain .
Speaker 3God was faithful . Water came but Moses had disobeyed . And it just reminds us that just because we've defeated giants , it doesn't give us a free pass to disobey God and to do things our way . God is a strategic God and he gives us a specific strategy and because he's merciful and gracious , you may still get some results , but you'll have to pay the price for your disobedience because he is just so Moses didn't honor he didn't honor the Lord and what he did was dishonoring and it was a public dishonour of the Lord .
Speaker 3Didn't honour the Lord's holiness in a public way and in that story .
Speaker 4I just looked at it because you give me the reference . It's like Moses gets so
Moses' Disobedience and Consequence
Speaker 4frustrated he goes listen , you rebels . Must we bring water out of the rock ? Dude , you're not bringing water out of the rock .
Speaker 2Exactly exactly , must we Presumption , isn't it ? And that's the danger of presumption . I think you're absolutely right . So often we see God working in our lives and somehow or other we think that we're somehow special , above everybody else among God's people . But no , we're sinners like everybody else , absolutely . And he graciously chooses to use us like that .
Speaker 1So now let's stay with you , if we may . Chapter 3 , verse 12 , moses reminds the nation about two of their tribes , reuben and Gad . So why is it good to remember their example ? What had those two tribes already done ?
Speaker 2Yes , well , going back to your question with Paul earlier on those kings , zion and Og those are the lands that Reuben and Gad had already taken and , if you like , they were almost like sort of . They were the sort of the deposit , if it were . They were the sort of down payment on the promised land that's coming . And again , just thinking about you know what Dawn was saying earlier , is that sometimes in our heads we think , well , if God's promised me something , I just need to sit back and he's going to hand it to me on a plate . No , but like you were saying , dawn , you know , is that God promises , he's got the promise , but there will be obstacles in the way and they're the giants that are in the way . And , yes , it's 100% God's grace and goodness that he gives us the gifts , the land , whatever we have . But it's also 100% on our side as well . It's not under 100% God , 0% me , and it's not 100% me , 0% God , or even 50-50 . It's 100% God , 100% me . You know the way to godliness . The way to life is vigorous and requires your full attention . You've got to give it everything you've got , and God puts us into situations that appear impossible . So for Reuben and Gad it would have looked impossible . And yet Abraham defeated and they defeated those nations and they were saying look , we've done it . The promised land , this is the down payment . The rest is going to come .
Speaker 2And , interestingly , hebrews , chapter 13 , verse 5 , quotes , quotes Jesus from it . He says I've just read it . It says keep on loving each other as brothers . Do not forget to entertain strangers . By doing so , some people have entertained angels without knowing it .
Speaker 2Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners , and those who are mistreated as if you yourself were suffering . Marriage should be honoured by all and the marriage bed kept pure , for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral . Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have , because God has said and this is from Deuteronomy never will I leave you , never will I forsake you . And I think just the issue is that you know , as Dawn you , and I think just the issue is that you know , as dawn was saying earlier on , the giants that we're facing are not physical giants necessarily , but they're giants that this passage in hebrews is talking about . The giants of selfishness , the science that , the giants of of indifference , the giants of sexual immorality , the giants of great greed , these are the giants that we have to battle in our lives .
Speaker 1That's so helpful
Defeating Giants in Our Lives
Speaker 1, paul . Anything you'd want to add to that ?
Speaker 4Yeah , I mean , that is the thing the Hebrews reference is so good , because we have those things of greed or materialism or selfishness or immorality and all the time we go . I can't defeat those things . I fought them all my life every time and I lose , I lose , I lose , and I've been fighting them all the time . And it's that question that normally with past , when you're in pastoral care with people , and those are the sorts of things that people go now you can't beat them , like you . The best you can do is manage them . And I'm like , yeah , but the bible's not asking you to manage giants , you've got to kill the giants , kind of thing . And I , I think that attitude again is like it's not that I can do this . It's a totally different transformation of mentality happens when the Lord Jesus and when he asks us to do impossible things like the man with the withered hand or the paralyzed guy , and it's like stand up whatever it is , and it's like it's impossible , yeah , it is impossible .
Speaker 4But this Jesus , who is the divine warrior ? So all these giants , like in Hebrews 13 and the listed , and you think , yeah , the very things that we think we cannot possibly get victory over , and they are the perennial ones always .
Speaker 2I think the key principle there is that God will , as we walk with him , put giants in our path . I think that's such an important principle and will put us in situations that appear impossible to us , and I think what God wants to say to us again and again is it's not about your strength . What we do is we look at the problem and we say this problem is so , so big . Well , rather than saying how big the problem is , tell the problem how big your God is and how great he is , and he is the one who will defeat that giant . But the normal Christian life , if you like , the normal life of a disciple , is to face giants in impossible situations , but not to run away , but , like Joshua and Caleb , to say our God is the God who's a giant slave .
Speaker 4Giant slave . And again . Isn't it interesting to think back again to what's already happened .
Speaker 2Yes .
