◄ Deuteronomy 9:4 ►
When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, "Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land." Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
Study Bible
When the LORD your God has driven them out before you
This phrase emphasizes the divine initiative and power in the conquest of Canaan. The Israelites are reminded that it is the LORD who is actively driving out the nations, not their own strength or strategy. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty and His role as the ultimate deliverer. The historical context here is the conquest of Canaan, a land promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Archaeological evidence supports the existence of Canaanite cities during this period, which were known for their fortified structures, indicating the formidable task that lay before the Israelites.

do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.”
This warning addresses the human tendency towards self-righteousness and pride. The Israelites are cautioned against attributing their success to their own moral superiority. This reflects a broader biblical principle found in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Theologically, this underscores the doctrine of grace, where God's blessings are not earned by human merit but are acts of divine favor. The cultural context of the time often linked military success with divine favor, but this passage challenges that notion by focusing on God's purposes rather than human virtue.

Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
This phrase highlights the justice of God in dealing with the Canaanite nations. The Canaanites were known for practices such as child sacrifice and idolatry, which were abominations in the sight of the LORD. This aligns with the biblical theme of divine judgment against sin, as seen in Genesis 15:16, where God tells Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete, indicating a period of divine patience before judgment. Theologically, this serves as a reminder of God's holiness and the seriousness with which He views sin. It also foreshadows the ultimate judgment and redemption through Jesus Christ, who fulfills the law and offers salvation from sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are being led into the Promised Land.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is orchestrating the events.

3. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants.

4. The Canaanite Nations
The nations currently inhabiting the Promised Land, known for their wickedness.

5. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, delivering God's message to the people.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Justice
God is sovereign in His decisions and actions. The driving out of the Canaanite nations is a demonstration of His justice against wickedness.

Humility Before God
The Israelites are reminded not to attribute their success to their own righteousness. This teaches us the importance of humility and recognizing God's grace in our lives.

The Danger of Self-Righteousness
Believers must guard against the pride of self-righteousness, understanding that our standing before God is due to His grace, not our merit.

The Consequences of Wickedness
The fate of the Canaanite nations serves as a warning about the consequences of persistent sin and rebellion against God.

Gratitude for God's Grace
Recognizing that our blessings and victories are due to God's grace should lead us to a life of gratitude and obedience.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the context of Deuteronomy 9:4 help us appreciate the nature of God's justice and mercy?

2. In what ways can we guard against the temptation to attribute our successes to our own righteousness?

3. How does the fate of the Canaanite nations serve as a warning for us today regarding the consequences of sin?

4. What parallels can we draw between the message of Deuteronomy 9:4 and the teachings of Paul in the New Testament about grace and righteousness?

5. How can we cultivate a heart of gratitude and humility in response to the grace we have received from God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 15
God's promise to Abraham about his descendants inheriting the land.

Leviticus 18
Details the abominations of the Canaanite nations, explaining why they are being driven out.

Romans 3
Discusses the universal nature of sin and the righteousness that comes from God, not from human deeds.

Ephesians 2
Emphasizes salvation by grace through faith, not by works, aligning with the message of Deuteronomy 9:4.

Titus 3
Reinforces the concept of God's mercy and grace, not human righteousness, as the basis for salvation.
Sermons
Against Self-Righteous ConceitD. Davies Deuteronomy 9:1-6
The Call to AttentionHenry, MatthewDeuteronomy 9:1-6
The JordanE. Smith, B. A.Deuteronomy 9:1-6
The Policy of ReprobationR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 9:1-6
Heaven and Glory not the Reward of Our Own RighteousnessJames Stratten.Deuteronomy 9:4-5
Mercy, not MeritHomilistDeuteronomy 9:4-5
That Outward SuccessAnthony Burgess.Deuteronomy 9:4-5
The Address of MosesBp. Harvey Goodwin.Deuteronomy 9:4-5
The Favoured Peoples of the EarthHomilistDeuteronomy 9:4-5
The Warnings of MosesH. W. Dearden, M. A.Deuteronomy 9:4-5
Self-RighteousnessJ. Orr Deuteronomy 9:4-7
People
Aaron, Anak, Anakites, Isaac, Jacob, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb, Jordan River, Kadesh-barnea, Kibroth-hattaavah, Massah, Taberah
Topics
Account, Cast, Dispossess, Dispossessing, Drive, Driven, Driving, Driwes, Evil-doing, Flight, God's, Heart, Nations, Possess, Possession, Presence, Righteousness, Saying, Seeing, Speak, Thrust, Thrusteth, Whereas, Wickedness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 9:4

     5493   retribution
     8824   self-righteousness, nature of

Deuteronomy 9:1-5

     5607   warfare, examples
     6026   sin, judgment on

Deuteronomy 9:4-5

     7944   ministry, qualifications

Deuteronomy 9:4-6

     6639   election, to salvation
     6640   election, privileges

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

Links
Deuteronomy 9:4 NIV
Deuteronomy 9:4 NLT
Deuteronomy 9:4 ESV
Deuteronomy 9:4 NASB
Deuteronomy 9:4 KJV

Deuteronomy 9:4 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Deuteronomy 9:3
Top of Page
Top of Page