Today’s text verses come after a forty-year period of Wilderness journeying for the Nation of Israel. This journeying is often referred to as “wandering.” A point should be made however, that the Israelites were led by the Lord during this period (Deuteronomy 8:2); He went before them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night (Numbers 14:14). The Lord was ever faithful to His promise that He would never leave nor forsake them (Deuteronomy 4:31).
We have to understand that God has a Sovereign plan and purpose at work in all things (Romans 8:28). Even if we don’t quite understand what He’s doing, we are still commanded to obey and to trust the Lord to perform His promises. But we must be careful that we don’t become secure in our performance and allow our self-righteousness to discount the Sovereign grace of God.
Our text shows us that our goodness is not always the cause of our blessedness. God sometimes blesses His children because of their righteousness (or right-works). But at other times, God’s goodness is shown to us through the condemnation of His enemies. It is important to know the difference, and to realize that a lot of things we view as rewards to us, may be God’s response to the wickedness of others.
Exposition, verses 1-3:
“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,” (Deuteronomy 9:1)
“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!” (Deuteronomy 9:2)
“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.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)
As we begin our look at the example of the Israelites’ situation, we note that God’s Power is going to be on full display in the matter of Canaan’s conquest. As they journeyed through the Wilderness for forty years, led and protected by a Sovereign God as a Shepherd (Psalms 23:1), He met them at the very point of their need (Deuteronomy 8:3-4). Now He is going to perform a mighty work in giving them the land He had promised to Abraham and his descendants.
In verse 1, the Israelites are told that they will “…possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven.”
These great and mighty nations are listed in 7:1, as “the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou.”
The clear indication to the Children of Israel is that the nations mentioned were of a greater number and strength. By human standards, the nations were too many, and too mighty.
The language here brings to mind the report of the spies that originally scouted the Land of Canaan. At that time, the spies reported that the land indeed flowed with milk and honey (Numbers 13:27); but the spies despaired at the daunting thought of battle, saying, “… We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:31); and ultimately, they brought an evil report of the land itself (Numbers 13:32).
These spies further discouraged the people at the prospect of fighting the Anakims: “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).
In verse 2 of our text, Moses reminds the Born-Again Nation of Israel that they were going in to possess the land God had promised them – a land flowing with milk and honey – but he also made a point to tell them that those same giants that menaced their parents were still a looming threat.
The Anakims were a well-known race of giants. They were made famous, not just for their size, but also for their warrior spirit. It would be a foolish thing to pick a fight with such an adversary known for their indomitable reputation. So much in fact that the prospect had been made a proverb for the impossible, “…thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!” (Deuteronomy 9:2).
Verse 3 gives us the key to the Children of Israel’s possession of the Promised Land. After carefully reminding the Israelites of the challenge they were facing, and the seeming impossibility thereof; Moses then points them to the Power of God to perform His promise:
“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.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)
We see several important points to consider in this verse. First, Moses speaks to assure the Israelites that the Lord is in fact going before them. The significance is that He Himself “…as a consuming fire…shall destroy them.” As a warrior leads his army into battle; so the Lord will lead His people to victory by His very presence.
Secondly, because the Lord leads His people, He guarantees their victory; and He has just displayed His Sovereignty through forty years of wilderness “wanderings.” God said He would drive out the land’s inhabitants. This, Moses explains, is surety that it will be done according to promise.
Thirdly, the Lord not only leads his people to victory, and guarantees such by His promises; He secures such victory by His performance. Moses tells the Israelites that the Lord will destroy the land’s inhabitants; and so shall the Israelites destroy them.
The Lord demonstrates His Power in the conquest of Canaan by His Presence, His Promise, and His Performance. By human standards, the conquest appeared to be a foolish undertaking. No one in their right mind would have even conceived an idea so impossible. However, the reader is given to know that Joshua and his army were able to defeat the Anakims (Joshua 11:21-23), just as the Lord had promised, proving that:
“…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
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