Holy Race Privileges Series

Theme: Holy People - Privileges

Text: Deuteronomy 7:1-10

Greetings: The Lord is good and His love endures forever!

In our family prayer, now we are reading the Song of Songs or the Songs of Solomon. I just looked at her and said this we could have done when we were young couples, by then we didn’t have time now we don’t have mood. So, the readings brought a lots of Spiritual meanings and strength.

1. Deuteronomy 7:1-5: You shall conquer them (v.2)

You shall conquer your enemies. The word of the Lord came to Israel through Moses and reminded them that they were weak, powerless, but chosen by God with a special privilege. This privilege had come to them because of the Love of God and because they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The promise to them was that they would conquer the most powerful seven nations, such as, the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, who were larger and stronger than Israelites. These nations have been long rooted in Canaan but Israel came as strangers. These nations were well organised and had a treaty with one another for idolatry, immorality, and wickedness. They were more in numbers, men were much more bulky and more expert in war. However, all this shall not prevent their being cast out before Israel because the Lord is the LORD of HOST (Mathew Henry).

“Hittite” means terror, dread, fearfulness. Girgashites means dwelling in clayey soil, unstable and who run from the power of God. Amorite means self-exaltation, fame-seekers, seekers of human glory and greatness. Canaanite means a trafficker, a peddler, lover of money and covetousness. Perizzites means unprotected, an unwalled village, an unguarded opening in your life. Hivite mean tent-dweller or conflict lifestyle, conflict with the Kingdom of God. Jebusite means to trod down with the feet, to trample, to put your foot on the neck pollution and defilement of the temple (body, soul, and spirit). 

Moses made the children of Israel to acknowledge that the seven nations of the Canaanites were greater and mightier than Israel. At the same time they were not greater and mightier than Yahweh, the LORD, the covenant God of Israel(David Guzik).

These nations are greater and stronger in numbers, stronger in military capability and ability to defend against attack of Israel who were less trained in military forces. Israel must understand that they can’t rely on their finite might, weak arm of flesh, but they have to yield to and depend on the infinite, all-powerful arm of Jehovah to defeat their enemies.

They had to recall their experience of conquering power of Yahweh in the land of Egyptians. Egypt was so powerful nation among the nations on those days, when Israel was budding. So, here ‘Israel might know the bounds and limits of their commission’(Mathew Henry).

One thing is sure that the seven nations listed did not acknowledge the sovereignty of Yahweh. Moreover they had occupied the land of Canaan, which Yahweh allotted to Abraham and to his descendants Isaac, and Jacob, and these redeemed slaves (Thomson). “The Lord himself would therefore drive them out and deliver them over to Israel, who would defeat them.” (Merrill). God’s people are also motivated to conquer anything that would damage their relationship of love with God. We need to conquer self, and carnality. We need to conquer the WORLD which is full of Lusts, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of Life.

The judgment of God over the nations would be carried out in due time, but the Lord would like to use Israel to carry out his judgement upon these nations, so Israel became an instrument of judgment (David Guzik). Hence, Moses uses the word “When” instead of “if” ‘When the LORD your God delivers them over to you, destroy them’.The Lord communicated very clearly that there is no compromise, and let them not go free. We can conquer by the power of the Blood, and by the power and victory of Jesus Christ. To whatever extent the believer is active in this battle, to that extent they can “occupy” and live in what God has granted to them.

2. Deuteronomy 7:6-7: A Holy Race (v.6)

"For you are A HOLY PEOPLE to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”(Deuteronomy 7:6).

As we read the word chosen, we are excited and elated. The word chosen means chosen for a task or a vocation with a special privilege. God had selected people of Israel to be instruments not only to Judge the nations but to sanctify the earth. Their election was not simply to enjoy the privilegesbut to serve God.