The biblical storyline unfolds with Moses continuing his discourse with the new generation of God on the precipice of entering their new land. They have been cautioned and warned against forgetfulness and its ramifications, and now they’re being humbled by a reality that rings true still today.
“Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?’ Know therefore today that it is the Lord your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire.”
Deuteronomy 9:1-3a
Notice that Moses…
- Calls them to listen with a bent toward obedience–hear, which means to listen and obey.
- Tells them that they’re about to enter their long-awaited land–crossing over the Jordan into the land of Canaan.
- Informs them that any military battle is going to end in their victory–nations (with people and cities) greater and mightier will be dispossessed.
- Instructs them to know that it is God who is going before them into the land to give them their victory–God is crossing over as a consuming fire.
For the rest of Deuteronomy 9 and into Deuteronomy 10, Moses recounts why they will need to know that it is God who goes before them to fight their battles. In essence…
- They will think that their righteousness caused God to go before them, which will lead to…
- Forgetfulness, disobedience, and judgment
- The nations that possessed the land of Canaan were wicked beyond measure, which led to…
- God’s favor upon Israel, as well as His swift judgment upon the wicked nations
It’s fascinating to consider that the people of God have never been called by God because of their intrinsic righteousness or savability, and neither have they ever won their victories without His preceding presence. As the Bible unfolds, one quickly realizes that the heart of His people (and every human) continues to spin out of control in sin and selfishness, which ultimately forced God’s hand of judgment upon Israel (just like He did to the other nations), but ultimately brought about and pointed to His eternal plan of redemption. God’s people have always needed His presence to go before them, and that is yet another reason why Christ had to die.
Just like the Israelites of old, we need God’s presence to go before us…
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Christ is God before us.
- Because of our lustful, selfish, prideful, greedy, gossipy, materialistic, atheistic, and lazy hearts, we need One who could live the life we couldn’t live, die the death we wouldn’t die, and conquer sin by His resurrection from the dead. Only one Man–the God-man–ever accomplished this, and His name is Jesus Christ. He went before us–living perfectly the Law, tasting death as our substitute, and releasing sin of its power through His resurrection. This is our God–this is our preceding presence.
- Our victories are won not by our might or by our plans, but by the power of Christ.
- The mystery is that God uses us as conduits in His work, but His grace is always the empowering source and preceding presence–we’re just too ambitious and apathetic.
- Our long-awaited promised land is eternal rest with the Father.
- The Christian knows that this life and its delights therein are only a taste of what’s to come with the Father. We are like those of faith who are foreigners and strangers on earth…longing for a better country—a heavenly one.
- As a result of God’s work on our behalf, we are able to truly “hear” God (listen and obey), because He sent His Spirit into our souls–changing our hearts.
- Without a change of heart there is no hope. Since we can’t change our own hearts (just like the Israelites of old could not), then we need God to act on our behalf. This is the grace of God. Faith is the application and process of receiving God’s grace.
Have you looked to Christ in faith? Do you still look to Christ in faith? Do you see Him as the way God provided to deal with your sin, shame, and seperation from Him? Do you really think you can deal with all that on your own? Do you really think that a holy and just God would just wink at sin and turn His head away from it? He has to act. He has to judge. Otherwise, He wouldn’t be just–He wouldn’t be God. Praise Him, He did act. Praise Him, He did judge.
He sent Christ in order to be both the just and the justifier…
Believe.
— October 26, 2018