Speaker 4Because they've , you know . You go well , how can I know that the lord can defeat the giant that's ahead of me ? Yes , and then you go oh well , what has he just done ? Think about either church history and I love church history for finding examples of it and we've been thinking about characters during the bible . Yes , we were just like chatting before and thinking , oh well , there's that amazing person and that amazing person and that . And then then you're like so if the Lord did it with them ? So that's the Reuben and Gad . Moses is like , yeah , think about that . If you're going to go in , two of the tribes have already sorted , they've already done it . And then the Reuben and Gad go . The women and children are already settled in the land . And then in your own life too . This is why our ancestors often used to keep journals , and they'd so . When the lord has answered a prayer , and you're like I prayed for this , the lord answered no , write that down , because then you can look back to it and remember , so easy to forget .
Speaker 2And I think you're right . I think church history is just a fascinating in this because , if you think about it , here we are in england , you know , in the 21st century , 500 years , 600 years ago , it was illegal to say the Lord's Prayer . It was illegal to have the Bible in your language . We are in that . They would have said the promised land . 600 years ago , under the times of Wycliffe and Cramer , they said to have the Bible in your language , to be able to say the Lord's Prayer without being arrested . That's a promised land . That would have been a promised land for them and we are in that . Obviously , we've got our own challenges , but by comparison it's amazing what God has done and exactly . We have to remember that we are , if you like , we are standing on the shoulders of godly giants .
Speaker 1As they all think of church history , the hymn writer John Newton . One of his famous hymns Begone Unbelief , and there's that line in it his love in time . Past forbids me to think he'll leave me at last in troubles to sink . Remember how he delivered me in the past . He will deliver me in the future . Dawn , thinking about these giants of sin in our lives , and sort of Hebrews 13 again , when we feel as if these giants of sin have beaten us down , what do we need to remember ?
Speaker 3we need to remember that the battle is not ours , it's the Lord's yeah , and .
Speaker 3I just wanted to just tap onto what you were saying about remembering things . When you remember what God has already done for you , that builds your trust . Trust is built on the basis of what you've seen people do . If I could trust you , you before , I can trust you again . But there's another dimension and it's faith , and it's I've never , ever seen you do this , but I believe nevertheless that you can do it . And so , when it comes to these giants , whether it's getting over you know one of these giants of sin , or whether it's like God has called me to do this , but , lord , where are the resources ? There's a giant of lack of resources . There's a giant of self-doubt . You know there's a giant of criticism , or whatever you're facing . Before you go and inhabit the land that God has given you , it's just important to remember , you know what , even if I've never seen I've got no record in my mind of him ever doing this , because I have the trust , I now can then move to the dimension of faith . It's about being open , isn't it ?
Speaker 2Yes , because God doesn't't bless our ability , he blesses our availability absolutely being available to what he wants to do , absolutely open to that . And so often we say , oh , no , no , it's too big , it's too hard , there's no way it can happen . Well , humanly speaking , you're absolutely right . But but the best ? But if I , if I'm a , create an argument for why god can't work , well , I'll be right . But if I can create an argument , okay , I can't the answer , I don't know how it's going to work , but I've got a great God and he's done wonderful things . And I've got church history . I've got the Bible to keep reminding me that situations that look impossible , he's the God of the impossible .
Speaker 3So if the giant is 13 foot tall , I've seen him do that and I know he can do it . But if he's 15 at all , I've never seen him do that . I still know he can do it . That's the mindset that we have to have , that's what takes us forward , and so , whether it's , you know , giants of sin or any other giants .
Speaker 1It's the same principle and his promises holding on to his promises when we feel beaten down by sin what has he ? Promised , he said if we confess our sins , he's faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness . Holding on to his promises , keeping us fixed .
Speaker 2And so there is no sin that is too too , too too deep for god . There's no sin that jesus cannot . You know our sins , there are many , but his mercy is more as the song says like that wonderful .
Speaker 1Well , our time is is really at an end , but uh dawn paul , so now . Thanks for your time together . Thanks for all your input . It's been great to talk about the Bible .
Speaker 2Thank you , it's been great to do this . Thank you .
Speaker 1Thank you . What's the key truth from these chapters
The Key Truth: Not Fighting Alone
Speaker 1? I think it's this that life is hard when we try to fight our battles alone , is hard when we try to fight our battles alone . 300 years ago , a man called John Bunyan spent 12 years in prison for preaching the gospel here in England , and while a prisoner he wrote a book called Pilgrim's Progress . Do you know ? It's the best-selling book of all time after the Bible . It's an allegory of the Christian life , describing following Jesus as a journey taken by a man called Christian . He's on the journey from the city of destruction to the celestial city , heaven , and on his journey he's captured one day by a giant , giant despair and held prisoner in Doubting Castle . And Christian feels like giving up . But he has a companion on the journey , a man called Hopeful . And Hopeful reminds him to remember what's happened in the past , how they've been rescued from giant problems before , far bigger than they could handle on their own , and they will be rescued again .
Speaker 1Perhaps you're facing a giant problem at the moment . Maybe it's despair or anxiety or an addiction , or you're faced by some other huge thing in your life . Well , remember these words from Hebrews , chapter 13 , verses 5 and 6 . God has said never will I leave you , never will I forsake you , Words from Deuteronomy 31 . So I say with confidence the Lord is my helper . I will not be afraid . Hear this promise , then , and take it to heart . It's God's word to you . That's it for Book by Book today . Thank you for sharing in our time together Until next time . God bless you and goodbye .
