(24) Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.--This is one side of the truth. The other may be found in the words of Balaam, which Jehovah Himself put into his mouth: "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor seen perverseness in Israel" (Numbers 23:21). (See also Deuteronomy 31:16.)

9:7-29 That the Israelites might have no pretence to think that God brought them to Canaan for their righteousness, Moses shows what a miracle of mercy it was, that they had not been destroyed in the wilderness. It is good for us often to remember against ourselves, with sorrow and shame, our former sins; that we may see how much we are indebted to free grace, and may humbly own that we never merited any thing but wrath and the curse at God's hand. For so strong is our propensity to pride, that it will creep in under one pretence or another. We are ready to fancy that our righteousness has got for us the special favour of the Lord, though in reality our wickedness is more plain than our weakness. But when the secret history of every man's life shall be brought forth at the day of judgment, all the world will be proved guilty before God. At present, One pleads for us before the mercy-seat, who not only fasted, but died upon the cross for our sins; through whom we may approach, though self-condemned sinners, and beseech for undeserved mercy and for eternal life, as the gift of God in Him. Let us refer all the victory, all the glory, and all the praise, to Him who alone bringeth salvation.You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you. Either from the time he first had and took knowledge of them and visited them, before his departure from Egypt to the land of Midian; (see Exodus 2:11 compared with Acts 7:25); or from the time that he was sent to them to deliver them out of Egypt; see Exodus 5:20 and especially from the time he brought them into the wilderness.