“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.”
My Notes
What Does Deuteronomy 31:3 Mean?
"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." Moses announces the DOUBLE ADVANCE: the LORD will go over BEFORE you (divine advance) AND JOSHUA will go over before you (human leadership). The TWO go together: God goes first. Joshua follows. Both go BEFORE the people. Both PRECEDE the community into the Jordan and the conquest. The divine and the human leadership BOTH advance ahead of the people.
The phrase "the LORD thy God, he will go over before thee" (YHWH Elohekha hu over lefanekha — the LORD your God, He crosses before you) makes GOD the FIRST to cross: before the army, before Joshua, before the nation — GOD crosses the Jordan. The divine presence PRECEDES the human entry. The God who goes BEFORE is the God who encounters the enemy FIRST. The advance-guard is DIVINE. The point-man is GOD.
The "Joshua, he shall go over before thee" (Yehoshu'a hu over lefanekha — Joshua, he crosses before you) adds the HUMAN leadership: Joshua goes before the people — AFTER God, but BEFORE the nation. The order is: GOD first, JOSHUA second, PEOPLE third. The human leader stands BETWEEN the divine advance and the people's following. Joshua's position is INTERMEDIARY — behind God, ahead of the people.
The "as the LORD hath said" (ka'asher dibber YHWH — as the LORD has spoken) grounds the transition in DIVINE SPEECH: the Joshua-appointment isn't Moses' idea. It's GOD'S declaration. The leadership-transition was SPOKEN by the LORD. The change from Moses to Joshua is DIVINELY AUTHORIZED. The word of God establishes the succession.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Who goes before you — and is it God first, then human leadership, then you?
- 2.What does GOD crossing first teach about the divine advance preceding every human entry?
- 3.How does Joshua's intermediary position (behind God, ahead of people) model human leadership?
- 4.What divine authorization ('as the LORD hath said') grounds the leadership-transitions in your life?
Devotional
GOD will go before you. JOSHUA will go before you. The double advance: divine point-man AND human leader, both crossing AHEAD of the people. God first. Joshua second. The people third. The order is: divine advance, human leadership, community following.
The 'LORD thy God, He will go over before thee' makes GOD the FIRST across: before any soldier's foot touches the Jordan, GOD'S presence crosses. The divine goes AHEAD. The encounter with the enemy is GOD'S encounter first. The conquest is GOD'S conquest first. The crossing is GOD'S crossing first. The people follow into territory GOD already entered.
The 'Joshua, he shall go over before thee' adds HUMAN LEADERSHIP to the divine advance: Joshua doesn't replace GOD as the point-man. Joshua follows GOD as the human leader. The position is INTERMEDIARY — behind the divine advance, ahead of the people's following. Joshua's leadership-model is: follow GOD and lead the people. The human leader's job is to stand in the gap between the divine advance and the community's march.
The 'as the LORD hath said' grounds the SUCCESSION in divine authority: Moses isn't just recommending Joshua. GOD appointed Joshua. The transition from Moses to Joshua is DIVINELY SPOKEN — authorized by the same voice that spoke from Sinai, that commanded the Exodus, that established the covenant. The leadership-change has DIVINE AUTHORITY behind it. The succession isn't political. It's prophetic.
Who goes before YOU — and is it GOD first, then the human leader, then you following?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the Lord shall do unto them as he did unto Sihon, and to Og, kings of the Amorites,.... Deliver them up into their…
Loth to part (we say) bids oft farewell. Moses does so to the children of Israel: not because he was loth to go to God,…
will go over before thee Deu 9:3, where also there follows (with much else) as here, he will destroy, thou shalt…
Cross References
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