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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Deuteronomy 9:1 - 9:6
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Self-Righteousness Denounced. —
v. 1. Hear, O Israel! Moses calls out to them to attend, to heed his warning. Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, all arrangements and preparations having been made at this present time, the entry into the country west of Jordan was to be expected at any time, in the very near future, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thy self, both more numerous and more warlike, cities great and fenced up to heaven, to all appearances unconquerable on account of the strength of their fortifications,
v. 2. a people great and tall, of giant stature and strength, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! They had the reputation of being invincible.
v. 3. Understand, therefore, this day (or: Thou understandest) that the Lord, thy God, is he which goeth over before thee, as the Leader and Champion of the people; as a consuming fire He shall destroy them, as a great fire might devour a handful of tinder, and He shall bring them down before thy face, humble them by taking their courage from them; so shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly, that is, when any nation would be attacked, their aim should be its extermination in the shortest possible space of time, as the Lord hath said unto thee, Exo_23:23-27. In this connection Moses issues his warning against self-righteousness, for it is not only the pride and presumption which ascribes good fortune and wealth to one's own strength and ingenuity that must be curbed, but also that attitude which accepts success as due the merits of one's own virtue and perfection.
v. 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, that being the manner in which smirking self-satisfaction expresses itself; but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
v. 5. Not for thy righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart, for that imaginary personal excellence, dost thou go to possess their land, this factor, if it existed, did not enter into the Lord's calculations; 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. The wickedness of the Canaanites alone would have been reason enough for the Lord to exterminate them and to give their land to the children of Israel, but His chief reason was founded upon His faithfulness, since He wanted to fulfill the promise given to the patriarchs. It is a fact which should be kept in remembrance at all times, that all blessings and benefits of Jehovah are expressions of His unmerited kindness and mercy, this being true especially of all spiritual gifts.
v. 6. Understand, therefore, that the Lord, thy God, giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people, Exo_32:9; Exo_33:3; Exo_34:9. That was the Lord's estimate of the children of Israel, and that is His judgment regarding all men by nature, Joh_3:6. The fact that all gifts of God come to us through His love and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us, should serve to keep us humble in His sight.