Deuteronomy 7
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CHAPTER 7
Driving Out the Nations (7:1–26)
1–5 Moses here repeats commands he has given before about driving out the Canaanites and avoiding treaties and intermarriage with them25 (see Exodus 23:23–24,31–33; 34:10–16 and comments). Moses also tells the Israelites that they must not merely subjugate the Canaanite tribes but they must destroy them totally26 (verse2). If Canaanites remained in the land they would seduce the Israelites to follow their gods—which, as we know from Israel’s later history, happened with increasing frequency.
6 See Exodus 19:5–6 and comment.
7–11 Here again Moses affirms the ultimate reason behind all of God’s care for the Israelites: He loved them (verse 8). Earlier Moses had said that God loved their forefathers (Deuteronomy 4:37); now that love is extended to all their descendants.
Did Israel deserve God’s love? Did Israel earn it? Was Israel a particularly righteous nation? No, absolutely not (see Deuteronomy 9:4–6). The Israelites were originally a tiny group of seventy mostly unrighteous refugees who came to Egypt looking for food (Genesis 46:27). They soon were made slaves. And even though they eventually grew to two million people (Exodus 12:37), they were still smaller than the seven nations they were told to drive out of Canaan (verse 1).
No, God simply loved the Israelites, just as He had loved their forefathers. Because of His love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God made covenant promises to them and to their descendants. And God would always be faithful to keep those covenant promises (verse 9). We are further told in verse 9 that God’s covenant with Israel was a covenant of love. Let no one think that the God revealed in the Old Testament is any less loving than the God revealed in the New Testament; they are the same God—a God of love.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God (verse 9). He will love whom He will love (Exodus33:19). He will deal with human beings on the basis of His own nature and character. Because He is a God of love, He will show love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands (see Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10). But, because He is also a God of holiness, He will punish those who hate Him (verse 10), who deliberately disobey Him and rebel against Him (see Exodus 34:4–7 and comment).
God loved us first; but He expects us to return that love. If we consciously reject His love and turn away from His commands—that is, if we “hate” Him—then He will surely punish us. Therefore, take care to follow [His] commands (verse 11).
12–14 See Leviticus 26:3–13 and comment.
15 The LORD will keep you free from every disease. Here Moses states that if the Israelites follow God’s laws (verse 12), they will not get any disease. Some people say that if we get a disease, it’s proof we have sinned or have no faith (which is also a sin). These people thus add guilt to the physical burden the sick person is already bearing.
Moses’ statement here seems to go against common experience. Devout believers get sick; tiny infants get sick; at some point everyone gets sick and dies. People do not “just die”; something goes wrong. One or another vital organ stops working because of some disease process. So how are we to understand this verse?
Jesus taught that disease is not always caused by sin or unbelief; sometimes God allows a physical ailment to occur in order to achieve some broader good (John 9:1–3; 2 Corinthians 12:7–9). God may want to test us or discipline us (see Exodus 15:25–27 and comment).
Furthermore, none of us can perfectly follow all of God’s commands—especially those commands that relate to attitudes such as covetousness, anger, ingratitude, or a grumbling spirit. So the promise in this verse of total freedom from disease can never be fully realized; we can never completely meet the conditions. For example, in the book of Leviticus, it is acknowledged that there will be infectious skin diseases, and detailed instructions are given to ensure that they do not spread (see Leviticus 13:1; 14:1 and comments).
It is best to understand this verse as stating a general principle. The more we follow God’s laws the healthier we will be. Sins and sinful attitudes definitely cause many kinds of illness; this is a widely known medical fact. So in this verse, Moses is telling us that if we avoid sin, we can also avoid disease. But let us always keep in mind that there may be exceptions to this principle; God has purposes we are not always aware of. And let us never assume that a person’s sickness has been directly caused by sin, or that if the sick person would only “have faith” he or she would automatically be healed. Much harm is caused by “friends” who say such things.27
16 See verses 1–5 and comment.
17–19 See Deuteronomy 1:29–33 and comment.
20–24 See Exodus 23:27–30 and comment.
25–26 Here is a warning not to covet the gold and silver that may be contained in the images of false gods: such images must be destroyed completely and the gold and silver presented to the Lord. To take such gold and silver for oneself would ensnare the greedy person and lead to his destruction (see Joshua 6:17–19; 7:1,2026). Everything connected with a false god was detestable to the Lord (see Leviticus 11:11,13,43). Those who love God must love what He loves and detest what He detests.