Date:         Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:28:59 -0600
Reply-To:     t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender:       Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
              
From:         Teus Benschop 
Subject:      Deuteronomy 9
 
  Contents
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     1.    Introduction
     2.    Explanation
     3.    Questions
 
 
 
  1. Introduction
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  This is  an issue of a  continuous explanation of  the Bible-book Dvarim,
  that is Deuteronomy. If something is  unclear in the explanation, ask me.
  The Bible-text is taken from the King James version.
 
 
 
  Deuteronomy 9.
 
  Title: Warning against own righteousness
 
  Short contents:
  Israel is standing  at the border of  Kenaan. Moshe warns them  that they
  not have to  think that they will be brought in the land because of their
  own righteousness. They are brought in to punish the sins of the heathen,
  and to confirm God's oath. Moshe proves this by repeating the  great sins
  of  the nation in the  desert. These sins  were so great  that the nation
  would be perished, if Moshe had not done foreprayer for them to the Lord.
 
 
 
  2. Explanation
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
     1  Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass  over Jordan this day, to go in to
     possess nations  greater and mightier  than thyself, cities  great and
     fenced up to heaven,
  The nation stands at the border of Kenaan. They will soon enter the land.
  It is not doubtful that they will triumph, but it is  sure that they will
  come in and  will inherit. It  is true that the  nations are greater  and
  mightier, but what  does that matter?  The cities are  even fenced up  to
  heaven, but what has that for importance? Was not also the tower of Bavel
  fenced up to heaven?  "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a
  tower,  whose top may reach unto heaven;  and let us make us a name, lest
  we be  scattered abroad upon  the face of  the whole earth,"  Bereshiet /
  Genesis 11:4.  The power  of the  cities is  only little  blade of  grass
  before the LORD. Like the LORD triumphed  then, He will also triumph now.
  "So the LORD scattered them  abroad from thence upon the face of  all the
  earth: and they  left off to build  the city," Bereshiet /  Genesis 11:8.
  This is an encouragement  for the people. Not they will  fight, but their
  mighty God does it.
     2 A  people great  and tall, the  children of  the Anakims,  whom thou
     knowest, and of  whom thou hast  heard say, Who  can stand before  the
     children of Anak!
  Anak  was a giant, and his children also.  When Moshe says that they have
  heard of him,  then he means  the spies. They  had frightened the  people
  verily. The spies of then frightened  the people by the remark about  the
  giants. Moshe also mentions the spies here, but he does not  frighten the
  nation. On the  contrary, he encourages them. We see  that one can do two
  different things with the  same truth. The  spies told about the  giants,
  and they  terrified the people. For they did  not tell about God's power.
  It is true  that Moshe  tells about the  giants, but  above all he  tells
  about  the force  of God. Here  lies the  difference. Who was  right? The
  spies  or Moshe?  Read  the answer.  "And at  that time  came  Jehoshua /
  Joshua, and cut  off the Anakims  from the mountains, from  Chevron, from
  Devier, from Anav,  and from all the  mountains of Jehudah, and  from all
  the mountains  of Israel: Jehoshua  / Joshua destroyed  them utterly with
  their cities," Jhoshua 11:21. Jehoshua / Joshua  did this in the power of
  God, as we will see later.
     3  Understand therefore this  day, that the  LORD thy God  is he which
     goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and
     he shall  bring them down  before thy face:  so shalt thou  drive them
     out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.
  When the people  ask themselves in their  heart who can exist  before the
  giants,  than they have  to know that  God will go before  them. The LORD
  will not destroy them in  a normal way, but as by  a consuming fire. Only
  this fire of  God can destroy  those powerful nations.  By this fire,  He
  will "destroy them  quickly." The nation will  not capture Kenaan  by own
  power,  because they  have  not  that  power. They  conquer  not  in  own
  strength,  but the LORD goes before them. He is the God, "Which goes over
  before you".  They only have  to follow, and  they only have  to inherit.
  Although, not without fight.
     4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast
     them out from before thee, saying, For my  righteousness the LORD hath
     brought me in  to possess this land:  but for the wickedness  of these
     nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
