Deuteronomy 7 Commentary

Deuteronomy 7 Commentary

Deuteronomy is nice because it gives us a glimpse into Moses’ understanding of the events of the Exodus. We also can see his view of the conquest of Canaan.

The Exodus was both a rescue mission and a military operation. It was a rescue mission because weak Israel was saved from the powerful Pharaoh. It was a military operation because Israel fought and conquered Egypt, albeit from a wheelchair! There was a higher power fighting for Israel!

This higher power would be available to ensure the conquest of Canaan is a walk in the park!

The Exodus is a battle against Pharaoh’s gods. The conquest of Canaan is no different. Israel must destroy evil altars in Canaan. The Exodus and the conquest of Canaan are spiritual battles where the losing gods walk away empty-handed – both head and tail cut off!

The instruction to totally destroy ‘Canaanite peoples’ may sound strange. But if you have taken the journey through the books of Exodus and Numbers, you discover that the LORD did the same to sinful Israel. The 600,000 men at the start of the journey were not the same as the 600,000 that ended the journey. All of them fell in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb, in an act of punishment.

Moses references God’s universal name as he encourages Israel to remain faithful. It’s that special combination again – justice and compassion combined!

While this chapter encourages faithfulness, it also unearths the key concept of salvation. Yes, it is a choice we make when we say yes to the love of God. But importantly, we are nothing and do nothing to deserve God’s love. Any grownup saint knows this!

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