God himself has, as with his own hands, driven out the peoples, the Canaanites. In an almost human image, it is said that God did it with his own hands. And yet, Joshua had to be brave, and God made use of Israelite soldiers. To be a co-worker of God and at the same time realizing that God works the victory is always an exciting combination. By conquering the nations and driving them out, room was created for God’s people, the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They received the Promised Land, Canaan.
Psalm 80:8–9 reads, You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.
We see an image here of a tree that grows deep roots and spreads out far. Initially, Abraham’s offspring was a small group, as we read in Deuteronomy 7:6–8, God has chosen you…it was not because you were more in number…you were the fewest of all peoples…the Lord loves you…
And in Deuteronomy 9:29, For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.
Further Deuteronomy 11:1–3 goes on to say, “You shall therefore…keep his charge, his statutes, his rules…and consider…his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did.” And lastly, Deuteronomy 26:8 “And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm…with signs and wonders.”
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free;