What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 1:7? Resume your journey “Resume your journey” signals the end of Israel’s long pause at Horeb (Sinai). • God’s people have received the Law; now it is time to act on it (Deuteronomy 1:6; James 1:22). • The command underscores forward movement in faith—God never intended the wilderness to be their permanent address (Hebrews 3:17-19). • It reminds us that obedience often begins with a simple first step: get up and move where God sends. and go to the hill country of the Amorites; The Amorite highlands are Israel’s first appointed destination. • These hills were occupied by a powerful, fortified people (Numbers 13:29), yet God calls Israel to face them first, demonstrating that no enemy is too strong when He leads (Deuteronomy 20:1). • Abraham once dwelled by Amorite allies at Mamre (Genesis 14:13), linking past promises to present fulfillment. go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, The Arabah is the rift valley stretching from the Sea of Galilee to the Red Sea. • Israel is to engage every group along this route, indicating total possession, not selective settlement (Joshua 11:16-17). • The broad scope highlights God’s comprehensive faithfulness—every inch promised is in view (Genesis 13:14-17). in the hill country, The general “hill country” refers to central Canaan’s rugged spine. • These elevations later became Ephraim and Judah’s heartland (Joshua 18:5-8). • Difficult terrain never deters God’s plan; He equips His people for both valleys and summits (Psalm 18:33). in the foothills, The low rolling “foothills” (Shephelah) lie between the highlands and the coast. • Historically a conflict zone with the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:1), the area underlines that spiritual advance often meets resistance. • Yet God claims even the contested borderlands, affirming His total sovereignty (Joshua 10:40). in the Negev, The Negev is the arid southland. • Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all sojourned here (Genesis 12:9; 26:1-2; 37:1), so the command connects Israel to patriarchal footsteps. • God’s promise stretches into the dry places, assuring provision where resources look scarce (Isaiah 43:19-20). and along the seacoast, The Mediterranean shoreline completes the westward boundary. • The sea had seemed a limit, but God sets Israel’s territory right to the water’s edge (Numbers 34:6). • Coastal commerce would later bless the nation, showing God’s intent for them to be a light to surrounding peoples (Isaiah 42:6). to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, Canaanites broadly occupied the land; Lebanon marks the northern timbered heights. • The cedar-rich slopes anticipated temple building supplies (1 Kings 5:6-10). • God’s reach extends from fertile valleys to majestic mountains, revealing His lavish generosity (Psalm 24:1). as far as the great River Euphrates. The Euphrates sets the ultimate northeastern border. • First promised to Abram (Genesis 15:18), this boundary frames an expansive vision that outstrips Israel’s immediate occupation but underscores God’s limitless capacity (Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:4). • It illustrates a principle of inheritance: what God promises may unfold in stages, yet it remains guaranteed (Romans 4:20-21). summary Deuteronomy 1:7 calls Israel—and every believer—to trade stagnation for forward faith. God maps out a sweeping territory: hills and plains, deserts and coasts, humble foothills and famed rivers. Each clause affirms that the Lord’s promises are concrete, geographical, and reliable. As Israel steps out, they will discover that every varied landscape is already under God’s claim and care. Likewise, we are invited to trust His Word, move when He says “resume,” and watch Him turn promised ground into present reality. |
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