Deut 9:4–5
4 “You shall not say to yourself when Yahweh your God is driving them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness Yahweh brought me to take possession of this land’; but because of the wickedness of these nations Yahweh is driving them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness and because of the uprightness of your heart that you are coming to take possession of their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God is driving them before you, and in order to confirm the promise that Yahweh swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
HE now more plainly warns the people not to exalt themselves in proud and foolish boasting.
"Speak not thou in thine heart" is equivalent to reflecting or conceiving an opinion.
Wherefore Moses not only reproves the boasting of the lips, but the hidden arrogance, wherewith men are puffed up, when they take to themselves the praise which is due to GOD. Moreover, he not only prohibits them from ascribing it to their own valour, that they had rooted their enemies, and gained possession of the land, but also from imagining that this was the just recompense of their merits.
Moses does not forbid the people from thinking that they had themselves acquired the land without GOD's aid; nay, he takes it for granted that they themselves will acknowledge that it was by GOD's help that they were victorious; but he is not contented with this limited gratitude unless they at the same time acknowledge that they had deserved nothing of the kind, and therefore that it was a mere and gratuitous act of HIS bounty.
Note the reason given in the second clause, the nations were driven out (of Caanan) on account of their own wickedness;
HE transferred the Land from the Reprobate to those whom HE had chosen graciously (unconditional election). There remains nothing to boast but to say "For by Grace, we are saved".
Total Depravity - They don't desire GOD. They were naturally perverse and rebellious. They don't choose GOD. For they are 'Stiff-necked' people.
'Stiff-necked' - this metaphor is taken from 'oxen', which are useless unless untill they are accustomed to bend their necks; it is then the same as saying that they were not only unsubmissive, but that in their obstinancy they shook off the yoke.
Hence, it sufficiently appears that there was no room for merits. If so, then GOD's covenant would have been nullified. (Promise given to their forefathers were found on mere grace of GOD.)
Now if in regard to an earthly inheritance GOD so greatly exalts HIS mercy, what must we think of the heavenly inheritance? HE would have it attributed to HIMSELF alone, that the children of Israel possess the land of Canaan; how much less, then will HE tolerate the obtrusion of men's merits in order to the acquisition of Heaven? Nor is there anything in the pretense of the Papists that they attribute the first place to GOD's bounty; because HE claims altogether for HIMSELF what they would share with HIM.
But if any object that this was only said to HIS ancient people, I reply, that we are no better than they. Let each retire to HIMSELF, and HE will not excuse the hardness of the neck.
But they who are regenerated by GOD' SPIRIT, know that they are not naturally formed unto obedience; and thus that it is only mercy which makes them differ from worst of men.
Deut 9:6-7
“So you should understand that it is not because of your righteousness that Yahweh your God is giving you this good land to take possession of it, because you are a stubborn people. Remember, do not forget, that you provoked Yahweh your God in the desert, and from the day that you went out from the land of Egypt until you came to this place you were rebelling against Yahweh.
(Selected from John Calvin's Complete Commentary)
Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Bible on Deuteronomy 9:4 ~
Neither for thy upright heart, nor holy life, which are the two things which God above all things regards, 1 Chron. 29:17 , Ps. 15:1–2 ; and consequently he excludes all merit. And surely they who did not deserve this earthly Canaan, could not merit the kingdom of glory. That he may perform the word which he sware; to show my faithfulness in accomplishing that promise which I graciously made and confirmed with my oath. By which words it is implied, that this land was not given to them for the righteousness of their fathers, though they were righteous and holy persons, and much less for their own righteousness, which they had not, as it follows.
No comments:
Post a Comment