Monday, January 18, 2021

Deuteronomy 9:1-6 comments: the children of Israel could not give themselves credit for the conquest of Canaan

 

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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