This small group Deuteronomy 9 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 9 Bible Study Commentary And Questions – Be Humble!
Outline
I. Not because of your righteousness (1-12)
II. Moses intercedes for the people (13-29)
I. Not because of your righteousness (1-12)
Discussion Questions
• What is the key theme of this chapter?
• What words or phrases do you see repeated in this passage?
• Why did God choose the nation of Israel to go in and drive these people out?
• Why did God emphasize to them that it was not because of their righteousness?
• Summarize what the Lord wanted to teach them here in one sentence.
• What were the people of the land like (2)?
• How is God like a consuming fire (3)?
• How does this passage apply to believers today?
• Did God choose you? When? Why?
• Why is it also important for us to remember that God did not choose us because of our righteousness?
• Why was it important for them to remember their own sins (7-12)?
• Should we remember or forget our past sins?
Cross-References
Romans 7:18 – For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Ephesians 2:1-3 – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Hebrews 12:28-29 – Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Dispossessing a people greater than you – The purpose of this section of Moses’ discourse is to remind the people to be humble. They were not stronger or more numerous than the people they were about to go up against. Victory was from the Lord.
Israel was not a war machine like Rome or Persia. They didn’t have chariots like Egypt or a military genius like Alexander the Great. What they had, a relationship with God, was infinitely better.
Psalms 20:7 – Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Application – We should remember that victory comes from the Lord. He is described in verse 3 as a “consuming fire.” Do not give yourself credit for your success. Deflect it to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our hope is in Him. Our thanks should go to Him.
2. The sons of the Anakim – The Bible records several groups of giants including the Emim, Rephaim, Nephilim (Genesis 6:4) and Anakim.
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 – The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.
Genesis 14:5-6 – In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.
Some specific giants mentioned in the Bible include Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and Og, King of Bashan.
Deuteronomy 3:11 – For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.
One of the reasons the people of Israel were afraid to go into the land was that some of the residents were of great stature. The sons of Anak apparently were infamous at that point in history as there was a common idiom that the people had heard about them, “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?” These were evidently great warriors.
No matter how great they were, God was greater still.
For more on giants in the Bible, you can see this article from Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/giants-in-the-bible/
3. The nations were driven out because of their wickedness – God drove out the Canaanites not because of Israel’s righteousness but because of the Canaanites’ sin. Their culture was rotten. Their religion was one of if not the worst in history. Child sacrifice, bestiality, and cult prostitution were all practiced.
Leviticus 18:26-28 – But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
The prior residents of the land were so evil that the land “vomited” them out. The Lord would go on to warn the Jews not to copy them or they too would face the same consequences.
At times in history, God has stepped in to eradicate certain peoples or cultures which were so evil that they would spread like contagion. These events illustrate His justice and hatred of sin. At the same time, it is His grace which keeps these evils from infecting the rest of the world.
4. Be humble – This entire chapter could be summarized with, “Be humble.” God warns them repeatedly not to become prideful. They should not think they were chosen because of their righteousness.
The reminder that it was not their righteousness that brought them favor with God is given three times (verses 4, 5, and 6).
Pride is one of the deadly sins. It is human nature to become puffed up and give ourselves credit when things go well. Israel received many blessings from God. He supernaturally delivered them from Egypt. They witnessed miracles. God gave them His law. Their prophet leader had direct contact with the Lord.
These privileges were a great blessing. But they also came with a downside. Their status as God’s chosen people was a temptation to pride and self-righteousness.
Moses went on to remind them that God made promises to their ancestors long before they were born. How could these promises be due to their righteousness if they were not born yet? Moses would also mention specific examples of past sins to keep them from getting a big head.
Israel was not chosen because of their righteousness and neither are we. Believers were chosen by God before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), long before they could do anything good or bad.
Other verses make it clear that our salvation is not due to our works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Reflect – How might religious pride manifest itself in our lives today?
Application – Be humble. It can be easy to become self-righteous. Judgmental attitudes often sneak into the church. Remember that your salvation is due to God’s grace. You are not better than others. We must be careful not to be like this Pharisee.
