Journal Through the Bible: Week 27 Wednesday

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Deuteronomy chapter 7

Moses delivered an inspirational speech declaring the love of God for them and the blessings that would result if they loved Him in return.

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;  Deut. 7:7-9

Does God issue any commands?

• The people were told that God would help them destroy the 7 mighty nations that lived in the land and that they were NOT to make treaties with them including marriage contracts.
• The people were commanded to destroy all the idols of the Canaanites.

Does God make any promises?

• God promised that if they did not destroy the Canaanites and their idols but intermarried with these 7 forbidden nations God would punish them 
• God would be faithful to keep the covenant; He would love them and bless them if they kept it also.
• Moses told them of God's promise to keep all the diseases of Egypt from them if they followed His rules of purity.
• God would fight their battles for them.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• The people were told that Jehovah would fight their battles for them because they would not be able to defeat the enemy alone. Jesus fought our spiritual and physical battle also because we could not defeat our enemy, Satan, alone.
• Just as Israel was undeserving of God's love but they found grace in His sight and they became His chosen people, Christians are undeserving of God's love but have found grace in His sight and became His chosen people through the redemptive work of Jesus.
• Moses' speech is given to the people to encourage them prior to his death. It is similar to the speech given by Jesus to His disciples prior to His death which is recorded in John chapter 14.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• Verses 13 through 15 tell of the miseries of sin being taken away from the world of the Israelites when they inherit their land. They are reminiscent of the passages in Revelations that tell of all sickness, death, tears, and sorrow being taken away when the new world becomes the inheritance of the redeemed.
• God told the Israelites that all the miseries would be laid upon those who were foreigners and alien to His laws. The same will be true for those who do not have their citizenship in Heaven and the New Earth.
• Nothing that was an abomination to God was to be found in the land that He chose as His own. There will be nothing abominable in the eternal land where God promises to dwell with man forever.