Brian Clough was probably one of the greatest football managers that this country has ever seen. With his assistant Peter Taylor, he was notable for finding players who fitted right into the teams he managed. He might not have had a team of superstars, but with Peter Taylor’s scouting ability and his tactics, he created top class teams that won many of the top trophies in English and European football! I suppose you could say that his team were a testament to his management ability, and that’s pretty much what we have here where Israel and the Lord are concerned, as Israel success was to testify to God’s laws and rule!

The theme of material blessing in verses 1-6 continues in verses 7-8. In verse 7 we see that Israelites are to be granted protection and superiority over their enemies. This is reflected in verse 1 where it talks about God giving them a position or great status over the nations. The language used makes it clear that the Lord’s protection will make Israel invincible as: ‘They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.’ (v7). What is clear here is that Israel was not to be a warmongering nation, there would be no wars except at the Lord’s command, but that God would give them  protection. Verse 8 returns to the theme of material blessing in that God would provide good harvests and continue to bless them in the land that He was providing.

The first theme that we looked at in verse 1 returns again in verses 9-11. Israel was to be a witness to the nations. They would be a special a: ‘holy’ (v9) people, which means ‘set apart for’ or ‘devoted’ to the Lord. This was only possible if they kept God’s commandments and did not deviate from them, (v9). If that was their practice then it would be the most amazing witness to the nations as it would be clear that they were God’s people, ‘called by the name of the LORD’ (v10) and as such, they were to be protected by Him. The surrounding nations would then fear them as it would be clear that their abundant prosperity was from God (v11).

The last part of this section with its theme of blessing (vs12-14) makes the point that it will be God who provides the rain and not some pagan deity like Baal. Verse 12 emphasizes this by the terminology it uses. In the Canaanite religion it was believed that Baal lived in the sky and literally opened a window of his palace or temple to let the rain fall upon the earth. Hence, Moses uses a similar picture to make it clear that the Lord is going to be the one who provides the rain and not Baal, so the people would not be tempted to believe such stories.[1] Once again there is a reference that Israel will prosper through lending money to various nations but not borrowing from any as God would give them a position as leaders not followers (v13). The condition was that they were to be careful they followed God’s Law as only that way would they stay on top in any league of nations. Verse 14 reinstates that they are not to turn aside from any of the commands not: ‘to the right hand or the left’ (v14) and they were not to give any other god the time of day!

We might again ask ourselves why all this repetition? But the answer is obvious, as human beings we have a nasty tendency to forget stuff like this and I do not believe we have changed much in 3000 years!  We need to constantly come back to the promises of God. That is why daily Bible study is so important. For example, if we are to carry out our work or business effectively during the day we need a good breakfast and proper nutrition throughout the rest of the day to do so. So, if we are to serve the Lord each day we need to read His word to know His mind as found in His Law and to follow it!  This and this only will make us ready for the work that God has for us. Christopher Wright sums up this section by drawing attention to this, as he writes: ‘the purpose of God blessing this people is ultimately so that God bless all the peoples on earth.’[2] When it is put like that, daily living is quite a challenge as we are to be ‘fit for purpose’ so we are ready to witness to the lost people around us!

[1] John D Currid, Deuteronomy, an EP Study Commentary (Evangelical Press, Darlington, 2006) 337.
[2] Christopher Wright, Deuteronomy, New International Biblical Commentary. (Massachusetts, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 1996), 281.