Deuteronomy 7: A Call to Holiness, Remembrance, and Obedience
When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.
Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Deuteronomy 7 presents a powerful message of God's covenant love for Israel, intertwined with a stern warning against the dangers of idolatry and disobedience. This chapter serves as a critical reminder for God's people, then and now, about the importance of holiness, remembrance of God's faithfulness, and unwavering obedience to His commands. This section of Deuteronomy 7 is crucial for understanding God's expectations for His chosen people and the blessings that follow obedience.
The Conquest and the Command to Destroy
Deuteronomy 7:1-6 lays out a seemingly harsh command: the complete destruction of the nations inhabiting the Promised Land. Moses, speaking as if the conquest were already a reality due to God's unwavering promise, emphasizes that the Lord would deliver these enemies into Israel's hands (Deuteronomy 7:1). These nations, including seven more numerous and powerful than Israel, were to be utterly destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). While seemingly severe, this was necessary because of the deeply ingrained wicked and idolatrous practices of the Canaanites (see Leviticus 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 18:9-14). In this specific historical context, God's people were called to execute God's judgment against profound wickedness.
The rationale behind this command is further clarified by the warning against treaties and intermarriage (Deuteronomy 7:2-4). Allowing these nations to survive would inevitably lead to corruption, turning Israel's hearts towards other gods, provoking God's anger, and ultimately bringing His wrath upon His people. The only safeguard against the insidious spread of idolatry was the complete destruction of Canaanite idols (Deuteronomy 7:5). This underscores a fundamental principle: the Lord is a holy God, and therefore, His people are to be a holy people, living lives set apart for Him (Deuteronomy 7:6).
God's Love, Not Israel's Merit
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 provides a crucial counterpoint to any potential misinterpretation of Israel's chosen status. God did not set His heart on Israel because they were especially numerous or righteous (Deuteronomy 7:7). Instead, He chose them because He loved them (Deuteronomy 7:8). This passage serves as a profound reminder to Christians as well: salvation is not earned through special qualities or seeking God's help. It originates entirely in God's love, as exemplified in 1 John 4:10: "he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins." God's choice of Israel was an act of pure grace, setting the stage for His redemptive plan for all humanity.
The Faithful God and the Consequences of Disobedience
Deuteronomy 7:9-11 highlights the unique character of the Lord. He is the only true God, distinct from all the so-called gods of the nations. He is faithful, not only to bless those who love and obey Him but also to judge those who hate and disobey Him (Deuteronomy 7:9-10). Therefore, Israel's only wise course of action was to diligently keep the commands and ordinances that Moses was laying out for them (Deuteronomy 7:11). This principle remains eternally relevant. Our obedience is not a means to earn God's favor, but a response to His grace and a demonstration of our love for Him.
Blessings of Obedience and the Fear of the Lord
Deuteronomy 7:12-15 outlines the tremendous promises associated with obedience. God would keep His covenant loyalty with Israel, loving, blessing, and multiplying His people (Deuteronomy 7:12-13). These blessings extended to freedom from the terrible diseases they had suffered in Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:15). God would withhold no good thing from His people.
However, Deuteronomy 7:16-24 emphasizes that the price of blessing was obedience. This obedience included the destruction of the Canaanites and the rejection of their gods. Recognizing the people's fear of the Canaanites, Moses reminds them of God's powerful deliverance from Pharaoh and all of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:18-19). Even as seemingly weak Israel prepared to enter the future God had prepared for them, Pharaoh's mighty army lay defeated at the bottom of the Red Sea. Moses declares, "The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear. . . . Don't be terrified of them, for the LORD your God, a great and awesome God, is among you" (Deuteronomy 7:19, 21). The ultimate antidote to fear is a deep awareness of God's presence and power.
Avoiding the Snares of Idolatry
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 concludes with a warning against coveting and taking any of the spoils of the defeated Canaanites. Just as the gold in the tabernacle was holy because it was devoted to the Lord's service, the gold of the Canaanites was detestable because it was devoted to the images of their gods (Deuteronomy 7:25). The possessions of the Canaanites were to be devoted to destruction, a stark reminder that anything associated with idolatry is an abomination to God. The tragic account in Joshua 7:1-26, where an Israelite disobeys this command, causing harm to his fellow Israelites and ultimately paying the ultimate price, serves as a sobering illustration of the consequences of disobedience.
Deuteronomy 7 is a powerful call to holiness, remembrance, and obedience. It reminds us that God's love is the foundation of our relationship with Him, and that our obedience is a response to His grace, not a means to earn His favor. By remembering God's faithfulness and diligently obeying His commands, we can experience the fullness of His blessings and avoid the snares of idolatry that can lead to destruction.
