Join us on Sunday at
8:30am, 10:00am & 6:00pm

Deuteronomy 7-11 – The Unavoidable Reality Of God

Deuteronomy 9:1-21

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Deuteronomy 7-11 – The Unavoidable Reality of God

How could a loving God ever command Israel to completely destroy the Canaanites?

Deut 7:2, “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.”

Deut 9:3, “Be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them.”

Passages that shock us

The context of Deuteronomy 7

What were the Canaanites like?
Deut 9:4

Do they deserve total destruction?
“Destroy them totally” might not be exactly a literal expectation
eg v3 – do not marry them, drive the other nations out before you

Still a confronting passage
Deut 7:6ff – God’s treasured possession
Deut 9:6 “Understand then that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff necked people”

Deuteronomy 8:1 … be careful to follow every command
verse 2 …remember
verse 6 … observe
verse 11 … do not forget

YHWH is unavoidable … everyone is accountable to him.

For us today

  1. God is still going to judge sin
    Heb 9:27, “Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgement.”
    John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
    Firstly, prepare for the day when we will stand before the judgement seat of God.
    Secondly, we urgently need to tell others of Jesus offer of forgiveness.
  1. Recent science has not disproved the Christian story
    Don’t adopt superficial interpretations of God’s word.
  1. Take Christian living seriously