Setting - Moses reminds Israel of their unrighteousness both at Horeb, with the image of the golden calf and at Taberah (Num. 11:3), Massah (ex. 17:7) and Kibroth-hattaavah (Num. 11:34).
Content - Israel provoked the Lord to anger so that He would say, (v. 14) "Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they." Moses entreated the Lord to relent from His anger, which He did.
Moses is pointing out that Israel was a stubborn (v. 9), "The LORD spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people.” rebellious nation (v. 24), “You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day I knew you.”
Moses further points out that it has nothing to do with any righteousness on Israel’s part (v. 6), “Know, then, {it is} not because of your righteousness {that} the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people”
Application – Philippians 3:8-9, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (v. 9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from {the} Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which {comes} from God on the basis of faith…” I know that nothing that I have done has given me any reason to boast, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; (v. 9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Once against it’s all God. God made us, sustains us, and saved us. Just like Israel, God did it all for them. God remained faithful to His covenant with Israel even when He wanted to remove them from the face of the earth. I’m sure there were many times God wanted to give up with me, but (Philippians 1:6), “{For I am} confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
It’s just an awesome reality that my existence and salvation is depended upon God and not me, because if it were up to me, I would have been disqualified a long time ago.
Content - Israel provoked the Lord to anger so that He would say, (v. 14) "Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they." Moses entreated the Lord to relent from His anger, which He did.
Moses is pointing out that Israel was a stubborn (v. 9), "The LORD spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people.” rebellious nation (v. 24), “You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day I knew you.”
Moses further points out that it has nothing to do with any righteousness on Israel’s part (v. 6), “Know, then, {it is} not because of your righteousness {that} the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people”
Application – Philippians 3:8-9, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (v. 9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from {the} Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which {comes} from God on the basis of faith…” I know that nothing that I have done has given me any reason to boast, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; (v. 9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Once against it’s all God. God made us, sustains us, and saved us. Just like Israel, God did it all for them. God remained faithful to His covenant with Israel even when He wanted to remove them from the face of the earth. I’m sure there were many times God wanted to give up with me, but (Philippians 1:6), “{For I am} confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
It’s just an awesome reality that my existence and salvation is depended upon God and not me, because if it were up to me, I would have been disqualified a long time ago.
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