Deuteronomy 9:6

_NOT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR FOR THE UPRIGHTNESS OF THINE HEART, DOST THOU GO TO POSSESS THEIR LAND: BUT FOR THE WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS THE LORD THY GOD DOTH DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE THEE, AND THAT HE MAY PERFORM THE WORD WHICH THE LORD SWARE UNTO THY FATHERS, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-6 Moses represents the strength of the enemies they were now to encounter. This was to drive them to God, and engage their hope in him. He assures them of victory, by the presence of God with them. He cautions them not to have the least thought of their own righteousness, as if that procured this favour at God's hand. In Christ we have both righteousness and strength; in Him we must glory, not in ourselves, nor in any sufficiency of our own. It is for the wickedness of these nations that God drives them out. All whom God rejects, are rejected for their own wickedness; but none whom he accepts are accepted for their own righteousness. Thus boasting is for ever done away: see Ephesians 2:9; Ephesians 2:11; Ephesians 2:12....

EXPOSITION DISSUASIVES FROM SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. DEUTERONOMY 9:1 Israel might acknowledge that it was of God's free gift that they possessed the land of Canaan, and yet might flatter themselves by thinking it was because of their righteousness and goodness that the gift was bestowed. To guard against this, _Moses _tells them that not because of their righteousness would God go before them and drive out the mighty peoples that then occupied the land, but because of the wickedness of these peoples themselves were they to be extirpated (Deuteronomy 9:1). He further reminds them of their transgressions in the past, and how they thereby came under the Divine displeasure, and were saved

UNDERSTAND THEREFORE THAT THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE NOT THIS GOOD LAND TO POSSESS IT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... This is again repeated to impress it upon their minds, that it was not for any goodness of theirs, but as a gift of divine goodness to them, that they were put into the possession of the good land, which greatly exceeded any merits of theirs, and was entirely owing to the kindness of God to them, and not to any righteousness of theirs; and this he frequently inculcates, that they might have a thorough understanding of it. And so the doctrines of justification by the righteousness of Christ, and not man's, and of salvation by the grace of God, and not the works of men, are points of knowledge and understanding; and to lead men into an acquaintance with them is the general design of the Gospel; and he cannot be reckoned an understanding man, but ignorant of God and his righteo...

5. WARNING AGAINST SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEIR PREVIOUS FAILURES Chapter S 9:1-10:11 _ 1. The warning (Deuteronomy 9:1)_ 2. The failures of the past (Deuteronomy 9:7) 3. The intercession of Moses (Deuteronomy 9:25) 4. The results of the intercession (Deuteronomy 10:1) This chapter and the first eleven verses of the tenth are aimed against the spirit of self righteousness. First there is the warning. This is followed by their shameful history of the past, which showed that a boast of being righteous, or having any righteousness had to be positively excluded in their

DEUTERONOMY 9:1_ a_. Israel's victory over the Canaanites due to the wickedness of their foes and Yahweh's promise. Deuteronomy 9:6. stiffnecked: lit. hard, _i.e._ obstinate, of neck (Exodus 32:9). The figure is that of an animal which refuses to take the yoke. Deuteronomy 9:7_ a._ PROVOKEDST. TO WRATH: DEUTERONOMY 4:25 * where a Heb. verb of different meaning is similarly translated....

_Know therefore_ See on Deuteronomy 7:9: the verse begins by giving the conclusion of the previous proof, but adds also another _for thou art a stiffnecked people_ Apparently first used of Israel (in connection with the golden calf) in J, Exodus 33:3; Exodus 34:9 (Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:5 are editorial); then here and Deuteronomy 9:13: cp. Deuteronomy 10:16;...

DISCOURSE: 198 AGAINST SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SELF-CONCEIT Deuteronomy 9:4. _Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand, therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people_. MAN is a dependent creature: he has nothing of his own: he can do nothing: he can control no e

_VER._ 6. _UNDERSTAND, THEREFORE, THAT—NOT—FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS_— Moses repeats three times, in this and the foregoing verse, the same thing; because he well knew the heart of man so prone to vanity, and the character of the Israelites so self-prepossessed. Nothing was more important than to convince them that God gave them not the land of Canaan for their own righteousness or piety, or for any merit which was in them; so far from it, they are declared to be a very refractory and obstinate people. See Exodus 32:9. But God, of his favour and wisdom, dispenses different privileges to different states and nations: to some riches; to some empire; to some arts and knowledge; to others a purer form of worship; and deals with all of them most equitably, according to the use or abuse they make of their respective talents and opportunities. Houbigant well observes, that Moses here addresses th

b. HOW TO PREVENT THE THREAT (Deuteronomy 9:1 to Deuteronomy 11:21) (1) BY A REALISTIC SELF-EVALUATION (Deuteronomy 9:1 to Deuteronomy 10:11) (Moses rehearses the story of the two tables of stone and the Israelite's sin at Sinai. This is done so Israel might see their previous course: rebelliousness, stubbornness, and disobedience.) Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can sta