Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
You are not going in to take their land because you are righteous or because your heart is upright. Instead, the LORD your God is driving these nations out ahead of you because of their wickedness, and so that he can keep the promise he made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God is reminding Israel that they're receiving the Promised Land not because they deserve it, but because of God's faithfulness to his promises and because of the other nations' sins.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is delivering a farewell speech to the Israelites as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness due to their disobedience. He stresses that their possession of the land is not earned through their own righteousness but is a result of God's judgment on the wickedness of the Canaanite nations and His commitment to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This context underscores God's sovereign plan in history, showing that He acts according to His character and covenants, not human merit.
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