What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 9:4? When the LORD your God has driven them out before you “ When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations …” (Deuteronomy 7:1). God personally undertakes the expulsion of the Canaanite peoples—an act of judgment and mercy at once. • The verb “driven out” is decisive; it leaves no doubt that Israel’s victory is supernatural (Joshua 24:12; Psalm 44:1-3). • Israel is reminded that taking the land is not a human conquest but a fulfillment of the oath sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:7; Deuteronomy 9:5). • By keeping the focus on the LORD’s action, Moses guards the people against attributing success to military strength (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” The temptation after victory is self-congratulation. Moses confronts that impulse before it starts. • “Do not say in your heart” echoes Deuteronomy 8:17 and Romans 10:6—the inner talk that shapes attitudes. • Any notion of personal merit is dismantled. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). Salvation and inheritance are “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5). • Remembering past failures—golden calf, complaining, rebellion (Deuteronomy 9:7-24)—underscores that Israel’s record is far from righteous. Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. God’s justice is as real as His grace. The conquest is not favoritism but judgment on entrenched evil. • The iniquity of the Amorites had reached its full measure (Genesis 15:16). Four centuries of patience had ended. • Canaanite practices—child sacrifice, occult rites, rampant immorality—“defiled the land” so that it “vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:24-27; Deuteronomy 18:9-12). • By acting, God protects future generations from corruption and upholds His holiness (Psalm 9:5-8; Romans 2:4-5). • Israel’s own tenure depends on continued obedience; the same God who removes wicked nations will later exile Israel for identical sins (2 Kings 17:7-23). summary Deuteronomy 9:4 anchors Israel’s conquest in God’s sovereign judgment and unearned favor. The land is theirs not because they are righteous, but because God is faithful to His promises and just toward entrenched wickedness. Remembering this guards against pride, fuels gratitude, and calls every generation to walk humbly, acknowledging that every blessing is an act of divine grace. |
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