What is the meaning of Nehemiah 9:24? So their descendants went in and possessed the land God faithfully completed the promise first voiced to Abram in Genesis 12:7. After forty years in the wilderness, Joshua led Israel across the Jordan, “and they took possession of it and settled there” (Joshua 21:43-45). • The action is the children’s response to God’s earlier word—Deuteronomy 1:8 urged, “Go in and possess the land.” • It underscores continuity: descendants inherit what the fathers were shown but never fully enjoyed (Hebrews 11:13). • Possession required obedience and courage (Joshua 1:6-9), yet the victory was already secured by divine promise (Exodus 6:8). Cross references woven through the narrative—Psalm 44:3, “it was not by their sword that they took the land”—remind us who truly authored the conquest. You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land The verse shifts to direct address, highlighting that Israel’s success was God’s work, not human prowess. • Deuteronomy 7:1-2 lists the nations God would “drive out before you.” • Joshua 10:42 summarizes the military campaigns: “The LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.” • Psalm 78:55 pictures God “driving out nations before them; He apportioned their inheritance by lot.” This subduing was also moral judgment (Genesis 15:16), proving that the Lord rules history and holds peoples accountable. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land Deliverance here is specific and personal. Battles recorded in Joshua 10–12 recount thirty-one kings handed over. • Joshua 10:24-25 shows Israel’s commanders placing feet on the necks of five Amorite kings—an acted-out testimony that “the LORD has done this to all the enemies you fight.” • Psalm 135:10-12 celebrates the same reality: God “struck down many nations and slew mighty kings.” • Judges 4:14-16, later in Israel’s story, repeats the pattern under Deborah and Barak, confirming that God’s deliverance of rulers is ongoing when His people rely on Him. Every victory magnified the covenant faithfulness of the Lord who had pledged, “I will give into your hand the kings” (Deuteronomy 7:24). to do with them as they wished The phrase describes delegated authority. Once God handed the nations over, Israel carried out His righteous judgments. • Deuteronomy 7:2 commanded, “You must devote them to complete destruction.” • Numbers 33:52 ordered the removal of idols and high places to preserve Israel from corruption. • Psalm 106:34 laments later disobedience: Israel “did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,” showing the danger of ignoring this entrusted mandate. Their “wish” was to align with God’s will; when they obeyed, the land rested (Joshua 11:23). When they compromised, trouble followed (Judges 2:2-3). summary Nehemiah 9:24 is a concise rehearsal of God’s covenant faithfulness: He promised land, subdued entrenched opposition, delivered kings into Israel’s hands, and authorized His people to carry out His judgments. Each clause stresses that the triumphs of Joshua’s generation were rooted in God’s initiative and power, not human ability. Remembering these truths fueled the post-exilic community’s confidence that the same unchanging Lord would again act on their behalf when they trusted and obeyed Him. |
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