Deuteronomy Chapter 9
The Battles Ahead and the Failures Behind
A. Considering the battles ahead.
1. (Deuteronomy 9:1–2) The difficulty of the battles ahead.
“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’”
a. Go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself:
Israel was commanded to step into a task far beyond their own strength or capability. God did not deny the impossibility from a human standpoint. These nations were militarily superior, culturally established, and humanly undefeatable. This was intentional. The Lord was calling His people into territory where success would only be possible through faith, not self-reliance. Their insufficiency was meant to magnify His sufficiency.
b. Cities great and fortified up to heaven:
The cities they were about to face were heavily fortified, towering with walls that seemed to reach the sky. The people dwelling within them were described as powerful and intimidating, especially the Anakim, a race known for extraordinary height and strength. Their reputation was known across Canaan, so much so that people said, “Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?” Israel had seen giants before in Numbers 13, and their fathers trembled in unbelief. Now God reminded them of those giants again, not to terrify them, but to emphasize that victory would depend entirely on Him.
i. There was no way Israel could do this in the flesh or in their strength:
This was a divinely orchestrated impossibility. If Israel attempted this in their own power, they would fail. God did not call them to a battle they could win naturally, but to a battle that required supernatural dependence.
ii. God did not inspire Israel with false confidence or emotional hype:
He did not pretend the enemies were weak or the cities small. God speaks plainly about the reality of the conflict. Faith is not the denial of difficulty, it is obedience in the face of difficulty because God has spoken. True faith faces reality without flinching, while clinging to the promises of God.
iii. Jesus follows this same pattern with His disciples:
The Lord never disguises the cost of following Him. He does not draw disciples through empty promises of ease or comfort. Instead He declares plainly in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Jesus lets His followers know from the beginning that following Him requires complete surrender. Just as Israel was called to deny fear and trust God completely, so believers are called to deny self and trust Christ completely.
2. (Deuteronomy 9:3) Why victory is possible with the difficult battles ahead.
“Therefore understand today that the LORD your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the LORD has said to you.”
a. Understand today:
Israel needed to grasp two truths clearly and simultaneously. First, the impossibility of victory in their own strength. Second, the absolute certainty of victory through the Lord. Faith requires honesty about our inability and confidence in God’s ability. God commanded them to “understand today,” meaning this truth must be settled in their hearts before the battle begins.
b. The LORD your God is He who goes before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them:
The image of a “consuming fire” underscores God’s holiness, power, and judgment. Fire in Scripture often represents God’s presence and purifying judgment (Exodus 24:17; Hebrews 12:29). Israel’s enemies were fierce, but they would face the God who burns through obstacles. What was impossible for Israel was effortless for the Lord. Jesus affirmed this principle in John 15:5, “Without Me you can do nothing,” and Paul confirmed the other side of the same truth in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
c. He will destroy them — yet you shall drive them out:
This shows divine partnership. God would bring the enemy down, but Israel still had to march, fight, and obey. God’s sovereignty does not cancel human responsibility. Rather, He calls His people to labor with Him. As 2 Corinthians 6:1 says, “We then, as workers together with Him…” God promised victory, but Israel had to act in obedience to experience it.
d. Destroy them quickly:
God did not permit Israel to show mercy to the Canaanites. This was not ordinary warfare. Israel was acting as God’s instrument of righteous judgment against a culture steeped in idolatry, violence, sexual immorality, and child sacrifice. Their destruction was not about conquest for personal gain, but judgment for deep and prolonged wickedness.
i. The depravity of Canaanite religion:
Archaeological evidence confirms that Canaanite worship revolved around sexual corruption. Idols of naked female figures were used in fertility rituals, and male idols were associated with homosexual cult practices. Sexual immorality was not incidental; it was foundational to their religion.
ii. A culture replaced by Israel:
Their worship included orgies, serpent symbols, ritual prostitution, and mythology that celebrated perversion. God was not wiping out an innocent people but cleansing a land polluted by sin. Israel was chosen to replace a corrupt culture with one built on holiness, truth, and covenant faithfulness.
3. (Deuteronomy 9:4–6) The danger of pride when the LORD gives victory.
“Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you. It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
a. Do not think in your heart:
God warned Israel against silent pride. Pride begins internally, long before it is spoken. The Lord knew that once Israel saw the Canaanites defeated and the land in their hands, they would be tempted to quietly believe, “God did this because we were righteous.” This inward corruption needed to be rooted out immediately.
i. A foreshadowing of salvation by grace through faith:
Just as Israel was not given the land because of their righteousness, believers are not given salvation because of theirs. Salvation is not earned but received through faith. Ephesians 2:8–9 captures the same principle: grace excludes boasting. The righteousness that saves is not ours, but Christ’s, given to us by faith. Israel’s inheritance of the land is a shadow of the believer’s inheritance of salvation — both are gifts of grace, not rewards for goodness.
ii. The temptation to use God’s gifts for self-glory:
Every blessing from God carries a danger — the temptation to use it to exalt ourselves. Israel was warned not to take credit for God’s victory. Likewise, when God gives us success, provision, or spiritual growth, we must resist the urge to say, “This is because I am worthy.” All boasting must be in the Lord alone.
iii. Humanity’s natural desire to earn righteousness:
Throughout history, mankind has tried to claim some part in his justification before God. Ancient sayings like “I will not have heaven for nothing” reveal this prideful instinct. Even religious traditions have taught that human righteousness must be added to Christ’s righteousness. Scripture rejects this entirely. Our hope rests in Christ alone, not Christ plus our efforts.
b. Because of the wickedness of these nations and the promise to the fathers:
God makes it clear: Israel is being used as an instrument of judgment. The Canaanites were not innocent victims. Their culture was saturated with idolatry, sexual immorality, violence, and child sacrifice. God was driving them out because their wickedness demanded judgment. At the same time, God was keeping His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their possession of the land was rooted in God’s faithfulness — not their morality.
c. For you are a stiff-necked people:
Israel was not chosen because they were morally superior, but in spite of their stubbornness. The term “stiff-necked” describes an animal that refuses the yoke, resisting the master’s direction. Israel often resisted God’s leading, hardened their hearts, and rebelled against His commands. Yet God remained faithful — not because of them, but because of His covenant.
i. Stiff-necked defined:
The term means stubborn, unyielding, difficult to lead. It emphasizes hearts resistant to God’s authority, a warning for all who would grow proud in their blessings.
B. The stiff-necked character of Israel is demonstrated in their past failures.
1. (Deuteronomy 9:7) A call to remember their past rebellions.
“Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.”
a. Remember and do not forget:
God commanded Israel to continually recall their history of rebellion—not to break their spirit, but to humble their hearts. This was not to drive them into despair, but to drive them into dependence. Forgetfulness breeds pride; remembrance breeds humility. When they remembered how often they had resisted God, complained, doubted, and disobeyed, it would keep them from the lie that they deserved the land. It would also remind them that their only hope was the grace and mercy of God.
God calls His people to remember, not because He holds grudges, but because memory protects the soul from self-righteousness. True spiritual maturity does not ignore past failures, but learns from them and glorifies God’s patience and forgiveness.
b. You have been rebellious against the LORD:
Their rebellion was not occasional—it was continual. From Egypt all the way to the edge of the Promised Land, Israel consistently resisted God’s commands. They rebelled at the Red Sea, grumbled at Marah, complained about manna, rejected God's plan at Kadesh Barnea, and worshiped a golden calf at Sinai. Moses reminded them that their entire journey was marked by God’s faithfulness in spite of their unfaithfulness.
This same principle is echoed in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Remembering past failures helps guard against spiritual overconfidence. Likewise, Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To be “poor in spirit” is to know your weakness, to know your need, and to know that all strength must come from God.
B. The stiff-necked character of Israel is demonstrated in their past failures.
2. (Deuteronomy 9:8–21) Remembering the rebellion at Mount Horeb.
This section recalls Israel’s greatest act of rebellion — the golden calf at Mount Sinai (Horeb). It serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly God’s people can turn from Him, even after experiencing His power and presence.
“Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath…”
a. Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath:
While Moses was on the mountain receiving the covenant from God, Israel abandoned their commitment and fashioned a golden calf, proclaiming it as the god who brought them out of Egypt. This was not a small failure — it was idolatry at the very foot of the mountain where God’s glory burned.
b. Written with the finger of God:
The tablets Moses received were divine in origin — God Himself inscribed His commandments (Exodus 31:18). They represented His covenant, written not by man but by the very finger of God. Israel broke the covenant before Moses even brought these tablets down the mountain.
c. I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they:
In His righteous anger, God offered to wipe out Israel and begin again through Moses. This shows both the severity of their sin and the justice of God. Yet Moses interceded, choosing the people over personal legacy.
d. The mountain burned with fire:
For those forty days, the mountain burned with visible fire — a continual reminder of God’s holy presence (Exodus 19:18). Yet even while His glory blazed before their eyes, Israel bowed to a man-made idol. The contrast demonstrates the blindness of sin.