  When the whole fight is done, and they live  in the land, then they could
  start thinking that  they have earned it by  themselves. They would think
  in their heart that  the nation Israel was morally better  then the other
  nations. Of course, they would not say it aloud, but they would say it in
  their heart. Moshe  teaches differently. Their merits  were not the cause
  of these benefactions. Their behaviour in the  past is the proof of that.
  "But the  house of  Israel rebelled  against me  in the wilderness:  they
  walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man
  do, he shall  even live in them;  and my sabbaths they  greatly polluted:
  then I said,  I would pour  out my fury  upon them in the  wilderness, to
  consume  them," Jchezkeel  / Ezekiel  20:13. Moshe says  that it  was not
  their own  righteousness, why they came in. But because of the wickedness
  of the heathens, Israel had to come in, and exterminate the heathens. The
  man is too  fast declined to the  leaning on the own  righteousness. Like
  this nation  was inclined to that, we also incline to that. Moshe says to
  the people that they not must think about this own righteousness. For God
  knows  the heart of the man. When  we hear what Moshe here says about the
  heart, than we  have to be amazed  at that, what  in the present  time is
  said  about the state Israel.  It is known  that God has  given the state
  Israel to the  inhabitants. Some think in  their heart that God  did this
  because  of the  righteousness of  the people.  Others dare  to say  this
  aloud, impudently. This is verily against the doctrine of Moshe. Student,
  never join  in that. Moshe teaches you differently. We receive grace, not
  because of something good in us, but only in God's favour.
     5 Not for  thy righteousness, or for  the uprightness of thine  heart,
     dost thou go  to possess their land:  but for the wickedness  of these
     nations the LORD  thy God doth  drive them out  from before thee,  and
     that he may  perform the word which  the LORD sware unto  thy fathers,
     Avraham, Yitschak, and Yaakov.
  You come in,  not "for your righteousness",  because you have it  not, as
  you  know very well. You  came in, also not  "for the uprightness of your
  heart", because also this have you not, as you know all too well. This is
  the second time that  Moshe memorizes this to the people.  Justly does he
  this for the  second time. For this  is something, which the  people will
  never believe.  A good  proclaimer of  God's Word,  as Moshe  is, has  to
  repeat this always. Not because  of your righteousness, people, but there
  is another reason. "For the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God
  does drive them out" the land. Nation, take care that you not become like
  the wicked.  The LORD has  driven out the  wicked now. Take  care that He
  possibly not spares also you, when you become so wicked. The continuation
  of the  history has taught us that Moshe not has warned in vain. Because,
  for what Moshe warned, that has happened unfortunately.
  Moshe  mentions a  second reason the  nation came  in. It is  because His
  great and exceptional faith to Avraham, Yitschak and Yaakov. He has sworn
  to them to give  the land. Although the nation has  been very stiffnecked
  in the desert,  the faithful God fulfils still His promises. From this we
  learn something. We see that the  fulfilment of God's promises is totally
  independent on the  man. When it  would be dependent  on the people,  and
  their behaviour, then they would never  have come in the land. There  are
  many  people who say  that God needs  us to complete  the creation. Well,
  these people teach something, which  is totally different from that, what
  Moshe teaches  here. These people  say that God  is dependent on  us. But
  Moshe teaches  that God continues  His work, in  spite of us.  So, God is
  independent on the people.  Moshe teaches us: God does not  depend on the
  man, but the man depends on God.
     6 Understand  therefore, that  the LORD thy  God giveth thee  not this
     good  land  to possess  it  for  thy  righteousness;  for thou  art  a
     stiffnecked people.
  Moshe says  it for the third time. "Not  for your righteousness". So much
  is it necessary to always repeat this for the people. For us also is this
  very necessary. Until  now there are people, who say that we are rewarded
  for our merits.  These people are contradictory to Moshe. What says Moshe
  about  them,  who  always  teach   the  own  righteousness?  "You  are  a
  stiffnecked  people." This is  Moshe's doctrine. Student,  although there
  are many  stiffnecked in this way, and highly  raise the own merits, take
  care that you  not do that. Do  not listen to them,  but listen to Moshe.
  Here, Moshe speaks about the earthly inheritance. He says that the people
  receive this not  because of their own righteousness,  but only in grace.