Luke 18:11-12 – The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
To be humble, we need to continually remind ourselves of God’s grace. We should not just meditate on it in the general sense but also consider how He has shown us grace in specific situations in our lives.
5. Remember how you provoked the Lord your God –
Deuteronomy 9:7 – Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.
Here Moses begins to walk them through their history, focusing on past sins. His goal is to encourage them to be humble. As they review their history, it should be abundantly clear that they were not chosen by God because of their own righteousness.
Reflect – Is it healthy to review past sins? Should we review past sins?
In most areas of life, there is a balance. Constantly reliving past mistakes can keep a person from moving on. Satan often uses this method of temptation. If he can get us reliving the past, then we are no good in the present. Those past sins can be shackles that prevent us from serving God in the here and now.
Paul warns against this.
Philippians 3:13-14 – Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
It is not only past sins that can prevent us from living fully for God now, but also past successes. Remembering our past victories can cause us to become complacent and lazy. A person may say, “I shared the gospel ten times last week, so I don’t need to today.”
At the same time, we should learn from the past. Most people have the tendency to forget past shortcomings and remember successes. Thus our past selves are often better in our memories than in reality.
Moses specifically brought up the past because this was a turning point for the nation of Israel.
Winston Churchill – “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
A review of their past should help them to have more gratitude toward God for His mercy, more humility, and a desire to avoid similar disobedience in the future.
Application – Do you focus on your past too little, too much, or just the right amount? What is just the right amount?
II. Moses intercedes for the people (13-29)
Discussion Questions
• What is the key theme in verses 13-29?
• Did God really intend to destroy the people (14)?
• Why did He make this threat?
• Why do you think the people made the golden calf?
• What did this reveal about human nature?
• How did Moses react?
• What did Moses frequently do on behalf of the people?
• What can we learn from him about leadership?
• What can we learn from him about interceding?
• Was Moses’ reaction to the golden calf (21) too extreme? Why or why not?
• What can we learn about how we should react to sin today?
• Why does Moses so thoroughly recount the nation’s past sins?
• What argument does Moses make in his prayer in verses 27-29?
• What motivated his prayers? Why is this important?
Cross-References
Numbers 14:11-19 – These verses are an account of Moses interceding for the nation when God mentioned the possibility of wiping them out.
Ephesians 6:18 – Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Hebrews 7:25 – Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Romans 8:34 – Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. A stubborn people – This was not a flattering description, but God often used it in reference to Israel.
2. A test for Moses –
Deuteronomy 9:14 – Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.
Notice He doesn’t make a divine decree that He will destroy them. Also, there is a condition. What is the condition? “Let Me alone, that…”
God’s action appears to be at least partially conditional on Moses’ response. Keep in mind that doing this would not have nullified God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses was their descendant too, so all of God’s promises would have still been alive.
It definitely appears that God is testing Moses. He called the people Moses’. Now it is time to see if Moses will stand up for the people or if he will give up on them and celebrate God’s judgment. This test could have definitely appealed to Moses’ pride. Now he could be the patriarch and he could be rid of these annoying complainers all at once!
Moses’ answer to this test is recorded in verses 26-29 and also in Exodus 32:11-13.
Exodus 32:11-13 – But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
Moses passed the test with flying colors, solidifying his leadership over the people. Firstly, Moses points out that these people belong to God, not him. By doing this, he reminds God of God’s promises towards them as a nation and the fact that they are God’s chosen people. Although the Jews gave Moses credit for bringing them out of Egypt, Moses was unwilling to take this credit. Instead he correctly assigned it to God. God was the one who had saved them by His power.
In addition, Moses points out that this could be a bad testimony before the nations. Doing this could certainly stir up lots of doubt about God’s motivations and character to all the surrounding nations. This doubt would be unjustified as God had the perfect right to punish Israel for their sin, but it would have existed nonetheless.
Moses speaks out very boldly to God and entreats God to change His mind about harming the people. He doesn’t celebrate getting rid of them. He doesn’t sit back passively. He aggressively intercedes for them.
