We read in Deuteronomy 3:11 of Og, king of Bashan, who was the last remaining of the giants. He was the last giant, as if the last enemy to vanquish. What caracterized him, according to what the Word has recorded for us, was his bedstead of iron which measured 9 cubits by 4 cubits, roughly 4 meters by 2 meters. No doubt Og's stoutness, his size warranted a large bed and a strong one at that; it was certainly of great dimension and of strong material. There are lessons for us, are there not, from this verse. This last enemy and his large bed would speak to us of the dangers of indolence into which we can all fall so quickly; the half tribe of Manasseh, of the people of Israel, rather preferred the land of Bashan rather than the promised land, the land of Canaan (Deut. 3:13), on this side of Jordan, the crossing of which is a picture of our death with Christ. If we live in Bashan (which means level ground), on level ground, it is like a believer that make sure his live is without trouble or upset. In contrast, the land of Canaan, the one God gave the children of Israel, was made of mountains and valleys, more like the normal highs and lows in the lives of the children of God. Bashan also reminds us of those who live at the ground level, their thoughts are set on earthly things (Ph. 3:19). Let us not settle at Bashan, but Canaan, a figure of heavenly places and blessings. The bed is a place of rest, but rest can easily become laziness. If the bed is of too large a proportion the old man is liable to get comfortable in it. The Word of God also exhorts us about an undefiled marriage bed, no doubt to be kept of a the right proportion (Heb. 13:4 NT). We are also instructed not to put our lamps under the bed (Luke 8:16) from where it would be prevented from shedding its light. Og's iron bed was heavy, he could not pick it up and go. In the same manner, our comforts and ease can impair our walk. To the man sick of the palsy, Jesus said, "Rise, and take up thy bed, and walk" (John 5:8). Is our bed small enough for us to do so or would it be paralysing us? What importance do we give to our well being? In summary, the Christian's bed, rather what it represents, should be undefiled and portable; it should often be empty and of the right proportion to be able to accomplish the Lord's bidding: "Rest a little" (Mark 6:31 NT) .
NOTE: All Bible references are from the King James Version unless otherwise specified. All unsigned material is in the spirit of Ecc. 12:11. Send all correspondence, comments, suggestions to: dailysowers@tlb.sympatico.ca
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