Deuteronomy 9:7-24

Deuteronomy 9:7-24

[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.  [8] Also in Horeb  the LORD  to wrath,  so that the LORD  was angry  with you to have destroyed  you. [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.  [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.  [13] Furthermore the LORD  spake  I have seen  this people,  and, behold, it is a stiffnecked  people:  [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  [15] So I turned  and came down  from 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. [17] And I took  the two  tables,  and cast  them out of  my two  hands,  and brake  them before your eyes.  [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.  [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  [20] And the LORD  was very  angry  with Aaron  to have destroyed  him: and I prayed  for Aaron  also the same time.  [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,  as dust:  and I cast  the dust  thereof into the brook  that descended out  of the mount.  [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.  [24] Ye have been rebellious  against the LORD  from the day  that I knew 

What does Deuteronomy 9:7-24 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Moses provided ample evidence of Israel"s stubbornness. Again he called the Israelites to remember their past ( Deuteronomy 9:7). He gave their rebellion at Horeb extended attention in this address because it was a very serious offense. They followed reception of God"s greatest blessing, the revelation of Himself and His will, with immediate apostasy.
"The very finger of God [1]. This is a double figure of speech (1) in which God is ascribed human features (anthropomorphism) and (2) in which a part stands for the whole (synecdoche). That Isaiah , God, as Spirit, has no literal finger nor, if he had, would he write with his finger. Rather, the sense is that God himself-not Moses in any way-was responsible for the composition of the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:16; Exodus 34:1)." [2]
"To "blot out the name" [3] Isaiah , in the context of covenant disloyalty, tantamount to the Lord"s termination of his relationship with his people." [4]
Moses fasted for40 days and nights following the Golden Calf incident, neither eating bread nor drinking water ( Deuteronomy 9:18), which reflects his total dependence on God. Then Moses alluded to the failures at Taberah, Massah, Kibbroth-hattaavah, and Kadesh ( Deuteronomy 9:22-29). He did not name these in chronological order but in the order of their importance, proceeding from the lesser to the greater offenses. This presentation should have had great rhetorical and persuasive impact on Moses" original audience, and it should have the same effect on us. Moses also referred to God"s faithfulness to His people in their failures that further demonstrated how wicked these sins really were.