Deuteronomy 7:2, commentary and pictures

When the Lord delivers the nations before Israel, Israel is to strike them and utterly destroy them, make no covenant, treaty or alliance with them, show them no mercy, make no marriages with them, and destroy their altars, break their images, cut down their groves and burn their graven images. Israel is addressed as a holy people set apart and chosen to be special above all people, not because of number, size or merit but because God loved them, kept the oath to their fathers, and redeemed them from bondage under Pharaoh, as the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments. The command was given to protect Israel's safety and happiness by preventing alliances and intermarriage from turning them and their children away to serve other gods, and because those nations were firmly devoted to idolatry, had ample opportunity to repent yet persisted in rebellion, so their destruction was demanded by both love and justice. The ban on covenants was applied after the exile in refusing the Samaritans' offer to join in rebuilding the temple, yet the restriction was meant to prevent conforming to heathen practices, not to command shutting away from the world, as the Jews misinterpreted it in building a wall of separation, and the principle continues to the end of time in keeping a clear distinction and avoiding alliances that compromise the covenant with God. Deuteronomy 7 is to be studied to prepare for God's great final review when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity, and the command belongs to His charge to obey fully, for when Christ comes the gates of the holy city are opened for the nations that have kept the truth, while no one who would not keep His commandments will be brought in.

Command and Its Context

When the Lord brings Israel into the land to possess it and casts out many nations before them and delivers those nations before Israel, Israel is to strike them and utterly destroy them, making no covenant, treaty or alliance with them and showing them no mercy. The ban extends to making no marriages with them, and to destroying their altars, breaking their images, cutting down their groves and burning their graven images.

The one commanding this is Christ as Israel's invisible leader, guide and protector speaking from within the pillar of cloud, the same physician who later healed the sick in Palestine.

Israel is addressed as a holy people set apart and chosen to be special above all people, belonging to God. This choice was not because of number, size or merit, but because God loved them and kept the oath sworn to their fathers, redeeming them from bondage under Pharaoh king of Egypt. He is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments and repays those who hate Him, and Israel is called to know that He is God, to honor Him, and to bring character into harmony with Him.

The command was given to protect Israel's safety and happiness by preventing alliances and intermarriage from turning them and their children away from following God to serve other gods, which would kindle the Lord's anger to destroy them suddenly. It guarded their minds from being displaced by attractive groves, shrines, temples and altars, and it preserved them as an obedient people whose worship and way of life would reveal God's character. Their obedience would bring prosperity and enable their influence to spread true religion as His kingdom extended over the earth.

The nations to be dispossessed were firmly devoted to idolatry in the land God had assigned to Israel, and their heathenism would have obstructed Israel's purpose to preserve and spread true religion. They had ample opportunity to repent and had witnessed evidence of Jehovah's power and holiness, yet persisted in rebellion and defiled the land. Their destruction was therefore an act of divine wisdom and goodness demanded by both love and justice, fulfilled in the destruction of Jericho.

Separation Without Isolation

The ban on making any covenant or alliance with the surrounding peoples, and on showing them mercy, forbade intermarriage because it would turn Israel and their children away from God to serve other gods and bring judgment upon them. After the exile the returned leaders applied that ban by refusing the Samaritans' offer to join in rebuilding the temple. They did so because an alliance with idol-worshipers would have opened the way to idolatry and violated God's instruction, since the Samaritans' worship of idols made such a union contrary to His command. By that refusal they kept the distinction between God's people and those who would not obey His law unmistakably clear, counting faithful obedience of more value than help gained through compromise. Israel had been chosen as a holy and distinct people, and covenant with idolaters would have drawn them into idolatry and kindled God's anger to their destruction.

The restrictions on association with idolaters were placed to prevent conforming to heathen practices. They did not command shutting away from the world to escape temptation to idolatry, nor did they excuse Israel from becoming the light of the world. The Jews misinterpreted the command to build up a wall of separation between Israel and all other nations. They came to regard Jerusalem as their own heaven and grew jealous lest the Lord should show mercy to the Gentiles.

The principle applies to God's people to the end of time, teaching them to keep a clear distinction from those who reject His law and worship idols. They are to guard themselves against worldliness and against mingling with surrounding nations in alliances that compromise their covenant relationship with God. Their prosperity and influence depend on continuing faithfully in that relationship, for obedience brings blessing and enables their worship and way of life to reveal His character as His kingdom extends over the earth. Israel was commanded to dispossess nations firmly devoted to idolatry and to take the land God had assigned them as part of that plan for an obedient people.

Final Review and Reward

Deuteronomy 7, especially verse 6, together with chapters 4 through 8, is to be studied to prepare for God's great final review. It shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself, and it must stand before the Judge of all the earth when the people of this world answer for their deeds. The present is the time of investigation, when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity. The word of the Lord in verse 2 is to be read with the whole of chapter 7 and with chapters 1 and 8, for it is written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Then the Lord rises to do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act, with a consumption determined upon the whole earth.

The command belongs to God's charge that His people obey Him fully and keep His commandments and covenant to a thousand generations. God has respect to the obedient, and His blessing rests on them for doing this work. When those generations are brought in, Christ comes for His people, the living servants of God who have served Him are translated to heaven, the dead are called forth and raised, and they see the King in His beauty. Then the gates of the holy city are opened for the nations that have kept the truth to enter in. No one who would not keep His commandments in this world will be brought in, neither father nor mother nor children to spoil the heavenly courts, for heaven has had one rebellion and will never have another. Only tried commandment-keepers who love God supremely will have a welcome into the golden city by Christ Jesus.