God Calling Israel to Depend on Him
This theme runs powerfully throughout Scripture. From the wilderness wanderings to the warnings of the prophets, God continually calls Israel to trust Him, not horses or chariots, alliances or idols. Here are a few examples:
Deuteronomy 8:2–3 —
“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness… that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart… that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
Isaiah 30:1–3 —
“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine… who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction… Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame.”
Hosea 11:1–2, 7 —
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son… Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk… My people are bent on turning away from me…”
Psalm 20:7 —
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
Zechariah 4:6 —
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
Even in the future, the Tribulation serves to break Israel’s self-reliance and bring the remnant to finally cry out:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:39, cf. Zechariah 12:10).