Deuteronomy 9

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses addresses the Israelites as they prepare to cross into the Promised Land. He reminds them that their success is not due to their righteousness but to God’s grace and the wickedness of the nations they are displacing. He recounts their history of rebellion, including the golden calf incident, to emphasize their need for humility and dependence on God.

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 (NKJV)
1 “Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,
2 a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’
3 Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.”

Moses begins by reminding the Israelites that they will soon cross the Jordan River to conquer powerful nations, including the Anakim, a race of giants known for their strength. He emphasizes that their victory will not be due to their own might but because God Himself will go before them as a consuming fire to destroy their enemies. The success of the Israelites will be the fulfillment of God’s promise and a demonstration of His power, not their own righteousness or ability.

Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (NKJV)
4 “Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you.
5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses warns the Israelites against self-righteousness, reminding them that their conquest is not a result of their own goodness but rather the wickedness of the nations they are displacing. The Lord is fulfilling His covenant promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This statement underscores God’s grace and justice, showing that He punishes wickedness while also fulfilling His promises.

Deuteronomy 9:6-7 (NKJV)
6 “Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
7 Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.”

Moses stresses again that the Israelites' possession of the land is not due to their righteousness but in spite of their stubbornness. He reminds them of their history of rebellion, beginning from their departure from Egypt. This is a call for the Israelites to remain humble and aware of their need for God's mercy and patience.

Deuteronomy 9:8-12 (NKJV)
8 “Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.
9 When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.
10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
12 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’”

Moses recounts the incident at Mount Horeb (Sinai), where the Israelites angered God by making a golden calf while he was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. Despite God’s direct revelation and His covenant, the people quickly turned to idolatry. Moses highlights the gravity of their rebellion, which almost led to their destruction. This episode exemplifies their continual need for God’s mercy and Moses’ role as an intercessor.

Deuteronomy 9:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people.
14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’”

God's anger at the Israelites' rebellion is so intense that He offers to destroy them completely and create a new nation from Moses. This demonstrates both the severity of their sin and the depth of God's frustration with their continual disobedience. However, it also sets the stage for Moses' intercession.

Deuteronomy 9:15-17 (NKJV)
15 “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.
17 Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.”

Moses recalls the dramatic scene when he descended the mountain, holding the tablets of the covenant, only to find the people worshiping the golden calf. In his anger, he shattered the tablets, symbolizing the broken covenant between God and Israel. This act underscores the seriousness of their sin and the consequences of turning away from God's commandments so quickly after they were given.

Deuteronomy 9:18-21 (NKJV)
18 “And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.
19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was angry with you, to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me at that time also.
20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.
21 Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain.”

Moses recounts how he interceded on behalf of the people and Aaron for forty days and nights, fasting and praying to avert God's wrath. His fear of God's anger was justified, as the Lord was ready to destroy the people and Aaron. Moses’ role as mediator highlights his dedication to his people despite their rebellion. He also describes how he destroyed the golden calf, demonstrating his commitment to eradicating idolatry among the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 9:22-24 (NKJV)
22 “Also at Taberah and Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked the Lord to wrath.
23 Likewise, when the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and you did not believe Him nor obey His voice.
24 You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.”

Moses reminds the Israelites of other instances of rebellion: at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth Hattaavah. He also recalls their refusal to trust God at Kadesh Barnea when they were commanded to enter the Promised Land. Throughout their journey, they have consistently disobeyed and doubted God, demonstrating a pattern of rebellion.

Deuteronomy 9:25-29 (NKJV)
25 “Thus I prostrated myself before the Lord; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself, because the Lord had said He would destroy you.
26 Therefore I prayed to the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
27 Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin,
28 lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.”
29 Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.’”

Moses concludes by recounting how he repeatedly interceded for the people, pleading with God not to destroy them. His appeal was based on God's past actions in redeeming Israel and His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses also argues that if God were to destroy the people, it would reflect poorly on His power and faithfulness, as other nations might say that God was unable to fulfill His promise. Moses appeals to God's reputation and the fact that the Israelites are His chosen people, redeemed by His mighty hand. This demonstrates Moses' deep concern for God's honor and his unwavering commitment to the people despite their continued rebellion.