  When this is already  so with the earthly inheritance, how  much the more
  applies  this  to the  heavenly  inheritance.  But  here  are still  some
  questions. Therefore,  further in this  lesson will the  own righteous be
  discussed more thoroughly.
     7 Remember, and  forget not, how thou  provokedst the LORD thy  God to
     wrath in the  wilderness: from the day  that thou didst depart  out of
     the  land  of Egypt,  until  ye came  unto  this place,  ye  have been
     rebellious against the LORD.
  In the previous verse, Moshe  has said that they  not came in because  of
  their righteousness.  He proves that in this verse. He reminds the nation
  of it, that  they always have very  enraged the LORD in  the desert. They
  have done it always. From their exit out of Egypt until this place. Moshe
  reminds them of this. Why? To humble them. They  have to see that God has
  been undeserved merciful until now. Moshe wants that they remind the past
  to themselves.  That they  are disgusted  by themselves because  of their
  misbehaviour  in the desert. "Then shall  ye remember your own evil ways,
  and your doings  that were not good,  and shall lothe yourselves  in your
  own sight  for your  iniquities and  for your abominations,"  Jchezkeel /
  Ezekiel 36:31. Like this was necessary for people of then, the same it is
  also  for us  necessary.  The  LORD  has  no  pleasure  in  arrogant  and
  ownrighteous  people.  But He  has  pleasure  in  the  lowly. "Surely  he
  scorneth the  scorners: but  he giveth grace  unto the lowly,"  Mishlee /
  Proverbs 3:34.
     8 Also  in Chorev ye provoked the LORD to  wrath, so that the LORD was
     angry with you to have destroyed you.
  Moshe said  in the previous  verse that the  nation had very  enraged the
  LORD. Here, he will prove that by some examples.
     9 When I was gone  up into the mount to  receive the tables of  stone,
     even the  tables of the covenant which the  LORD made with you, then I
     abode in  the mount  forty days and  forty nights,  I neither  did eat
     bread nor drink water:
     10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the
     finger  of God; and  on them was  written according to  all the words,
     which the  LORD spake with  you in the mount  out of the  midst of the
     fire in the day of the assembly.
  God  wrote with His finger  the law in the hard  stone tables. With this,
  God wanted to represent something.  Stone is very hard. Nevertheless, God
  wrote His law herein. This is a visible picture of that, what must happen
  in our  heart.  The  prophet teaches  us this.  "But  this shall  be  the
  covenant that I  will make with  the house of  Israel; After those  days,
  saith  the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
  their  hearts; and  will  be their  God, and  they shall  be  my people,"
  Jirmejah / Jeremiah  31:33. As God wrote  then in the stone  tables, also
  now He  must write His law  in our heart. Our heart is  as hard as stone.
  But God can write  His law also therein. The prophet teaches  us that our
  heart is of stone of its nature. "And  I will give them one heart, and  I
  will  put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of
  their flesh,  and will give them an heart  of flesh," Jchezkeel / Ezekiel
  11:19. God will take the stony heart away,  and give a fleshy heart. From
  this, we learn something. It is not enough when we read Tanach, and  when
  we have the law of God  laying before us. There  has to happen more.  The
  stony heart has to be taken away out of us, and a  fleshy heart has to be
  given  to us. Then,  God's law has  to be written in  that renewed heart.
  That is, as the prophets say, a work of God.
     11 And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that
     the LORD  gave me  the two  tables of  stone, even  the tables of  the
     covenant.
     12 And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence;
     for  thy people  which  thou  hast brought  forth  out of  Egypt  have
     corrupted themselves;  they are  quickly turned aside  out of  the way
     which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
  The  people "have  quickly turned aside  out of  the way", which  God had
  commanded.  At  the mountain,  the  people  had  promised  to keep  God's
  commandments. "And all  the people answered together,  and said, All that
  the LORD hath  spoken we will  do. And  Moshe returned the  words of  the
  people unto  the LORD,"  Shmot 19:8. No  sooner, the people  had promised
  this, than they quickly turned aside.  Look here how reliable the promise
  of the  people  was. Since  we are  descendants  of them,  look here  how
  reliable also our promises are.
     13 Furthermore  the LORD  spake  unto me,  saying,  I have  seen  this
     people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
  Th LORD  has not  seen only  now, that  the nation  was stiffnecked,  but
  already a  long time  ago. Read it  in Tanach.  "And the  LORD said  unto
