Deuteronomy 9:5
“Not for your righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
What does Deuteronomy 9:5 mean?
Moses is telling the Israelites something humbling right before they enter the promised land: don't think you're getting this land because you're so good or righteous. God isn't rewarding your moral superiority. Instead, God is removing the nations ahead of you because of their own wickedness, and because God keeps promises made long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The point is to deflate any pride they might feel and remind them they're receiving grace, not payment for good behavior. This matters because it prevents a dangerous spiritual trap: the assumption that we get what we have because we deserve it, when actually we receive blessings through God's faithfulness and mercy.