Read Deuteronomy 7:1–11
Questions from the Scripture text: What will YHWH their God do for them (v1)? What will He do to whom else? How do these seven other nations compare to Israel? What will YHWH enable them to do (v2)? What must they not do for them? What must they not do with them (v3)? What would intermarriage cause (v4)? And how would YHWH respond? What must Israel make sure to do (v5)? Why, what are they unto YHWH (v6)? And what had He done for/to them? What was not the reason that YHWH chose them (v7)? What were the two reasons (v8)? And what has YHWH done for them because of those reasons? What must they therefore know about Him (v9)? What does He keep? Whom does He repay (v10)? How? What must Israel, therefore, be careful to do (v11)?
Why should God’s people choose Him? Deuteronomy 7:1–11 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s people choose Him, because He has chosen them in love.
There’s a great danger in the land, but it isn’t those great and mighty nations (v1), whom YHWH will enable Israel to destroy (v2a). The danger is Israel’s own sinfulness, in which they are prone to serve other gods (v4) and/or worship in ways devised by man (v5). If they intermarry with them, or leave any of their worship preferences intact, Israel will incur God’s wrath by breaking the first and second commandments.
So, they have a choice between covenanting and covenant love with the nations (v2b, more literal than NKJ) and the God Who keeps covenant and covenant love with those who love Him (v9, same vocabulary). Why should they choose YHWH? He has chosen them. Not for anything good in them, but setting His love on them (v7), because of the love that is in Him, in which He has made promises to them (v8a), which He has kept in redeeming hem (v8b). He is the God of steadfast love (v9a), Who displays His character both in redeeming those whom His grace makes to love Him and obey Him (v9b) and in destroying those who hate Him (v10).
Because this is Who He is, they should choose Him. And, their keeping God’s commandment, statutes, and judgments by His grace is a necessary component of His redeeming them.
Where is the danger that threatens you, if you identify with and join yourself to the world? Why should you choose the Lord? Why would He choose you?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for choosing us in Your everlasting love. Please give us to choose You over the world. Give us to love You with our lives, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH434 “A Debtor to Mercy Alone”
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