  Moshe, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people,"
  Shmot  32:9. Still earlier,  God has  seen it. He  saw it  already in the
  beginning of the world-history. "And  GOD saw that the wickedness of  man
  was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
  heart was only evil continually," Bereshiet / Genesis 6:5. Because we are
  members of the same human race, these utterances apply also to us.
     14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from
     under heaven: and  I will make of  thee a nation mightier  and greater
     than they.
  The LORD says: Let Me alone. This means: Pray  no longer for this nation.
  When one prays to God, then it is if he takes hold of God. Therefore, God
  says: "Let  me alone". Obviously, Moshe  prayed often for the  people, to
  turn God's wrath  away from them. God always heard this prayer. Never was
  the  whole nation  exterminated,  but always  only  a part.  Read now  an
  example of Moshe's foreprayer. "And  Moshe besought the LORD his God, and
  said, LORD,  why doth thy  wrath wax hot  against thy people,  which thou
  hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great  power, and with a
  mighty hand? Wherefore should the  Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief
  did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them
  from the face  of the earth?  Turn from thy  fierce wrath, and  repent of
  this evil against thy people. Remember Avraham, Yitschak, and Israel, thy
  servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I
  will multiply your seed as the stars  of heaven, and all this land that I
  have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they  shall inherit it for
  ever. And the LORD repented  of the evil which he thought to do  unto his
  people," Shmot 32:11-14. Moshe prayed for grace. As a reason, he mentions
  the scandalmongering  of the Egyptians,  and he mentions  the oath, which
  God had sworn to  the fathers. God  heard the prayer  of Moshe in  grace.
  Hereof we  learn that  also we  have deserved  the death  because of  our
  transgressions.  Further,  we   learn  that  forgiveness  not   is  given
  naturally. But we have to take refuge  to God's mercy in true faith.  The
  LORD will  surely hear this prayer, and we will not perish, but will stay
  alive.
     15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with
     fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
     16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God,
     and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the
     way which the LORD had commanded you.
  When Moshe was  still near the  LORD, on the  mountain, he already  heard
  about the turning aside of the people.  But now, he came down, and saw it
  with own eyes.
     17  And I took the two tables, and  cast them out of my two hands, and
     brake them before your eyes.
  Moshe say  with his own  eyes, how much  the nation had  sinned. They had
  broken the covenant. They promised to obey,  but did it not. Because they
  had broken the  covenant of God, Moshe breaks the tables of the covenant.
  He did this before  their eyes that they could see  the better, what they
  had really done.
     18 And  I fell down before the  LORD, as at the first,  forty days and
     forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all
     your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD,
     to provoke him to anger.
  Moshe prayed to  God, as he had  done already before. He  prayed, because
  the nation had done much evil, "to provoke" God "to anger."
     19 For I  was afraid of the  anger and hot displeasure,  wherewith the
     LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto
     me at that time also.
  Moshe knew something of God's wrath against the sinners. Therefore he was
  very afraid,  because God's wrath was fiery. This  is also written in the
  Tehilliem. "They made a calf in  Chorev, and worshipped the molten image.
  Thus they changed  their glory into the  similitude of an ox  that eateth
  grass. They  forgat God  their saviour, which  had done  great things  in
  Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and  terrible things by the Red
  sea.  Therefore he  said that he  would destroy  them, had not  Moshe his
  chosen stood before  him in the breach,  to turn away his  wrath, lest he
  should destroy them," Thilliem / Psalm 106:19-23.  They made the calf and
  bowed down for  it. They changed God, the Creator, into the similitude of
  a creature that  eats grass. This was  a great despise of  God's majesty.
  They forgot God, their Saviour,  Who had done great and terrible  things.
  But Moshe  prayed to  Him, and  stood before  His face  to turn  away His
  wrath.
     20 And the  LORD was very angry with Aharon to have destroyed him: and
     I prayed for Aharon also the same time.
  The LORD was  angry with Aharon.  So it is  clear that Aharon had  done a
