Deuteronomy 9:1-29
What does it say?
Moses is telling the sons of Israel that today, they are going to enter the land that the Lord promised to their fathers, a land of milk and honey. However, the land is filled with a mighty people to strong for them to defeat, but fear not, the Lord is going before them to destroy the people who inhabit the land. Moses warns the sons of Israel not to become prideful, for the Lord is not doing this because of their righteousness, but because of the wickedness of the people in the land. Moses then reminds the sons of Israel of their rebellion against the Lord and their stubbornness of heart. Moses recalled when the Lord gave them the covenant and wrote “The Ten Commandments,” with his finger, on two stone tablets, that Moses went up to receive them and he spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain with the Lord, that the people made a golden calf and worshiped it. Then when the Lord took them to possess the land, they rebelled against the command of the Lord; they did not believe the Lord nor listen to his voice. On both occasions, the Lord would have been righteous to destroy them but the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in grace and truth.
What does it mean?
The Father God is righteous and just. In Romans 3, the apostle Paul leaves no doubt, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) No one deserves the promise land. The sons of Israel were promised the land of Canaan as their inheritance. We are promised heaven on earth at the consummation. The sons of Israel sinned against the Lord and he was gracious to them and forgave their sin. Justification is a gift, given by the grace of God, received through faith in Jesus Christ. This free gift is offered to people from every nation on the earth.
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” (Rom 3:10-12)
What Should I do?
I should not think that I have what I have because of something that I have done. I am going in to possess the new heaven and the new earth. I do not deserve this land but the Lord has promised it to me in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only man who deserves to live in the kingdom of God, but he has redeemed a particular people for himself. Not by my parents, not by my works and not because I decided, but because the Lord God is abounding in grace and truth. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)
