Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Deuteronomy 7
Deuteronomy 7:6"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."
This verse establishes Israel's core identity. They are a people set apart by God for a special purpose. They belong to Him as His treasured possession.Deuteronomy 7:9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
Here, Moses reminds the people of God's fundamental character. He is completely reliable and keeps His promises, showing steadfast love to those who follow Him.Deuteronomy 7:17-18If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt,
Historical & Cultural Context
On the Brink of Promise and Peril
The book of Deuteronomy captures Moses' final words to the nation of Israel. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, a new generation stands on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to enter the land God had promised them. This is a passionate sermon meant to prepare their hearts and minds for the challenges ahead. It is more than a history lesson. Moses is renewing the covenant, reminding them of God's law and their unique calling before they face the temptations of a new land.
A Divine Call for Spiritual Purity
The land of Canaan was not empty. It was inhabited by multiple nations whose cultures were steeped in idolatry and practices that God considered abominable. The commands in this chapter, though harsh to modern ears, are presented as a form of spiritual surgery. God's primary concern was protecting His people from the spiritual cancer of pagan worship, which He knew would destroy their relationship with Him and their unique identity as His holy people.
Instructions for a Holy Nation
In Deuteronomy 7, Moses delivers God's instructions for the conquest of Canaan. This is a spiritual blueprint for how Israel must live as God's chosen people in a land filled with moral and spiritual dangers. It is more than a military strategy. The commands are direct and uncompromising, highlighting the absolute necessity of remaining distinct from the idolatrous cultures they are about to encounter.
A Radical Command for Separation (Deuteronomy 7:1-5)
1 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you,"
2 and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.
3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons,
4 For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
Commentary:
God commands Israel to completely remove the Canaanite nations and their idols to prevent spiritual compromise.
The Reason for the Calling (Deuteronomy 7:6-11)
6 "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."
7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
10 but repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.
Commentary:
Israel is God's treasured possession, chosen not for their strength but because of God's love and faithfulness.
Related Verse Analysis
The Blessings of Obedience (Deuteronomy 7:12-16)
12 And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.
13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.
14 You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock.
15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
16 And you shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
Commentary:
Faithful obedience to God's commands will result in comprehensive blessings, including prosperity, health, and growth.
Conquering Fear with Faith (Deuteronomy 7:17-26)
17 If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’
18 you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt,
19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.
20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed.
21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.
22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.
23 But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed.
24 And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.
25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.
26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.
Commentary:
God reassures Israel not to fear their stronger enemies, reminding them of His past power and promising to fight for them.
God's Love, Israel's Loyalty
The Holiness of God's People
To be 'holy' means to be 'set apart.' God called Israel to be distinct from all other nations, not for the sake of arrogance, but to be a reflection of His own holy character to the world. This required a different way of living, worshipping, and relating to others, all centered on their relationship with Him.
God's Electing Love
This chapter makes it clear that God's choice of Israel was an act of pure grace. It was not based on their population, power, or moral superiority, but solely on His sovereign love and His faithfulness to His promises. This theme shows that a relationship with God begins with His initiative, not human merit.
The Danger of Spiritual Compromise
The severe warnings against intermarriage and idolatry highlight how seriously God takes spiritual loyalty. He knows that trying to worship Him while also tolerating other gods leads to a divided heart and eventual abandonment of faith. The commands for destruction were a radical measure to protect the heart of Israel's relationship with God.
Living Set Apart in a Modern World
While we are not called to physical conquest, you are called to be spiritually set apart. This means your values, priorities, and choices should be shaped by God's Word, not by cultural trends. It involves actively removing modern 'idols' from your life - whether it's the pursuit of wealth, status, or comfort - that compete for the devotion that belongs to God alone.
This truth is incredibly freeing. It reminds you that your relationship with God is founded on His unconditional love and grace, not on your performance or abilities. When you feel inadequate, remember He chose you. When you feel proud, remember it was His choice, not your achievement, that brought you into His family.
When you face a challenge that feels too big, Deuteronomy 7:18 gives you a practical step: remember. Look back on the times God has been faithful in your life and in the lives of others throughout Scripture. Recalling His past deliverance builds your faith and shifts your focus from the size of your problem to the greatness of your God.
Chosen by Love, Called to Loyalty
Deuteronomy 7 reveals that God's relationship with His people is founded on His sovereign love and unwavering faithfulness. Because He has chosen them as His treasured possession, He calls them to a life of exclusive devotion and holiness. The message is both a comfort and a challenge: God's love is a free gift, but it demands a response of wholehearted obedience, trusting His commands are for our ultimate protection and good.
What This Means for Us Today
The call to be a holy people is an invitation into a unique and protected relationship with God. It's not about earning His love, but about responding to it by intentionally removing whatever compromises our devotion. This chapter invites us to examine our own lives and choose to live fully for the God who first chose us.
- What influences in my life compete for the loyalty that belongs to God alone?
- How can I remember God's past faithfulness when I feel overwhelmed by present challenges?
- In what practical way can I live as 'set apart' for God this week?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter precedes the commands of chapter 7 with the foundational call to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might (the Shema).
Following the warnings about Canaanite influence, this chapter warns Israel not to forget God once they become prosperous in the new land.
Connections Across Scripture
In his farewell address, Joshua echoes Moses' warnings from Deuteronomy 7, urging the people not to mix with the surrounding nations.
The Apostle Paul applies the principle of separation spiritually, calling believers not to be 'unequally yoked' with unbelief but to be a holy people for God.
This chapter shows the painful consequences that occurred when Israel ignored the commands of Deuteronomy 7 and intermarried with foreign peoples.
Discussion Questions
- The command to 'devote them to complete destruction' is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament. How can we understand this command in light of God's justice against deep-seated evil and His desire to protect His people?
- What are the modern-day 'altars,' 'sacred pillars,' and 'carved images' that can become a 'snare' for us, turning our hearts away from God?
- Deuteronomy 7 links obedience directly to blessing. How does the life and work of Jesus change our understanding of this principle, especially when we fail to obey perfectly?