If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
The verse records the inward, fearful question arising in the heart, that the nations to be met were more in number and greater in strength, and how they could possibly be driven out and dispossessed. That fear was not to be yielded to, but was to be met with trust in covenant faithfulness and divine guidance, and with obedience to the commandments rather than reliance on human judgment. Such trust was to come by remembering what had been done to Pharaoh and to Egypt, when Pharaoh with his chariots and horsemen was destroyed and a path was made on dry land for Israel to walk through.
The surrounding chapters set forth what was required of the ancient people in order that they might be a holy people to Himself, with commandment-keeping required to a thousand generations. Obedience was the condition of promised blessing and prosperity, and of life and strength and power to overcome greater enemies. To the obedient He will give victory and blessing, and the tried commandment-keepers will be brought into the heavenly city where there will never be a second rebellion.
The chapter is instruction from God to be read in full, together with Deuteronomy 1 and Deuteronomy 8, as a warning and lesson written for admonition for those living at the end of the world upon whom the ends of the world are come. Deuteronomy 4-8 is to be studied with profit now, because the day of the great final review is near, when the people of this world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds. The present is the time of investigation, when before that day every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.
The verse records the inward, fearful question arising in the heart, that the nations to be met were more in number and greater in strength, and how they could possibly be driven out and dispossessed. That fear was not to be yielded to, but was to be met with trust in covenant faithfulness and divine guidance, and with obedience to the commandments rather than reliance on human judgment. Such trust was to come by remembering what had been done to Pharaoh and to Egypt, when Pharaoh with his chariots and horsemen was destroyed and a path was made on dry land for Israel to walk through.
The surrounding chapters set forth what was required of the ancient people in order that they might be a holy people to Himself, with commandment-keeping required to a thousand generations. Obedience was the condition of promised blessing and prosperity, and of life and strength and power to overcome greater enemies. To the obedient He will give victory and blessing, and the tried commandment-keepers will be brought into the heavenly city where there will never be a second rebellion.
The chapter is instruction from God to be read in full, together with Deuteronomy 1 and Deuteronomy 8, as a warning and lesson written for admonition for those living at the end of the world upon whom the ends of the world are come. Deuteronomy 4-8 is to be studied with profit now, because the day of the great final review is near, when the people of this world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds. The present is the time of investigation, when before that day every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.