“The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.”
Deut.31:3;
Discussion
Here, we hear Moses telling the Israelites that God would go before them to destroy the enemies in the lands they were going in to possess. You would think that this meant that a mighty destroying Angel was going to be laying waste to these nations, or that a pillar of fiery cloud would go ahead of them and consume all these nations. Instead, we hear Moses make a following statement; Joshua will go before you. Thus, God is leading you by the hands of Joshua to annihilate these nations and bring you into your possession. Learn wisdom here; God works by men and through men.
When God tells you; "I have gone ahead of you to favour you", it means he has sent or positioned someone to favour you. This is one reason to be deliberately kind and respectful to all men. Many have missed God's best for them by disrespecting men. God works in men to act according to His purpose (Phil 2:13). In Deut.2.24, God says He had given over the king of Heshbon and his land to Israel, but the way this was to be manifested is by Joshua and his army going in to do battle with that king of Heshbon.
Understanding the language of God is key to following His instructions in life. Just because God says He has given you something does not mean you should cross your legs, sit back and do nothing. If you do nothing, you'll get nothing. When grace is given, action is required. Many have misunderstood grace like that, thinking that grace means you doing nothing. (See Paul's explanation of grace that produces results; 1Cor.15:10). Grace therefore does not exempt from labour, but empowers you to labour more fervently and productively. That's God's language; "I have given you, now go and fight for it! Summarily, the Scripture teaches to recognize that God works through men. So, be wise. Be kind to all men.
Shalom Uvracha!
Confession
I walk in love and kindness to all men. I have received grace. Therefore, I labour more fervently and more productively. I never give up on divine purpose. Nothing dies in my hands; nothing fails in my hands! Hallelujah!