Israel has already been warned against chauvinism because of their election by God (7:6-10), and against economic smugness because of their coming prosperity (8:17ff). And here they are warned against the moral self-righteousness that afflicts those who are granted military superiority. “Hear, O Israel: Thou are to pass over Jordan this day . . .” (Deuteronomy 8:11-20).
Recall that this is a continued exposition of the first commandment, the command not to have any other gods before or in place of the one true God. Moral self-righteousness is a clear way to violate this commandment. A great victory is coming, but it is the Lord’s victory, and not the result of Israel’s righteousness (vv. 1-6). The land was given to them to fulfill God’s word to their fathers, and because of the wickedness of the Canaanites. The point that Israelite righteousness was not the cause is driven home with examples of their unfaithfulness, which actually continued down to the present (v. 7). And the first was the incident with the golden calf (vv. 8-21).
The Canaanites were expelled because of their unrighteousness. But the Israelites were not selected to do it because of their outstanding righteousness. The nations to be displaced are great indeed (vv. 1-2). But the Lord, a consuming fire, will go before Israel and destroy them (v. 3). This word destroy is important here. The perennial temptation that accompanies all military victories is the temptation to a moral self-righteousness. But several times in this context they are told it is not because of their own righteousness (vv. 4-5). The conquest is because of wickedness among the Canaanites, and because of God’s covenant faithfulness (v. 5). And they are told again that their righteousness was not the cause (v. 6).
In the previous chapter, God told them to remember His covenant, His laws. Here He says they are also to remember their own dismal record (v. 7). The incident with the golden calf provides an outstanding example. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and there received the ten words, the law of the covenant (vv. 8-13). While there, the people made a molten image, and God threatened to destroy them (v. 14). Look at your people, He says (v. 12). Moses comes down from the mountain still burning with fire, and breaks the tablets of the covenant—broken on day one (vv. 15-17). Moses then intercedes and God spares both Israel and Aaron (vv. 15-20). Moses ground the calf to powder and threw it into the water (v. 21). This disobedience on the part of the Israelites was no fluke. They did the same thing in other situations (v. 22). They did this also at Kadesh-barnea when they refused to enter the land (v. 23). This is their way of doing business (v. 24).
Moses saved the people through his great intercession (v. 25), in which he pled God’s people, God’s promises, and God’s name. He prayed that God would save His people (v. 26). He prayed that God would remember—note that word—the patriarchs (v. 27). If the people are destroyed, then Egypt wouild reproach the name of God (vv. 28-29).
The Sinaitic covenant was truly a gracious covenant. Despite the sins of the people, God invites Moses up to the mountain to renew the covenant again (10:1). God renews the covenant, broken at the very first, and requires that the law be placed in the ark of the covenant, under the mercy seat (vv. 2-3). The covenant of law was a covenant of unbelievable grace. God gives the law again, which Moses brought down to the ark (vv. 4-5). The context of biblical law is always grace and more grace. The preamble of the ten words says that God was the one who delivered them from bondage, which is what biblical law, rightly understood in the context of grace, always does.
That grace continued with Aaron and Eleazar (v. 6). They traveled to the place where the Lord separated the Levites (v. 7). The Levites were appointed to bear the ark, to stand before the Lord to serve Him, and to bless the people in the name of God (v. 8). The Levites had no inheritance of land (v. 9). And so the Lord stayed His hand (v. 10), and commanded a humbled people to enter the land to conquer it (v. 11).
What are some applications? First, we must keep sinful competitors in mind—those who would serve themselves instead of God need to forget their sinfulness. Those who would keep the first commandment must remember it. Second, there is a profound role reversal here. We actually deserve ourselves what we are sometimes called to dispense to others. We must always remember the mysteries of grace. And last, we must guard against military smugness. Few people need the admonitions of this chapter more than modern Americans do, who think that pinpoint accuracy in our cruise missiles means that we are somehow not moral and ethical imbeciles. There are deep lessons here for a shallow people.