  great sin. But  he apologized and wanted  to reduce the sin.  "And Aharon
  said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that
  they are  set on  mischief. For they  said unto me,  Make us  gods, which
  shall go before us: for as for this Moshe, the man that brought us up out
  of the land of Egypt, we wot not what  is become of him. And I said  unto
  them: Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me:
  then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf," Shmot 32:22-
  24. Aharon  wanted to blame  the people, but  in reality, it  was totally
  else. It  was his fault.  He had, in  weakness, indulged too  much to the
  people. From  this, we  have to  learn to  do this  not. We  may not,  in
  weakness, indulge  to the sins of others. Who does that will be struck by
  God's  anger, unless someone prays for  him. Moshe prayed for Aharon, and
  God heard him.
     21 And  I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with
     fire, and stamped it, and ground it  very small, even until it was  as
     small  as  dust: and  I  cast the  dust  thereof into  the  brook that
     descended out of the mount.
  From  the behaviour of  Moshe, we see  the great  horror of this  sin. He
  stamped it totally, that  there was nothing to see from  anymore. In this
  way, Moshe puts the sin away from them.  We also are urged to exterminate
  our sins in the same say.
     22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked
     the LORD to wrath.
     23 Likewise  when the LORD sent  you from Kadeshbarnea, saying,  Go up
     and possess the land which I have  given you; then ye rebelled against
     the commandment  of the LORD  your God, and  ye believed him  not, nor
     hearkened to his voice.
  Here, Moshe mentions several examples of the recalcitrancy of the people.
  He does this to totally convince  them. The LORD has beared them  so very
  long. When the people would see this, perhaps they will humble themselves
  under God's hand finally.
     24 Ye  have been rebellious against the LORD from  the day that I knew
     you.
  Moshe says this to the people. And this  applies to the whole human race.
  This applies to  all of us. This applies also to  you, student. "You have
  been rebellious against the LORD, from the day that I knew you."
     25 Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as  I
     fell down  at the first;  because the LORD  had said he  would destroy
     you.
  Moshe  prays  for  the  people and  asked  of  God  would  turn away  the
  punishment. This  is the work  of the good  leader. Moshe prayed  day and
  night for the people, as he  says. All good leaders ought to do the same.
  Only  they, who always  pray for their  assembly, they  are considered as
  good leaders. Good leaders are not they, who make much ostentation in the
  public,  but not  pray  in  the  hidden.  The good  leader  always  lives
  according to the laws of  God. Both when the people can  see it, and when
  they not can see it. The good leader prays for the people, much and long.
  Student, keep only these men as your true leaders.
     26 I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not
     thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy
     greatness, which  thou hast brought forth  out of Egypt with  a mighty
     hand.
     27 Remember thy servants, Avraham, Yitschak, and Yaakov; look not unto
     the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their
     sin:
  Moshe  prays for  mercy.  He does  not  plead on  the good  works  of the
  people.  For   these  good  works   were  there  not.   There  were  only
  stiffneckedness and stubbornness.  But Moshe asks if  the LORD is willing
  to remember Avraham, Yitschak and Yaakov.
     28 Lest  the land whence thou broughtest us  out say, Because the LORD
     was not able to  bring them into the land which he  promised them, and
     because he hated  them, he hath brought  them out to slay  them in the
     wilderness.
  There  is still  another  reason, why  Moshe  prays  for mercy  for  this
  stubborn nation. It  is, that God's Name not will be desecrated among the
  heathens. When  God  not should  bring  the people  in Kenaan,  then  the
  heathen  should think  that He  not  could do  that. Such  thoughts would
  desecrate the  Name of God,  Who still  is the Almighty.  That had  to be
  prevented. Also, Jechezkeel  says this. "Therefore say  unto the house of
  Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of
  Israel, but for mine holy name's  sake, which ye have profaned among  the
  heathen,  whither ye  went," Jchezkeel  / Ezekiel  36:22. Here  also, the
  people  are spared,  but  only to  sanctify  God's Name.  Not  because of
  something good in the nation.
     29  Yet  they  are  thy  people  and  thine  inheritance,  which  thou
     broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.
  Grace, o God, because  it is still Thy Own nation,  which is saved by Thy
  Own power.
 
