Deuteronomy 1:30, commentary and pictures

The Lord Himself goes ahead of His people to fight for them and drive out opposing powers by His own mighty working, with angels joined to their cause, just as He openly delivered them from Egypt and kept them through the wilderness. The walled cities and giants in the way are real, yet they are no barrier to that power, which was even able to send hornets before them and was later proved in Gilead and Bashan. That promised victory is given on condition of obedience, submission to His authority, and purity from the sins of the nations. Israel's distrust, murmuring, pride and rebellion at Kadesh forfeited that favor and made it impossible for God to display His deliverance, so that generation fell in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua who wholly followed Him. The record of both their failure and God's unfailing mercy is kept to stir present faith, calling each person today to trust God wholly, let Him carry the burdens no finite effort can bear, and move forward without fear or worry.

Context and Promise

Deuteronomy 1:30 is one of the lessons given through Moses to strengthen faith, belonging to the principles given during the forty years of wandering that every new move of Israel was to carry out. It belongs to the history rehearsed just before Israel came into possession of Jericho, and is part of Deuteronomy and its record of wonderful experiences, failures, and victories. That record was to be repeated over and over to Israel, and is to be kept before God's people and rehearsed more often.

The verse means the Lord Himself went before Israel and would fight for them, just as He had acted powerfully to deliver them in Egypt before their eyes. He would defend and protect them from the nations opposing their passage, and drive out the inhabitants of Canaan by His mighty power, with angels working with the armies of Israel. He had guided and preserved them through the wilderness, and Moses was directed to recount that deliverance and wonderful preservation.

The promise meant Israel had no reason to fear the Amorites, but should have trusted His promise, care, and past help in Egypt and His guidance through the wilderness in order to enter the land. God would thereby bring them into immediate possession of the promised land and display His deliverance before all nations. Their refusal to believe brought judgment that that generation would not enter Canaan, though Caleb would, and Moses also would not enter.

The obstacles reported by the spies were real, for the cities were walled and very great and inhabited by giants so large that the Hebrews were mere pigmies beside them. Yet they were no barrier because God's power was enough to overcome them, and the fatal mistake was distrusting that power. When Israel first prepared to enter, their enemies were less prepared to resist, and God also promised to send hornets to drive out the inhabitants. By delaying their advance Israel later faced alert, powerful foes and well-trained armies when commanded to go forward, while the later conquest of Gilead and Bashan proved the promise true.

Obedience and Judgment

The promise that the Lord would go before Israel and fight for them as He had done in Egypt before their eyes was given upon condition of obedience, as is seen when Deuteronomy 1 is read together with Deuteronomy 28. Not one good thing promised would have failed if they had complied with the conditions, submitted to His authority, walked in His ordinances, and maintained purity and holiness free from the sins of the nations. That same condition holds now, where disobedience hinders God's work and prolongs time.

Israel failed through distrust and unbelief, pride, rebellion, and impurity, not believing God, not keeping His commandments, and not wholly following Him into the land He had given them. When brought into trial they murmured and discouraged one another from going over. That distrust of His power at Kadesh alone kept them from at once entering the good land, left them unready to enter, forfeited His favor, and made it impossible for God to manifest His power for them.

Because of that refusal to believe, the Lord altered His purpose and refused to bring the adults of the army that left Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, into the promised land, leaving them to fall in the wilderness. That generation would not enter Canaan, save Caleb and Joshua who wholly followed Him, though Caleb would enter, and Moses also would not enter. God was ready to bring Israel into Canaan and display His mighty power in their deliverance, and He was faithful to His promises and not chargeable for Israel's misfortunes and delay. He was more grieved than they by the delay, which dishonored Him and detracted from His glory before surrounding nations.

By delaying their advance, Israel faced alert, powerful foes and well-trained armies when later commanded to go forward, whereas when Israel first prepared to enter Canaan their enemies were less prepared to resist. God had also promised to send hornets to drive out the inhabitants.

Remembrance and Present Trust

The Lord went before Israel and would fight for them just as He had acted powerfully for them in Egypt before their eyes, and that past deliverance was given as reason not to fear enemies but to trust His promise and care. Moses was directed to recount that deliverance from Egypt and wonderful preservation in the wilderness in order to call to mind both sides of the history together. The recounting was to bring to remembrance Israel's unbelief and murmuring when brought into trial, and at the same time God's great mercy and loving-kindness that never forsook them. Remembering both was to stimulate faith and strengthen courage. It was to lead Israel to realize their own sin and weakness and to realize that God is their righteousness and strength.

The words of the Lord in chapters 1 and 8 must be read, for they were written for admonition upon those upon whom the ends of the world are come. In every matter the question to be asked is whether it is the will of the Lord. What is required is full following of His guidance unto perfection of character after the example of Christ. This is opposed to following Him only so far as agrees with human judgment and then clinging to human ideas.

When a person puts trust wholly in God, God goes before him in every passage of experience, preparing the way and carrying the burden of the work. He carries burdens beyond what finite human effort can accomplish. Finite workers are therefore not to load themselves down with burdens that only accomplish what finite man can do, but to let God carry the burden. They are to rest awhile, to be of good courage, to refuse worry and unbelief, and to hold fast every inch gained. They can trust that He will provide help and comfort for themselves and their families.