Throughout Scripture, we do see the greatest men of faith boldly coming before God with their requests and claiming God’s promises. Is this right?
Based on the fact that God did not punish Moses but listened to him, it is safe to say that God considered Moses’ response the right one. This is a reminder that we should be bold in our prayers, with the condition that we have the right motivation.
Persisting in prayer doesn’t mean to keep asking for something we know we shouldn’t have (like a child asking again and again to play a video game when his parent told him no already).
It means unselfishly bringing others’ needs before God in faith. This is classic intercession.
Reflect – Do you regularly intercede for others or do you focus on your own needs? If you tell others you will pray for them, do you? Do you pray for them once and then stop? Do you care enough for them to pray these types of bold prayers to the Father?
Application – Leaders should feel great love, care, and even burden for those they are shepherding. This love should drive them to their knees to intercede for those in their flock.
At times, the job of a shepherd can be frustrating. Moses faced many complaints. Sometimes he was annoyed. But at the end of the day, he loved his people. This was seen in the way he stood in the gap for them.
It is not only leaders who should intercede for others like this. We all should. Parents should stand in the gap for their children. Teachers should pray for their students. Families should carry each other’s burdens.
Every believer should practice intercession.
1 Timothy 2:1 – First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.
2. The golden calf – Moses reviewed the incident with the golden calf. He commented that they “turned aside quickly form the way that the Lord had commanded you.”
Their sin was not because of ignorance. No generation in history (aside from the time of Christ) has seen more miracles than they did.
Reflect – Why did they make and worship the golden calf?
It was rebellion, plain and simple. They wanted to have their own man-made religion. They wanted to do things their way. They wanted to be in charge. They wanted to be free to sin without consequences.
The immediate result of building the calf was that the people descended into immoral revelry (Exodus 32:6). A blind god does not see or judge sins. By making their own god, the people were in essence proclaiming that they were in charge, not God.
3. Moses reacted to the sin – Throughout this passage, we can see that Moses was distraught because of the people’s sin. Their sin infuriated him (9:17). Verse 18 says that he lay “prostrate” for forty days and nights fasting.
It was a serious issue. For him, it was not enough to say a casual “We are sorry” and move on. He had spent a lot of time in close contact with God. Because of that, he had the right perspective toward sin. It angered him. It saddened him. Moses had the right feelings about sin.
But having the right feelings or attitude is not good enough. He knew the sin had to be dealt with. The only way to do that was by bringing it to God through intercession. Only God could “fix” it. Only God could wash it away and forgive.
In addition, Moses dealt with the people. He confronted Aaron. He dealt with the calf, grinding it up into dust. The people then had to drink it.
Exodus 32:20 – He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
The temptation was removed. The sin people were confronted. The issue was brought to God. Intercession was made. Here is a good model for responding to sin.
Application – Moses reacted strongly against sin. It angered and saddened him. Do you respond to sin like that? The first thing to check is your attitude toward sin. Another thing to consider is whether there is a source of temptation that you are allowing to remain. To leave the calf there would have acted as a continual snare. The calf had to be removed. Is there something that needs to be removed from your life? Something or someone you need to separate from?
4. Moses was motivated by a zeal for God’s glory (27-29) – This was touched on earlier in the passage.
Deuteronomy 9:28-29 – Lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’
Moses was concerned that if God did destroy the people, it would be a bad testimony to all the other nations. These pagan people would then latch on to this fact and accuse God of impropriety. They would slander His good name.
Moses also reminded God that they are “your people and your heritage.” He understood God’s character. Therefore his arguments were convincing!
Application – God sees our heart. He knows why we pray what we pray. It is no use trying to be overly spiritual or covering up our motivations. God sees what we really are. At the same time, the closer we get to God, the more like Him we will be. As we understand His heart, He changes ours. Moses was changed because of His close relationship with God. The more time you spend in God’s presence the more closely aligned you will be with Him. His motivations will become yours. You will be concerned for His glory instead of your own. You will react more strongly against sin.
The key application from this passage is that we need to draw close to God as Moses did. How will you do that in the coming week?
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