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.
7 Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.
8 Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you.
9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of 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 tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
12 And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
13 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.
17 And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.
18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, 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, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.
20 And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.
21 And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.
22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath.
23 Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.
24 Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
25 Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you.
26 I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
27 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:
28 Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.
29 Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.
The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament and is part of the Pentateuch, which includes the first five books of the Bible. It is traditionally believed to have been written by Moses and is a collection of speeches given by him to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy serves as a reminder of God's laws and covenant with His people, as well as a call to obedience and faithfulness. Chapter 9 of Deuteronomy continues this theme, with Moses recounting the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the brink of the Promised Land and warning them against disobedience and idolatry.
In the previous chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses has reminded the Israelites of God's faithfulness and the importance of keeping His commandments. He has also warned them of the consequences of disobedience and idolatry, and urged them to remain faithful to God even in the midst of trials and challenges. In chapter 9, Moses continues to emphasize these themes as the Israelites prepare to enter the land that God has promised them.
Moses begins by reminding the Israelites of their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. He acknowledges that it was not because of their righteousness or strength that they were victorious over the nations in the wilderness, but because of God's power and faithfulness (Deuteronomy 9:4-6). He also recounts the incident of the golden calf, where the Israelites turned away from God and worshipped a false idol, and how God was angry with them but spared them due to Moses' intercession (Deuteronomy 9:7-21).
Through this retelling of their history, Moses is emphasizing the importance of obedience and faithfulness to God. He reminds the Israelites that it was God who delivered them from Egypt and sustained them in the wilderness, and it is only through His power and grace that they will be able to enter and possess the Promised Land.
Moses then warns the Israelites against becoming prideful and forgetting God once they enter the land and prosper (Deuteronomy 9:22-24). He reminds them of the rebellious nature of their ancestors and how God punished them for their disobedience. He cautions them against thinking that their success is due to their own abilities, but to always remember that it is God who is leading and guiding them.
This warning is also a reminder to us as readers that we should never become prideful or forgetful of God's faithfulness in our own lives. We must always remember that it is God who gives us strength and success, and not to rely on our own abilities or achievements.
Moses then goes on to stress the importance of obedience and faithfulness to God's commandments. He reminds the Israelites of the covenant that God made with them and the consequences of breaking it (Deuteronomy 9:25-29). He urges them to listen and obey God's laws so that they may continue to prosper in the land that He has given them.
This message is still relevant today, as we are also called to be obedient and faithful to God's commandments. We must remember that God's laws are for our own good and following them will lead to a blessed and fulfilling life.
Chapter 9 of Deuteronomy serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of obedience and faithfulness to His commandments. It also serves as a warning against pride and forgetfulness, and the consequences of disobedience and idolatry. Through the retelling of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, Moses emphasizes the role of God in their success and the need for them to remain faithful to Him.
This chapter also highlights the importance of remembering our history and the faithfulness of God in our lives. It is a call to obedience and faithfulness, not just for the Israelites in the context of the Promised Land, but for all believers throughout history.
Furthermore, chapter 9 of Deuteronomy also points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise through Jesus Christ. Just as the Israelites were brought out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land, we too are delivered from the bondage of sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This chapter serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and His plan for salvation, ultimately leading to the promised eternal life in His kingdom.
In summary, chapter 9 of Deuteronomy serves as a reminder to the Israelites and to us as readers of the importance of obedience and faithfulness to God's commandments. It also serves as a warning against pride and forgetfulness, and a call to remember God's faithfulness and promises in our lives. Ultimately, this chapter points to the fulfillment of God's plan through Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life in His kingdom.
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