If you should say in your heart, “These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?” — you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:17-18)

It is an unfortunate truth, but throughout Israel’s existence, they have habitually chosen to fear man more than they feared God. Of course, men like Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar and others have been more than happy to demonstrate why God’s people should fear them more than the Almighty. This was especially true in those times when Israel was threatened by or, even worse, under the heel of such men and could not fight back. In the face of this constant fear, God reminds them that they are not to be afraid of the nations because, when it serves His purpose, He can overturn those nations just as He did with Egypt.

In the case of Egypt, not only did He destroy their mighty men but He also delivered unto Israel the weapons that had been “formed against them.” According to Josephus, when God destroyed Egypt in the midst of the sea, Moses and the people of Israel gathered all of the Egyptian weapons that washed ashore. In other words, Divine Providence intervened to ensure that, not only were Israel’s enemies eliminated, but Israel was provided with weapons that they might not be defenseless in the event of future wars. So then, as they prepared to face the inhabitants of Canaan, many of the weapons they carried into battle were very likely those inherited from the dead Egyptians. In short, God told them, “When you go to war against the Canaanites, remember when and how you got the weapons you’ll be fighting with.”

All of this is to say that, because God has been faithful to deliver the enemies of His people into their hands, there is no need to fear those who oppose us. Moreover, our fear of God must overwhelm our fear of man. And so then, if men are always eager to demonstrate why they must be feared, perhaps the time has come for God to demonstrate why we should fear Him more than man. It seems appropriate to close with these words from Yeshua: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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