The day had arrived when they were to cross over the Jordan and enter the land to dispossess mightier nations than themselves (v1,2). It was vital that they trusted in The LORD because they were to take fortified cities and defeat giants, the sons of Anakim who’s reputation had gone before them that no-one could stand against them. God was not hiding anything from them, this was not going to be an easy task, and they needed God’s help, they couldn’t do it alone. In verse 3, He gives them the assurance that victory was possible because they were to understand that The LORD their God was going before them as a consuming fire. The LORD will defeat them before their eyes, but they must drive them out and destroy them quickly. God was working together with them. He would do the hard bit, but they must do the follow up.
It is like that with us – ‘the battle belongs to The LORD’ (1 Samuel 17:47 etc) but we have a responsibility to ‘put on the armour of God’ (Ephesians 6:11 because we are in a battle.
There was and always is a danger when we experience a victory, to think that we have achieved it. That was so with the Children of Israel (v4-6) and God warned them against it. It was nothing to do with their righteousness, but rather the wickedness of those nations that caused The LORD, in His righteousness, to drive them out and in fulfilment of His promise to their forefathers. Any righteousness which we have is because we have received the righteousness of Christ. We have the victory through Christ alone, just as they did. The LORD added in v6 that they were a stiff-necked people. This wasn’t an indication that they were poorly and suffering from a medical problem, but that they were rebellious, stubborn, and obstinate.
Moses reminded them (v7) how they had been rebellious in the wilderness, and particularly at Mount Horeb (Sinai) (v8-21) when Moses had gone up the mountain to commune with The LORD and received the Ten Commandments and on his return, he found them worshiping the golden calf made by Aaron. He went on to tell them that The LORD was so angry with them that He was minded to destroy them and replace them and make of Moses a greater nation. How he fasted for forty days and nights and had smashed the two tablets containing the commandments out of his loyalty to God, and prayed for the people that God would spare them despite their sin. How he had smashed the golden calf in pieces and ground it to dust and thrown it in the brook.
Even Moses said that he was afraid at the sin of the people when compared to the holiness of God, and what God could do to them. He also reminded of the other occasions when they rebelled (v22-24) – Taberah, Massah, Kibroth Hattaavah and Kadesh Barnea (see Exodus 17, Numbers 11, 13, 14) and that they had been rebellious from the day he knew them (v24). It was clear that they doubted God in that he was able to take them into the land.
As a result, Moses told them that he had prayed earnestly to God for them, prostrating himself more than once, a manner of pleading with humility that God would not destroy them, not to hold their sin against them for His glory in that their enemies would doubt God’s ability to save and bring them into the land (v25-29). God’s name was at stake and Moses wanted the glory to go to The LORD Almighty. (See Exodus 32 for full details of his intercession for them)
How important that when we pray and ask God for things it is vital that we want His name to be glorified and not our own. We often ask for the things we want, but God knows our desires and our needs therefore it is much more essential that we seek His glory and His will.
