Deuteronomy 7:1-8
1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Related Text:
Deuteronomy 8:18-9:5
Judges 2:10-23
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Colossians 4:4-6
1 Peter 2:1-12
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These type of verses make it sort of difficult to imagine God possessing mercy, compassion, and love. But consider this: during that time, other nations served other gods – just like today (for example-India serves the many gods of Hindu, Iraq serves Allah, and Thailand serves Buddha, etc.)
In the Old testament, Israel traveled through nations that served other gods. When one nation conquered another, it was proof that their nations god was more powerful. War was common, and if Israel didn’t kill other nations, they would have been killed or taken as slaves.
Today, those who believe in Jesus are considered a nation. They are in the process of being made like Jesus. There will come a day when those people being made like Jesus will be separated from those who have rejected this transformation. Jesus’ people will be with Him forever.
