Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7: God chooses and keeps His people

Begin in prayer

Before learning why God chose Israel, let us put away pride in our own importance. Ask Him to show our family His faithful love and teach us undivided loyalty.

You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.

Psalm 44:2

Father in heaven, Your love comes from Your own gracious heart. Help us hear Your commands and understand the seriousness of turning away from You. Draw us to Christ and teach us to reject the idols that compete for our trust. Please open our eyes as we read Your Word, make us more like Christ, and bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The LORD will bring Israel into a land occupied by seven stronger nations. He commands their destruction and forbids agreements that would draw Israel into worshipping their gods. Israel’s small size explains nothing about God’s choice, which rests on His love and His oath to their fathers. He promises covenant blessing and tells them to remember His power in Egypt. The land will be taken little by little, and even the precious metals on idols must be rejected.

As you read Deuteronomy 7, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God chooses His people in love and commands their undivided loyalty.

God’s choice gave Israel a holy identity and a serious calling. He loved them because He loved them, remaining faithful to His promise to their fathers. They could claim no greatness that made them worthy of His choice. God forbids marriages and treaties with these nations because they would lead Israel to worship other gods. Following those gods would bring Israel’s swift destruction, for the LORD destroys those who hate Him. These nations served other gods and would turn Israel's sons away from Him, and He repays those who hate Him. Blessings concerning crops, children, and health belong to this covenant with Israel in the land. God also governs the pace of conquest, protecting the land from multiplying wild animals.

How does Deuteronomy 7 show us that God chooses His people in love and commands their undivided loyalty?

God’s love begins with God.

Israel was smaller than other peoples. The LORD chose them because of His love and His oath to their fathers. God chose them because He loved them. Their size had nothing to do with it.

God calls His people to loyalty.

The nations’ worship would draw Israel away from the LORD. Treaties and marriages could carry that danger into their homes. God required the destruction of the idols, including their valuable silver and gold.

God’s power answers His people’s fear.

Israel might fear nations stronger than themselves. Moses reminds them what the LORD did to Pharaoh and Egypt. The same God would go before them and order the conquest in His time.

Memorise

Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 7:6

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, what idol do I love that only Jesus can free me from?

God tells Israel He chose them “because Yahweh loves you”. Their hope began with His faithful love. That love also made their rejection of Him a grave sin.

Jesus brings a better covenant, secured by His own obedient life and sacrifice. At the cross He bore the punishment His people deserved for their disloyalty. He rose again, and His sacrifice once for all secures their forgiveness and acceptance.

You cannot make yourself worthy of God’s love. Turn from every rival god and come to Him with empty hands. All who trust Him are welcomed into God’s people and called to belong to Him with an undivided heart.

Parent's note

Tell your children plainly that God commanded the destruction of these seven nations as His judgment on their sin and their gods. Please explain in your own words that this command was given to Israel for these nations in this land. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for His faithful love, and ask Him to expose the idols named by the heart question. Every child can pray, so give each one an opportunity to speak.

By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant.

Hebrews 7:22

Father in heaven, thank You that You choose Your people in love and keep them. Bring us to Jesus, whose finished work secures salvation for all who trust Him. Expose the idols we cherish, and teach us to turn from them with undivided loyalty to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.