“WHY?”
(Deuteronomy 9:1 – 11:32)
“…the Lord your God is driving them [wicked nations] out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob… Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
– Deuteronomy 9:5b-6
One of the most difficult questions to answer is one simple word, “Why?” Sometimes when asked, “Why?” we’re stumped. Not because we aren’t knowledgeable enough, but because we’ve never thought about it – whatever “it” is.
In yesterday’s reading, Moses recounted Israel’s history of ups and downs in their faith and walk with God. There is also a thread of hope that is found throughout Deuteronomy that reiterates the blessings of God not only in the past but also in the future, highlighting His faithfulness and fulfillment of His promises.
In chapter nine, God answers a question that hasn’t been asked yet – Why He’s doing what He’s doing. It’s really important to God that His people know the answer. We see that He is blessing Israel by delivering them from bondage in Egypt and establishing them in the land that He promised them, not because of anything that they have done to deserve it, quite the contrary, but because He is good and full of mercy and grace.
The facts from these verses are that the people are not righteous and they don’t deserve God’s blessings – they are a “stubborn people.” This literally means they are “stiff-necked.” Like the farmer trying to place a yoke around the neck of his oxen to lead them, but the ox is stubborn, dodging and resisting. God wants to yoke His people to lead them into blessing but in their rebellion they kick against it.
That’s us! Yet the apostle Paul says that it’s according to God’s mercy that we are saved and by grace made heirs (Titus 3:5-7). And since we have been given such great mercy, it demands that we respond in loving obedience. Moses goes on to say that this reality should shape the way they live by being faithful to His commands. God requires the same from us today. We should stop resisting and gladly obey.
Pray for…
- A continued awareness of our own sinfulness and desperate need of deliverance from bondage.
- A thankful heart for God’s undeserved salvation made available to us through His love, mercy, and grace.
- God’s help to live in loving obedience to Him. Walking in His commands and living in a way that honors Him.
About our Author
John A Pra was born and raised in Queens, NY and has lived almost all of his life in the metropolitan area. After graduating from Bible college (now University of Valley Forge) he entered into full-time pastoral ministry. John and his wife, Diana, have been living in Carlstadt since 1990, pastoring Cornerstone Church and now at Transformation Life Church since 2022.
John and Diana have been married for 39 years and have three children and one granddaughter (who owns them). Besides loving time spent with family, he enjoys sports, reading, travel, and the golf course.
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