Deuteronomy 7:17-26: a reflection

17If you shall say in your heart, “These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?” 18you shall not be afraid of them. You shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20Moreover the LORD your God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left, and hide themselves, perish from before you. 21You shall not be scared of them; for the LORD your God is among you, a great and awesome God. 22The LORD your God will cast out those nations before you little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the animals of the field increase on you. 23But the LORD your God will deliver them up before you, and will confuse them with a great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under the sky. No one will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. 25You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. 26You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it. You shall utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing.

Israel is about to face nations stronger and more numerous than themselves, and God anticipates their fear: If you say in your heart, these nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them? Do not be afraid of them. And he gives them a remedy for the fear: remember well what the LORD did to Egypt, the great deliverance your eyes saw. And he adds that he will drive out the nations before them not all at once, but little by little. Two things steady them: remembering God's past deliverance, and knowing he works gradually.

Notice the two remedies for fear before overwhelming odds. First, remembering: when the nations seem too strong, remember what God did to Egypt, the deliverance you have already seen. The God who delivered before can deliver again; past deliverance is ground for present courage. And second, patience: God will not drive them out all at once, but little by little. The victory would come gradually, not in a single overwhelming moment; and that gradualness was itself for their good.

Both remedies speak to us when we face what seems too big for us. When we are afraid before overwhelming odds, we can steady ourselves by remembering God's past deliverances, the times he has already brought us through; the God who delivered before can deliver again. And we can take heart that God often works little by little, not all at once, so that we need not see the whole victory in a single moment. When you face what seems too big for you, do not be paralyzed by fear; remember what God has already done for you, and let past deliverance give you present courage. And do not despair if the victory comes only gradually; God often works little by little, as he promised Israel. Remember his past faithfulness, and trust his gradual working, when you face what seems too great for you.

Lord, as Israel faced nations stronger than themselves, you anticipated their fear and gave two remedies: remember what I did to Egypt, and know that I will drive them out not all at once, but little by little. Let both steady me when I face what seems too big for me. When I am afraid before overwhelming odds, help me remember your past deliverances, the times you have already brought me through; you, who delivered before, can deliver again, and past deliverance is ground for present courage. And help me take heart that you often work little by little, not all at once, so that I need not see the whole victory in a single moment. When I face what seems too big for me, keep me from being paralyzed by fear; help me remember what you have already done for me, and let past deliverance give me present courage. And keep me from despairing if the victory comes only gradually; you often work little by little, as you promised Israel. Help me remember your past faithfulness, and trust your gradual working, when I face what seems too great for me. Steady me with memory and patience, Lord.