Read chapter 9
Moses continues in the chapter of his exhortation remember the sins of the wilderness. He tells them they are about to cross over the Jordan and defeat the Anakim of what the ten spies were so afraid of. The configuration of the first verse can be punctuated like so read more like, "Hear, O Israel today..." as it wasn't that very day that they crossed over the Jordan and entered the land. This was to emphasize in hearing him right now, right this moment of the promise and what was to happen. Jesus uses this form of speech as well when he says in Luke 23, "Assuredly I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Depending on where you put the comma changes when this did or will happen and is not something we know for sure yet when this took or will take place.
Now the Anakim were the part man part angle people, as we read of many peoples like these back in chapter 2. It was well know apparently that no man could defeat them as the saying spread throughout many nations of 'who can stand before the descendants of Anak?' Anak was a well know descendant of the nephilim after the flood (Gen. 6) and we can read about him and his descendants in Numbers 13.
Moses represents the strength of the enemies they were now to encounter. This was to drive them to God, and engage their hope in him. He assures them of victory, by the presence of God with them. He cautions them not to have the least thought of their own righteousness, as if that procured this favour at God's hand. (Matthew Henry)How is Christ your strength of enemies you encounter that seem undefeated? We must remember it is not of ourselves, our own strength, our own righteousness but it is for wickedness that God drives them out.
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