Bible study · Deuteronomy 9:1-29
Deuteronomy 9: Not for your righteousness
Read Deuteronomy 9:1-29 before you meet.
In a few lines
Moses tells Israel not to say, "For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in" (9:4), and proves it with the calf. Deuteronomy adds what Exodus doesn't: he went without bread or water both times (9:9, 9:18), the LORD was angry enough to destroy Aaron and Moses prayed for him (9:20), and his plea never pointed to the people's goodness (9:27).
The verse to carry
“Know therefore that the LORD your God doesn’t give you this good land to possess for your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
Deuteronomy 9:6
To talk about
1. Moses warned, "Don’t say in your heart… ‘For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in’" (9:4). When things go well for you, what do you catch yourself saying in your heart about why?
2. Aaron made the calf, and Moses says, "I prayed for Aaron also at the same time" (9:20). Who is someone you'd find it hard to pray for right now, and what might it look like to pray for them this week?
3. Before Israel crossed, Moses told them to remember how they had failed: "Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath" (9:7). How can remembering where you've failed keep you humble without crushing you?