  Moshe  says that the nation  not is brought in  the land because of their
  own righteousness.  "Speak not thou in  thine heart, after that  the LORD
  thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness
  the LORD hath brought me in  to possess this land: but for the wickedness
  of  these nations the LORD doth drive them  out from before thee. Not for
  thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to
  possess their land:  but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy
  God doth  drive them out  from before thee, and  that he may  perform the
  word  which the  LORD  sware  unto thy  fathers,  Avraham, Yitschak,  and
  Yaakov. Understand therefore,  that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this
  good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked
  people,  "Dvariem /  Deuteronomy 9:4-6.  The  people do  not  receive the
  reward because of their good works. But in other places, Tanach says that
  the  man surely will receive pay on his good works. So, in some places is
  written that the man  will receive no pay for their deeds, and in another
  place  is written that the  man surely will  receive pay. How  is it now?
  This difference is  also for us important.  Can we earn the  salvation by
  our own righteousness, or not? It seems that Tanach contradicts itself at
  some places. We say: it seems, because the reality is differently. Tanach
  is the Word of God. God  cannot be contradictory to Himself. So, when  it
  seems  to  us  that  Tanach  contradicts  itself,  than  this  is  indeed
  appearance. This will clearly appear  to be when the involved places will
  be read well. This piece will be explained now, bit by bit.
  1. We have  come to  the doctrine  of the own  righteousness through  the
  utterances of Moshe. Moshe says that  the nation not comes into the  land
  because  of their own  righteousness. Well, that  is clear. We  know that
  this nation did not have own righteousness, because it has sinned heavily
  in the desert. Therefore, Moshe says justly that they not came in because
  of their own righteousness. For that righteousness was simply not there.
  2. In other places, pay is promised on the  keeping of the law. "Ye shall
  therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall
  live in  them: I  am the LORD,"  Wajikra /  Leviticus 18:5.  Here, it  is
  written clearly.  Who will  keep God's  commandments, will live  in them.
  This  cannot  be  explained  in   more  than  one  way.  Is   this  place
  contradictory  to Moshe?  Here is written  that a  man will  live through
  keeping of  the law, and  Moshe says  that they not  have come in  by the
  keeping of the law. This seems contradictory, but it is not so. Moreover,
  these two places precisely agree. When the people would have kept the law
  of  God,  then  they  should  have  come  into  the  land  by  their  own
  righteousness. But they have  transgressed God's commandments. Therefore,
  they  have not  come  in by  their own  righteousness. So,  this  text of
  Wajikra /  Leviticus stays  valid. Because  of their iniquity,  this text
  applied  not to  the  nation  anymore.  This  text only  applies  to  the
  righteous.
  3.  Is it only  the nation Israel,  who has  sinned? No, all  people have
  sinned. God says this in His Word. "the LORD looked down from heaven upon
  the children of men, to  see if there were  any that did understand,  and
  seek God. They are  all gone aside, they are all  together become filthy:
  there is none that doeth good, no, not one," Thilliem / Psalm 14:2,3. The
  LORD has looked down from heaven, if any was righteous,  but He has found
  nobody. Nobody did well. Well, when there is completely nobody righteous,
  then nobody will earn  the salvation by that. It is  true that the quoted
  place  of Wajikra /  Leviticus is still  valid, but there  is nobody, who
  answers to the conditions. This text promises  the life on the keeping of
  the commandments.  With that, this  text excludes the  transgressors from
  the life. So, this text stays useful for us. For instead of promising the
  life to us, this text excludes us, transgressors, from the life.
  4. In many  places of Tanach, God mentions  another way for us,  to enter
  the eternal  life. It is through the forgiving  of the sins. Student, ask
  for this  to the  LORD. Do  not try  to earn  the salvation  by your  own
  keeping of the law. For Tanach teaches us that there is nobody who can do
  that.
  5. We  conclude that there is no contradiction  between the quoted texts.
  When  seen cursorily, they seem to contradict, but after some study, they
  are in  accordance. And this could not be  otherwise, because God is One.
  He never contradicts Himself.
 