When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.
Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Deuteronomy 7 presents a powerful message of God's covenant love for Israel, intertwined with a stern warning against the dangers of idolatry and disobedience. This chapter serves as a critical reminder for God's people, then and now, about the importance of holiness, remembrance of God's faithfulness, and unwavering obedience to His commands. This section of Deuteronomy 7 is crucial for understanding God's expectations for His chosen people and the blessings that follow obedience.
The Conquest and the Command to Destroy
Deuteronomy 7:1-6 lays out a seemingly harsh command: the complete destruction of the nations inhabiting the Promised Land. Moses, speaking as if the conquest were already a reality due to God's unwavering promise, emphasizes that the Lord would deliver these enemies into Israel's hands (Deuteronomy 7:1). These nations, including seven more numerous and powerful than Israel, were to be utterly destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). While seemingly severe, this was necessary because of the deeply ingrained wicked and idolatrous practices of the Canaanites (see Leviticus 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 18:9-14). In this specific historical context, God's people were called to execute God's judgment against profound wickedness.
The rationale behind this command is further clarified by the warning against treaties and intermarriage (Deuteronomy 7:2-4). Allowing these nations to survive would inevitably lead to corruption, turning Israel's hearts towards other gods, provoking God's anger, and ultimately bringing His wrath upon His people. The only safeguard against the insidious spread of idolatry was the complete destruction of Canaanite idols (Deuteronomy 7:5). This underscores a fundamental principle: the Lord is a holy God, and therefore, His people are to be a holy people, living lives set apart for Him (Deuteronomy 7:6).
God's Love, Not Israel's Merit
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 provides a crucial counterpoint to any potential misinterpretation of Israel's chosen status. God did not set His heart on Israel because they were especially numerous or righteous (Deuteronomy 7:7). Instead, He chose them because He loved them (Deuteronomy 7:8). This passage serves as a profound reminder to Christians as well: salvation is not earned through special qualities or seeking God's help. It originates entirely in God's love, as exemplified in 1 John 4:10: "he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins." God's choice of Israel was an act of pure grace, setting the stage for His redemptive plan for all humanity.
The Faithful God and the Consequences of Disobedience
Deuteronomy 7:9-11 highlights the unique character of the Lord. He is the only true God, distinct from all the so-called gods of the nations. He is faithful, not only to bless those who love and obey Him but also to judge those who hate and disobey Him (Deuteronomy 7:9-10). Therefore, Israel's only wise course of action was to diligently keep the commands and ordinances that Moses was laying out for them (Deuteronomy 7:11). This principle remains eternally relevant. Our obedience is not a means to earn God's favor, but a response to His grace and a demonstration of our love for Him.
Blessings of Obedience and the Fear of the Lord
Deuteronomy 7:12-15 outlines the tremendous promises associated with obedience. God would keep His covenant loyalty with Israel, loving, blessing, and multiplying His people (Deuteronomy 7:12-13). These blessings extended to freedom from the terrible diseases they had suffered in Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:15). God would withhold no good thing from His people.
However, Deuteronomy 7:16-24 emphasizes that the price of blessing was obedience. This obedience included the destruction of the Canaanites and the rejection of their gods. Recognizing the people's fear of the Canaanites, Moses reminds them of God's powerful deliverance from Pharaoh and all of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:18-19). Even as seemingly weak Israel prepared to enter the future God had prepared for them, Pharaoh's mighty army lay defeated at the bottom of the Red Sea. Moses declares, "The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear. . . . Don't be terrified of them, for the LORD your God, a great and awesome God, is among you" (Deuteronomy 7:19, 21). The ultimate antidote to fear is a deep awareness of God's presence and power.
Avoiding the Snares of Idolatry
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 concludes with a warning against coveting and taking any of the spoils of the defeated Canaanites. Just as the gold in the tabernacle was holy because it was devoted to the Lord's service, the gold of the Canaanites was detestable because it was devoted to the images of their gods (Deuteronomy 7:25). The possessions of the Canaanites were to be devoted to destruction, a stark reminder that anything associated with idolatry is an abomination to God. The tragic account in Joshua 7:1-26, where an Israelite disobeys this command, causing harm to his fellow Israelites and ultimately paying the ultimate price, serves as a sobering illustration of the consequences of disobedience.
Deuteronomy 7 is a powerful call to holiness, remembrance, and obedience. It reminds us that God's love is the foundation of our relationship with Him, and that our obedience is a response to His grace, not a means to earn His favor. By remembering God's faithfulness and diligently obeying His commands, we can experience the fullness of His blessings and avoid the snares of idolatry that can lead to destruction.