e. I took the two tablets and broke them before your eyes:
Moses shattered the tablets — not in uncontrolled rage, but by righteous symbolism. The covenant had been broken by Israel’s sin. As Poole explains, this act demonstrated that the agreement between God and Israel was now violated, and they stood under judgment.
f. For I was afraid:
Moses admits he was “exceedingly frightened.” The Hebrew term carries the idea of terror. He understood the holiness of God and the seriousness of Israel’s sin. He feared for the nation because he knew they deserved destruction.
g. I prayed for Aaron also:
Aaron, who facilitated the idolatry, was not excused. God was ready to destroy him. But Moses interceded on Aaron’s behalf. This highlights Moses’ love for the people and the power of intercessory prayer. Israel survived this moment only because someone stood in the gap.
h. Burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small:
Moses destroyed the golden calf thoroughly. He burned it, crushed it to powder, and scattered it in the water they drank (Exodus 32:20). This was done for three purposes:
To show the idol was nothing and could be destroyed easily.
To obliterate it completely so that no trace remained.
To give Israel a bitter physical consequence for their sin — they drank the reminder of their rebellion.
3. (Deuteronomy 9:22–24) Remembering the rebellions at Taberah, Massah, Kibroth Hattaavah, and Kadesh Barnea
“Also at Taberah and Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. Likewise, when the LORD sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and you did not believe Him nor obey His voice. You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.”
Moses reminded Israel that their history was not one of righteousness but repeated rebellion. Their stubbornness was not an isolated moment; it was a pattern.
a. Also at Taberah:
Taberah means “burning.” As recorded in Numbers 11:1–3, shortly after leaving Sinai, the people complained against the Lord without cause. God responded with fire at the outskirts of the camp as judgment. They named the place Taberah because the Lord’s fire burned among them. This showed how quickly they forgot His goodness and turned to grumbling.
b. And Massah:
Massah means “testing” or “temptation.” In Exodus 17:1–7, the people quarreled with Moses because they had no water. They accused God of abandoning them and demanded proof of His presence. There they “tested” the Lord by doubting His care. God provided water from the rock, but the place was named Massah as a warning to future generations.
c. Kibroth Hattaavah:
Meaning “graves of craving,” this place (Numbers 11:4–34) marks another failure. The people complained about manna and craved meat with greed and discontent. God gave them quail in abundance, but while the meat was still in their mouths, His judgment fell, and many died. They buried the dead there and named it Kibroth Hattaavah — a testimony that unchecked desire leads to death.
d. When the LORD sent you from Kadesh Barnea:
This was the greatest rebellion before Horeb. In Numbers 13–14, God commanded Israel to enter and possess the Promised Land. They refused because of unbelief and fear. They rejected God’s promise, hardened their hearts, and even sought to appoint a leader to return to Egypt. As a result, God swore that generation would perish in the wilderness.
e. You did not believe Him nor obey His voice:
Unbelief always precedes disobedience. Israel did not trust God’s character or promises; therefore, they would not obey His commands. Faith produces obedience — unbelief produces rebellion. Moses summarized their national character plainly: “You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.”
4. (Deuteronomy 9:25–29) Moses’ intercession for Israel at Horeb
“Thus I prostrated myself before the LORD; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself…”
After the sin of the golden calf, judgment was hanging over Israel. Moses stood in the gap and pleaded for mercy.
a. Therefore I prayed to the LORD:
Moses fell before God for forty days and nights, interceding for the nation (Exodus 32:30–32). His prayer was not casual or quick — it was urgent, deep, and persistent. He prayed because the Lord had threatened to destroy Israel, and he could not stand by silently.
b. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:
Moses appealed to God’s covenant promises. He did not argue Israel’s innocence; he appealed to God’s faithfulness to the patriarchs. True intercession stands on God’s promises, not man’s merit.
c. Lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the LORD was not able…”
Moses also interceded for the sake of God’s glory before the nations. If Israel were destroyed, the Egyptians and others would say God failed or hated His people. Moses prayed with God’s reputation in mind — that His power, love, and faithfulness would be honored.
d. Your people… Your inheritance… You brought out… Your mighty power:
Moses reminded God these were His people — redeemed by His hand, carried by His power, and chosen as His inheritance. He prayed with humility, reason, and covenant confidence.
i. This gives us a pattern for powerful prayer. We should pray:
Because of God’s past faithfulness to us.
Because of His faithfulness to believers before us.
For the glory of His name among the nations.
Because we belong to Him as His redeemed people.
ii. This also purifies our prayers:
When we pray for things that align with God’s glory, His promises, and His redemptive purposes, we pray with a right heart. Selfish wishes become refined into God-centered petitions.
