What historical events might Deuteronomy 7:18 reference when mentioning "what the LORD your God did"? Immediate Literary Context Deuteronomy 7:17-19 states, “You may say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?’ But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm with which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples you now fear.” Moses therefore directs Israel to recall specific, datable, public events already witnessed by the Exodus generation. The Ten Plagues (Exodus 7–12) 1. Water to blood (7:20-25) 2. Frogs (8:1-15) 3. Gnats or lice (8:16-19) 4. Swarms (8:20-32) 5. Livestock pestilence (9:1-7) 6. Boils (9:8-12) 7. Hail and fire (9:13-35) 8. Locusts (10:1-20) 9. Darkness (10:21-29) 10. Death of the firstborn (11:1 – 12:30) Each plague directly confronted an Egyptian deity and culminated in Pharaoh’s defeat. Extra-biblical parallels include the Ipuwer Papyrus (Leiden 344) describing Nile water as blood and widespread death, and the Brooklyn Papyrus 35.1446 listing Semitic slaves in Egypt during the plausible Exodus era (15th century BC). The First Passover and Israel’s Release (Exodus 12) “On that same day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt in their divisions” (12:51). The Passover ritual—blood on doorposts sparing Israel’s firstborn—prefigured substitutionary atonement and was the decisive act forcing Pharaoh to capitulate. Crossing the Red Sea and Destruction of Pharaoh’s Army (Exodus 14–15) Israel passed “through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left” (14:22). Pharaoh’s chariots were engulfed (14:28). The event fixed the date in Israel’s collective memory; later biblical writers echo it (Joshua 24:6; Psalm 136:13-15; Isaiah 51:9-10). Modern bathymetric surveys of the Gulf of Aqaba reveal submerged landbridges consistent with a wind-setdown miracle (cf. Exodus 14:21). Provision Miracles in the Wilderness (Exodus 16–17; Deut 8:2-4) • Manna for forty years (Exodus 16:35) • Quail (16:13) • Water from the rock at Rephidim (17:6) • Clothing and sandals that “did not wear out” (Deuteronomy 29:5) These sustained two million people (Exodus 12:37) in a desert hostile to agriculture, underscoring divine sufficiency. Military Deliverances Prior to Entry (Exodus 17; Numbers 21; Deut 2–3) • Victory over Amalek at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16) • Defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-31) • Defeat of Og king of Bashan (Numbers 21:32-35) Stone basalt fortifications at Edrei (modern Daraa) and 60 “argob” cities in Bashan confirm a formidable foe (Deuteronomy 3:4-5), yet Israel prevailed. The Repeated Formula “Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm” Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 26:8; and 34:12 use the same wording, anchoring Israel’s identity in the concrete past acts of God rather than myth. The phrase resonates with Ancient Near-Eastern royal victory language, showing Yahweh as supreme King. Chronological Placement Using the 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1 and Judges’ data, the Exodus falls c. 1446 BC, with the Jordan entry c. 1406 BC. Radiocarbon dates at Jericho City IV destruction (Late Bronze I) and the Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC) naming “Israel” already in Canaan together fit a mid-15th-century Exodus. Archaeological Corroboration Highlights • Merneptah Stele: earliest extra-biblical “Israel” reference, implying an earlier Exodus. • Lachish Reliefs: depict Judean captives, validating biblical siege narratives and attesting to Israel’s continuous presence. • Khirbet el-Maqatir (candidate for Ai): burn layer and pottery align with Joshua 8 destruction. These finds reinforce the sequence begun in Exodus and assumed in Deuteronomy. Theological and Apologetic Significance By grounding Israel’s future confidence in verifiable history, Deuteronomy 7:18 teaches: 1. Faith rests on public acts, not blind hope. 2. God’s past deliverance guarantees future promises (Romans 8:32). 3. Typologically, the Exodus prefigures Christ’s resurrection—another well-evidenced, public, redemptive act (Acts 2:24-32). Summary “What the LORD your God did” points primarily to the Exodus cycle—plagues, Passover, sea crossing, wilderness provision, and early victories—events witnessed by that generation, corroborated by archaeological, textual, and geographical data, and employed throughout Scripture as the paradigm of divine salvation. |
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