“…with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves…” Deut. 4:37-38
“When the LORD your God brings you into the land … and clears away many nations before you …nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves …” Deut. 7:1
“Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to disposses nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of Anakim … Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you.” Deut. 9:1-3
Do you see the emphasis in these passages? Moses reminded the Israelites time and again, that it was only God’s mighty hand that gave and would continue to give them the victory over nations that were mightier, more powerful and more numerous than they. They were able to defeat peoples in heavily fortified cities with walls “up to heaven” and even nations inhabited by giants, purely because of their God. Moses was relentless in reminding Israel of the marvelous deeds the LORD had already performed on their behalf, against insurmountable odds, in conquering nations for His people on the east side of the Jordan.
Surely they would be encouraged by the power and faithfulness of God to step out in faith and obedience to take possession of the inheritance He had promised on the west side of the Jordan. What an amazing time in Israel’s history! God Almighty had enabled this fledgling nation to do what was against all odds. Through Jehovah’s power and strength, Israel was doing what would have been inconceivable on their own. They were weaker, less numerous, less skilled than their foes and, as desert nomads, they were certainly not afforded the protection of fortified cities…some of which were inhabited by giants! All put together, the odds for Israel to experience any kind of victory against these pagan nations was clearly stacked against them.
But the nation of Israel had something no other nation had…more accurately, they had SOMEONE. The LORD God Almighty, the Lord of hosts, was on their side … and that made ALL the difference! As the LORD God promised to go before them and battle on their behalf, victory was certain. The so-called “human advantages” which their enemies seemed to possess, such as military skill, army size, fortified cities or even giants, were no match for the power, presence and greatness of Israel’s God. Despite the fear, insecurity, anxiety and uncertainties that the people surely must have wrestled with, Israel’s part was simply to remember who their God was, believe in His promises, step out in faith and obedience and continue to walk in trust as they conquered nations and took possession of the land.
Much like Israel before crossing the Jordan, aren’t we all facing unprecedented challenges these days with the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic? Doesn’t it sometimes seem like the odds are now stacked against us? How many are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and struggling with the reality of job loss, the stock-market plunge, local business shut-downs and unavailability of essential goods? Who isn’t tempted with the fear of contracting the virus or who isn’t affected by the stress of social distancing and isolation from family, loved ones and friends? Don’t our circumstances sometimes seem insurmountable … greater and more numerous than anything we’ve ever faced before? It’s easy to feel the dread of defeat when we consider the frailty of our own human efforts and ingenuity against such “giants” as this spreading pandemic, unprecedented economic plunge, sky-rocketing unemployment, and basic shut-down of society as we’ve come to enjoy. This is exactly where the Israelites were as they realized they were no match against their enemies with their giants, fortified cities and vast armies before them.
So what was the answer? How would their leader encourage and strengthen their hearts to face what was ahead? Moses knew that their ONLY hope would be the LORD. These continual reminders pointing Israel to the greatness, power and faithfulness of their God were crucial given the challenges ahead. Moses did not waste time trying to pump up their egos by pointing to any skills they might possess, asking them to reach deep into their inner resources of wisdom and grit or any other useless human effort. Over and over, Moses reminded the people of their God…His power, His ability to give them the land, His mighty hand, His presence, His creative battle strategies and His divine interventions that would make a way for them. The obstacles the nation faced were real … they were daunting, even fearing for their own lives. But none of these challenges were a problem for their God!
So it is with us in this pandemic. We all desperately need the Lord!! We will not make it without Him. We all need to be faithful in continually pointing each other to the greatness, the ability, the creative genius of our God and His divine enablement to do the impossible on our behalf in these unprecedented times. The odds may seem stacked against us and the giants are real but they are no match for the LORD Almighty!! In the same way that the Lord went before Israel in the conquest of the promised land, He goes before each of us today … and tomorrow, and the next day. His power and ability to do the impossible and to make a way where there seems to be no way has not changed one iota! And just like Israel, we need to remember who our God is, to believe in His promises, step out in faith and obedience and continue to walk in trust as we face the obstacles before us. This pandemic and all that it brings is no match for our God!
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