Question 1

What does “not for thy righteousness” mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Moses says God is not giving Israel the land “for thy righteousness,” he is cutting off any thought that they deserved it. Israel was tempted to think their obedience or goodness had earned God’s blessing. Moses reminds them that, in fact, they had been stubborn and rebellious from the start. The land is given because God is judging the wicked nations and keeping his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This shows that God’s gifts come from his grace and faithfulness, not from human merit.

Question 2

Why does Moses call Israel a “stiffnecked people”?

Accepted Answer

“Stiffnecked” is a picture word. It describes an ox that refuses to bow its neck to the yoke. When Moses uses it for Israel, he means they are stubborn toward God and resist his commands. He points to their long pattern of rebellion, from leaving Egypt all the way to the present, including the golden calf and refusing to enter the land earlier. The phrase is meant to humble them, so they stop thinking too highly of themselves and instead see their need for God’s mercy.

Question 3

What was happening when Moses spoke these words to Israel?

Accepted Answer

Moses is speaking to Israel just before they cross the Jordan to enter the promised land. They are about to face nations that are stronger and taller than they are, including the descendants of the Anakim, who had once filled them with fear. Moses prepares them by reminding them that God will go before them like a consuming fire. At the same time, he looks back over their history in the wilderness, naming several places where they angered God, to show that their hope rests on God’s grace, not their record.

Question 4

Why does God drive out the nations before Israel in this chapter?

Accepted Answer

Moses gives two clear reasons. First, God is judging the nations in the land for their wickedness. Their removal is not random; it is a response to long-standing evil. Second, God is keeping the word he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give their descendants this land. Moses is very direct that it is not because Israel is righteous or upright. God’s actions reveal both his justice against sin and his faithfulness to his covenant promises, while leaving no room for Israel to boast.

Question 5

What is the significance of the golden calf incident here?

Accepted Answer

Moses brings up the golden calf to remind Israel how deeply they had failed. While he was on the mountain receiving the tablets written by God’s own finger, the people quickly turned aside, made an idol, and broke the covenant they had just agreed to. Moses broke the tablets before their eyes to show this breach. By retelling this, he shows that they deserved to be destroyed, and that their survival and future in the land depend entirely on God’s mercy and the prayers offered for them.

Question 6

Why did Moses fast forty days and nights in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Moses says he fell down before the Lord for forty days and forty nights, without bread or water, because of Israel’s great sin. This shows how serious their rebellion was and how earnestly he pleaded for them. God had said he would destroy them and make a new nation from Moses. Instead of accepting that, Moses prayed for the people, asking God to spare them. His fasting and prayer underline his role as a mediator and highlight that Israel’s continued existence is an act of God’s grace.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows God as both just and merciful. He is a consuming fire who punishes wickedness and is ready to wipe out stubborn rebellion. At the same time, he keeps his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and listens to the prayer of his servant. God does not ignore sin, but he also does not abandon the people he has redeemed. His gift of the land, given to an undeserving and stubborn people, reveals a God who acts out of grace and covenant faithfulness, not human worth.

Question 8

Why does Moses remind God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in his prayer?

Accepted Answer

When Moses prays, he asks God to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not to look at the people’s stubbornness and sin. He is appealing to God’s promises to the ancestors, which were given before this generation ever lived. Moses also mentions how it would look to Egypt if Israel were destroyed. By doing this, he grounds his request in God’s own word and honor, not in anything good in the people themselves. This prayer shows how God’s covenant and reputation are tied to his mercy.

Question 9

How should believers today respond to the warning against self-righteousness here?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites believers to check their hearts for quiet pride. Israel was tempted to say, “For my righteousness the Lord brought me in,” even though their story was full of rebellion. In the same way, people today can start to think God blesses them because they are better than others. The text pushes us to remember our own weakness and failures, and to see every good gift as undeserved kindness. The right response is humility, gratitude, and a deeper trust in God’s grace, not in ourselves.

Deuteronomy 9:1

Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

Assurance of Victory

The Golden Calf

Assurance of Victory

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Deuteronomy 9:1

Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

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Assurance of Victory

The Golden Calf

Assurance of Victory

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