Deuteronomy Chapter 7

This chapter is about a rehashing of the driving out of the native peoples that lived in the Promised Land. It names all the conquered peoples that the Israelites went through to get to the Promised Land. Remember, the ancient Israelites DID, in fact, displace those peoples that they didn’t completely unalive. On that note, we hope you enjoy this read.

When God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land & drove out many nations. The Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, & Jebusites, were 7 nations that were bigger & stronger than the Israelites. When God gave the Israelites the victory, the Israelites defeated them & completely destroyed them. The Israelites showed no mercy, gave no quarter (to the men), or made any treaties with these nations.

The Israelites couldn’t intermarry with ANY of the above-named peoples/nations. They couldn’t give their daughters (the Israelites) to be married to any of those peeps (conquered peoples). Nor could the Israelites take the conquered peoples’ daughters for the Israelite sons. Because they’ll turn away from the Israelite god to serve other gods. God’s gonna get big mad & QUICKLY destroy them.

The Israelites had to tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles, & burn their idols with fire. Because the Israelites were a people holy to the Israelite god. The Israelite god has chosen the Israelites out of all people on the face of the earth to be His people.

God didn’t set His affection on the Israelites & chose them because they were more numerous than other peoples. It was because God loved them & kept His oath with their forefathers that He brought them out of Egypt (oh, that’s why, huh?). Know that God is God, He’s faithful, keeping His covenant of love to 1,000 generations of those who love Him.

If they paid attention to the laws & followed them, God would love them & bless them, increasing their numbers. All their numbers, babies, crops, livestock. The Israelites would be blessed more than any other people. No man/woman would be childless, this applies to their livestock too.

God is also hooking up the Israelites with free healthcare. He kept them from EVERY disease. He wouldn’t inflict the horrible diseases they knew in Egypt. But He would inflict them on all who haters.

They had to destroy all the people that God put before the Israelites. They couldn’t show them pity or serve their gods.

The Israelites might get scared. But Moses reminds them to not be afraid because God knows what He’s doing. Because God’s a “great & awesome God.”