Warnings And Promises (7:1-26)
Neal Pollard
The previous chapter contains two truths expressed by Jesus when confronted by the devil–“don’t test God” (6:16; Matt. 4:7) and “worship only God” (6:13; Matt. 4:10). These are typical of the warnings and admonitions filling this fifth book of the Bible. In the 26 verses of this chapter, you encounter the phrase “you shall” sixteen (16) times! Most of these contain warnings about actions that would do them spiritual harm. You also see the word “will” used as a promise some 21 times, all but one of these stated as a hoped-for blessing God pledges to fulfill as they obey Him.
James Smith summarizes this chapter as being what Israel would need to remember in Canaan: (1) who the enemy was (1-5), (2) what her identity was (6-8), (3) who her God was (9-11), (4) what the key to blessing was (12-16), (5) the power of God (17-21), (6) what the plan of God was (22-24), and (7) what the command of God was concerning pagan images (25-26)(498). All of these forewarnings would have relevance and application during the conquest and the days that followed it. Let us adapt his points of identification in analyzing chapter seven.
They must destroy the indigenous inhabitants to possess the land (1-5). It is widely thought that listing seven nations was the inspired Moses’ way of speaking of totality or completeness. We will encounter additional peoples in the book of Joshua. According to Numbers 26, Israel’s army numbered 601,730 at the end of the wandering period. Whatever the population of Canaan was, it was larger than this (1). God warns them not to try and peacefully coexist with them. As those who did not fear God, the natives would draw them away from Him and this would be their undoing! God promised to defeat these people for Israel, and God did not want them being pulled down into sin by any type of associations.
They must embrace why they were special (6-8). True, they were God’s chosen. But it was not because of anything within themselves that made them better than the Canaanites. God says that their specialness was due to God’s initiating His choice to love, deliver, and protect them because of His character and His overarching plan. They did not deserve His love or their special status. How powerfully this illustrates the truth today for Christians in the midst of this world. We are indeed special (1 Pet. 2:5,9), not because of ourselves but because of His grace.
They must grasp the greatness of their God (9-11). Moses lists several pertinent attributes of God that would aid the Israelites in their pending battles. God is unique, faithful, trustworthy, merciful, just, and sovereign. All of this would work in their favor if they obeyed Him, as Moses is about to explain.
They must claim the blessings and promises God would give (12-16). As they listened to, kept, and did these things He commanded that were right, they would experience the fountain of blessings from God’s hand–love, blessings, proliferation, material blessings, health, and deliverance. Though these promises would often make them arrogant, that was an unfortunate misinterpretation of God’s goodness. He blessed them so that, in gratitude, they would serve Him. God’s blessings are not meant to be merely consumed in self-service, but used in the service of God and others (see the Macedonians in 2 Cor. 8).
They must fear God and not the world (17-21). Moses urges them not to be like their faithless parents, too fearful to conquer these enemies. They were to measure their greatness against the greatness of God. Seeing this way, they would perceive that it was no content. Only God is great and awesome (21)!
They must trust God’s perfect plan (22-24). He had been involved in the gradual clearing of these natives, and by so doing He was preserving the land and making the inhabiting of it more favorable for Israel. Yet, He would also so thoroughly defeat them that they and all others would know that there’s no God like Jehovah! Because of Him, “no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them” (24)!
They must keep themselves pure (25-26). God looks back to the original giving of the ten commandments and focuses on the danger of coveting the idols of the people. However it attracted them, they must be clearheaded about it. These things were snares and abominations to be detested and abhorred.
At the heart of this was God’s divine directions for how to interact with the world. Jesus would transform our mission among the lost, that we conquer them with the cross and subdue them with the security of salvation. Yet, now as then, we are to be transformed and not conformed to the world (Rom. 12:1-2). We must overcome them with God’s love, not be overcome by the influence of worldliness (Js. 4:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). Why? Among many reasons is the greatness of God and the gift of God’s love. Nothing can compare to that.
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