 
  3. Questions
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  If you want to gain more benefit from the explanation, you could consider
  to  answer the questions  and do  the tasks.  You can  send these  to the
  editor. He will look at it, and return them to you with his comments.
 
  Questions.
  1  The spies made  the people despondent when they  mentioned the giants.
     They spoke truth, but a half truth. What did they keep silent?
  2  Read verse four to six.
     a. What is not the reason that the nation came into the land?
     b. Which were the reasons?
  3  Is God dependent on us, or are we dependent on God?
  4  a. What will God do to the proud?
     b. What will God do to the humble?
  5  God wrote  the law in the stony tables with  His finger. From which is
     this a picture?
  6  Why did Moshe break the stone tables in the sight of the people?
  7  Aharon indulged the people too much. But what had he to do?
  8  Moshe prayed for the nation.
     a. Which reasons of pleading did he use?
     b. To what extend did God hear him?
     c. What is a very important task for a teacher of the nation?
  9  a. Has God promised pay on the keeping of His commandments?
     b. Are there people who perfectly keep His law?
     c. Did the nation Israel keep God's commandments?
     d. Because of which reason did they come in the land Kenaan?
     e. What do you learn from this?
 
  Tasks.
  1  In verse  4, 5 and 6 is  written that God did not  bring in the nation
     because  of their own  righteousness, but  because of  another reason.
     Seek similar reasons in Shemot / Exodus 34.
  2  The LORD brought the nation into the land to affirm the word, which He
     had sworn to  Avraham, Jitschak and Jaacov. Look up  these promises in
     Bereshiet /  Genesis 12, Bereshiet  / Genesis 13, Bereshiet  / Genesis
     15,  Bereshiet /  Genesis  17,  Bereshiet /  Genesis  26, Bereshiet  /
     Genesis 28.
  3  Moshe made  foreprayer for the  people, and asked for  forgiveness. It
     can happen also  the other way around.  Then, the prayer does  not ask
     for forgiveness, but for righteous revenge. Look up examples from this
     in Bemidbar / Numbers 16, Nechemjah 4, Thilliem / Psalm 59, Jirmejah /
     Jeremiah 18.
 
 
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament
              Editor: Teus Benschop  -  t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
        No copyrights on this publication  -  Translated by a Dutchman
            Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands
.