Deuteronomy 9:14
Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are."
Let Me alone
This phrase is a divine imperative, indicating God's intense displeasure with the Israelites' idolatry and rebellion. The Hebrew root here is "hanach," which means to leave or permit. It suggests a moment of divine testing for Moses, where God is expressing His righteous anger but also inviting Moses to intercede. This reflects the intimate relationship between God and Moses, where God allows Moses to plead for the people, highlighting the power of intercessory prayer.

so that I may destroy them
The Hebrew word for "destroy" is "shamad," which conveys a complete and utter destruction. This is not merely a punishment but a total eradication of the sinful nation. Historically, this reflects the seriousness of covenantal breaches in the Ancient Near East, where breaking a covenant could lead to severe consequences. It underscores the holiness of God and the gravity of sin.

and blot out their name from under heaven
The phrase "blot out" comes from the Hebrew "machah," meaning to erase or obliterate. In ancient cultures, a name represented one's identity and legacy. To have one's name blotted out was to be forgotten entirely, a fate worse than death. This highlights the severity of Israel's sin and the potential loss of their covenantal identity.

Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they
Here, God offers Moses a new beginning, promising to make him the progenitor of a new, more faithful nation. The Hebrew word for "mightier" is "atzum," meaning strong or powerful, and "greater" is "gadol," meaning large or significant. This promise echoes God's covenant with Abraham, emphasizing God's faithfulness and the potential for renewal despite human failure. It also tests Moses' humility and leadership, as he chooses to intercede for the people rather than accept personal glory.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. In this passage, Moses is interceding for the Israelites.

2. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who have repeatedly disobeyed and rebelled against Him. At this point, they have made a golden calf, provoking God's anger.

3. God (Yahweh)
The sovereign and holy God of Israel, who is expressing His righteous anger towards the Israelites for their idolatry and disobedience.

4. The Golden Calf Incident
A significant event where the Israelites, in Moses' absence, created and worshiped a golden calf, violating God's commandments.

5. The Promised Land
The land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Israelites are on their journey to this land, but their disobedience threatens their inheritance.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Sin
Sin, especially idolatry, is a grave offense against God. It provokes His righteous anger and has severe consequences.

The Power of Intercession
Moses' role as an intercessor demonstrates the power and importance of standing in prayer for others, appealing to God's mercy.

God's Faithfulness to His Promises
Despite the Israelites' repeated failures, God remains committed to His covenant promises, showing His faithfulness and grace.

The Role of Leadership
Moses exemplifies godly leadership by prioritizing the well-being of the people over personal gain, even when offered a new nation.

The Opportunity for Repentance
God's willingness to listen to Moses' intercession highlights His readiness to forgive and restore those who turn back to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the incident of the golden calf reflect the Israelites' spiritual state, and what lessons can we learn about the dangers of idolatry in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we act as intercessors for others, following Moses' example, and what impact can this have on our communities?

3. How does God's offer to Moses to create a new nation from him test Moses' character and leadership? What can we learn from his response?

4. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness despite your own shortcomings. How does this encourage you to trust in His promises?

5. How can we cultivate a heart of repentance and humility, recognizing our need for God's mercy and grace in our daily walk with Him?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32
This chapter provides the detailed account of the golden calf incident, which is the backdrop for God's statement in Deuteronomy 9:14.

Numbers 14
Another instance where God expresses His intention to destroy the Israelites due to their lack of faith, and Moses intercedes on their behalf.

Genesis 12:2
God's promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, which is echoed in God's offer to Moses to make a new nation from him.

Psalm 106:23
A reflection on Moses' intercession, highlighting his role in standing in the breach to prevent God's wrath from consuming the Israelites.
Human Memory a Repository of GuiltD. Davies Deuteronomy 9:7-17
Humiliating MemoriesR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 9:7-29
The Sin At HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 9:8-22
People
Aaron, Anak, Anakites, Isaac, Jacob, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb, Jordan River, Kadesh-barnea, Kibroth-hattaavah, Massah, Taberah
Topics
Alone, Blot, Cut, Desist, Destroy, Destruction, Greater, Heaven, Heavens, Mightier, Mighty, Nation, Numerous, Sky, Stronger, Till
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 9:14

     5043   names, significance

Deuteronomy 9:8-21

     4269   Sinai, Mount

Library
The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
"And Moses returned unto the Lord and said. Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou--wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray they, out of thy book which than hast written." In the preceding discourse we endeavored to show that the idea of being willing to be damned for the glory of God is not found in the text--that the sentiment is erroneous and absurd--then adduced the constructions which have been put on the text by sundry expositors,
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf.
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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