SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 9
BIBLE VERSES:
“But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)
“Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Deuteronomy 9:6)
NOT BECAUSE OF ISRAEL’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (vs. 1-6)
When the Israelites were about to cross the Jordan to meet a strong people – Anabites, the Lord God assured them of victory. Theyw ere able to destroy them not because of their righteousness but because of the wickedness of those nations.
THE GOLDEN CALF (vs. 7-29)
Moses was in the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights without food. He stayed there to receive the two stones tablets inscribed by the finger of God which were all the commandments of the Lord. but the people had made a cast idol in the shape of calf to worship. When Moses came down and saw it, he was burned with anger and threw the two tablets in his hands. The golden calf broke into pieces. Then he took the calf and burned it in the fire. He crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw them into a stream that flowed down in the mountain. Then the Lord told Moses that He would destroy and blot the people of Israel out. So, Moses lay prostrate before the Lord for 40 days and nights to pray saying: “O Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the desert. But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm” (vs. 26-29)
THOUGHTS:
Moses pointed out the dangers that God’s people have to avoid:
- Forgetting God’s goodness (Chapter 6)
- Compromising with the enemy (Chapter 7)
- Being self-satisfied and complacent after a great victory (Chapter 8)
- Rebellion against God (Chapter 9)
What we must do today?
- Remember God’s grace, goodness, mercy and faithfulness.
- Separate ourselves from the sins of the world.
- Be humble and thank God for His blessings.
- Be obedient to follow His commandments.