Deuteronomy 11:23, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to Moses' rehearsal to Israel before entering Canaan, part of the instruction in Deuteronomy 4-11 that makes known God's dealings with His people. It was given with directions from the greatest to the least that are to be carefully observed. The promise is conditional: if Israel diligently kept all His commandments, faithfully loved the Lord, walked in all His ways, and clung to Him and held fast to Him, then the Lord Himself would drive out all the nations from before them and they would possess nations greater and mightier than themselves. Their victory and inheritance depended on God's help and the covenant promise.

God in this makes a decided difference between the obedient and the disobedient, setting before His people a blessing if they obey the commandments of the Lord and a curse if they will not obey but turn aside to go after other gods. Obedience brings blessing, victory over stronger enemies, and possession of the land, while disobedience brings a curse. God had placed Israel in Canaan as a mighty breastwork to stay the tide of moral evil from flooding the world. If they remained obedient and faithful He intended that they should go on conquering and to conquer beyond the Canaanites to peoples greater and more powerful, with every place the soles of their feet tread made theirs from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the Euphrates to the uttermost sea, and with fear and dread of them laid upon all that land so that no one could stand before them.

The promise was first given to Abraham that his seed would receive the land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates, and was repeated through Moses. It was fulfilled in its extent and broad dominion and security when Israel reached the height of its greatness under David and Solomon, extending to the Euphrates and the promised borders as a mighty nation respected and feared by surrounding peoples. The word was also verified in disobedience, for the people disobeyed and only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness. Israel's later history showed that disobedience brought destruction, and God will vindicate His word in the same way today if the leaders of His people depart from His commandments.

The lessons of Deuteronomy 8 and 11, including this verse, are of the greatest importance and hold for God's people now as verily as for Israel. The same principle of obedience and dependence on God's blessing applies in the present. It means much for every soul carrying responsibilities in sanitarium work, calling for purity of soul from all commonness, godly example in word and deportment before children and households, and consecrated loving service to God.