Deuteronomy 9:1 ¶ Hear, O
Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess
nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to
heaven, 2 A people great and tall, the
children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say,
Who can stand before the children of Anak! 3
Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which
goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and
he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and
destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee. 4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the
LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness
the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of
these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. 5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the
uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the
wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before
thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Understand
therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for
thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
Here, Moses reinforces the supernatural success that the
Israelites can expect from God. Though they face strong, fortified cities and
giants the Lord will go before them and destroy their enemies.
What they are warned about is spending any time patting themselves
on their collective backs. They aren’t going to have success in Canaan because
of their goodness but because of the wickedness of the nations that God has
ordained be destroyed. This should give us pause today to reflect on our own
nation-state.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall
be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Moses reinforces the stubbornness of Israel as being an
impediment, not a reason, for success. We Christians are told;
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
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