How was your vacation? When asked, we often talk about the weather, the environment, the food, but also often the beds. For example, I still remember the 'king-size' beds in the United States that I slept on alone on business trips, but where three people could comfortably sleep. And who doesn't remember that time when the beds were too short or too narrow. Or the blankets not big enough. And those who have a trailer tent or caravan know how important it is to choose one with a sufficiently large bed. Reason to look for the largest and smallest bed in the Bible. The largest bed in the Bible is the bed of Og, king of Bashan. Moses mentions it when he looks back at the desert journey. After forty years of wandering through the desert, the people approach the land of Canaan and the first enemy confrontation is with Sihon, king of the Amorites. He is defeated. Then the battle is entered into with Og, king of Bashan. And of him Moses records: “King Og of Bashan was the only surviving descendant of the Rephaim. His bed – seen in Rabbah, the capital of Ammon – is made of iron and is no less than nine cubits long and four wide, measured in the common cubit. A bed of 405 x 180 cm. So. Now this king probably wouldn't have wanted to be cramped, this enormous size strongly suggests that he was indeed a giant. And that may be true, after all the Rephaim were giants. And that is striking. The presence of giants in the land of Canaan was precisely the reason for the spies 40 years earlier to discourage an invasion of the land of Canaan. And even before the people cross the Jordan to take possession of the land of Canaan, Israel manages to defeat a nation with a giant as king. How encouraging that must have been. We encounter a bed that is too small in Isaiah. The leaders of Judah seek refuge in Egypt when the empire is threatened by Assyria. Instead of trusting God, they think Egypt can provide them with the safety and peace they seek. But says Isaiah, “He who believes does not make haste.” To those who do rush to Egypt he says: 'The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too small to wrap yourself in.' People think they will get peace, but the leaders will not get it. Only trusting God brings true peace. If you ever find yourself lying awake on a strange bed during the holidays that is too small, too big, too hot or too cold, you might want to use that time to reflect on how much God calls us to trust in Him in all circumstances. . And even the mention of these beds in the Bible contributes to this.
Bas Krins