Dealing with our enemies and God's enemies. Is there a difference?

Deuteronomy Chapter 7: The Command to Conquer Canaan

Deuteronomy 7:1-26 – Highlights of The Passage and Some Thoughts

In verses 1-2, Moses identifies all the seven nations that God will clear out of the way and have the Israelites destroy them as they take over the promised land to possess it. He points out that they are all “greater and stronger” than Israel. The sons of Israel were to make no peace deal or covenant with them, nor show them any favor.

These were the enemies of God. As Christians, we have to justify that approach with Jesus’ command to “love your enemies”. How do we do that? Is it possible to think of ‘enemies’ in two different ways?  First, nations that are ‘anti-God’ in every respect as in the case of the seven nations that Israel defeated. Second, our own personal ‘enemies’ – the mean neighbor next door, the terrible boss at work, the person who broke into our house and shot our loved one, etc. There may be other ways to do this, and if so, please share them with us.

More specifically, how do we do it now that we no longer have further written words from God after the writing of the book of Revelation in the first century A.D.?

In verse 3, the Israelites are told not to allow any intermarrying between themselves and God’s enemies, lest doing so would cause them to eventually serve other gods (verse 4). Instead, God wants the Israelites to destroy every aspect of the heathen religions that they find standing (verse 5).

Verses 6-11 relate some very key aspects of God. God had chosen Israel to be a holy people for His own possession out of all the nations on the earth. One often wonders why God would do that – not chose Israel so much but choose any nation as His own. Why not treat us all alike? I can think of two reasons: First, God knew, that in time, He would need to send the world a Savior and that Savior had to come from some lineage. He used Israel. Second, God wanted to show all mankind what a Father-child relationship should be like – and He chose Israel as His child (His children) for that purpose. With them, given their disobedience, He could show His ultimate love. Perhaps you can think of other reasons more valid. If so, please share them with us.

Chuck Smith has an interesting take on this:

Now some people get upset about the fact that God chooses but you really shouldn't. God has every right to choose who He wants to associate with even as you have the right to choose who you want to associate with. Why should I deny God the rights that I want for myself? There are some people I don't choose to associate with at all. Not that I'm snobbish or anything else but their lifestyles are so diverse from mine; there's nothing that we could share in common. I really choose not to have any fellowship, close fellowship, with people who smoke cigars. I can't stand the smell. Now I have that right to choose not to get in a car and be polluted. And God has a right to choose who he wants to associate with. That doesn't bother me at all. It thrills me to think that He chose me, that He chose to associate with me. That is what really excites me. You say, "But that isn't fair if God chooses not to associate with some people".

I don't know if it's fair or not but that's the right that God has and He has exercised that right. And who are you to challenge the fairness of God? You say but, "He may not have chosen me". "Oh, how do you know?" "Well, I'm not a Christian." "Well, why aren't you a Christian?" "I don't know. I've never seen a need to be one." "Well, do you want to be a Christian?" "No."

And I add, “Well, maybe that’s why He didn’t choose you.”

In verse 7, Moses reminds Israel that they weren’t chosen for their strength and numbers – in fact, they were the weakest and the smallest. But rather because He loved them and kept His promise to their forefathers (vs. 8). That’s why He brought them out of slavery and Egypt. And that should tell the Israelites that God is faithful, keeps His words and covenants, and shows His lovingkindness – now get this – to a 1,000^th generation – with “those that love Him and keep His commandments”. How great is that! Makes us want to count up all the generations since He made that covenant with Abraham to see if we’re all still okay. We are. But the condition is still there – to “those that love Him and obey His laws”.

But look at what happens to others. In verse 10, we are told “God repays those who hate Him to their faces” and He won’t delay it. We could well ask about the meaning of “to their faces” and we could well debate about His not delaying. Certainly, God will not be “slack” with His enemies. He will deal with them in His own good time. And verse 11, Moses sees that this knowledge should be enough to cause the children of Israel to keep God’s Laws.

Then all the blessings for doing so are listed in verse 13 – the Israelites will grow in number, they will bear children, but they will also be successful in their farming and ranching. But there’s more. In verse 14, we are told they will be blessed “above all peoples”. And here comes the closer I had never noticed before – “there shall be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle”.  Now, that’s big. I tried to look up some infertility rates by country – they are not to be found. If you do, please let me know. I do not think that we should be thinking here that not a single woman (or man) would be infertile in Israel ever.  That’s not what God was saying. He was assuring them that overall, they would grow in their numbers and find joy in reproducing offspring. And I believe that is still the case for many Jews today. And the same was to be true for illnesses among the Israelites as described in verse 15.

[Why do I believe that is what these verses mean and that they are not to be taken literally – meaning every single man and woman, and every cattle; or that no one would ever have an illness? Well, I look at the style of the writing elsewhere. For example, we read that these enemies being discussed here were to be “utterly and totally destroyed”. Well, if that is the case, then there would be no need for God to warn the Israelites about intermarrying with them as He does through Moses. But rather, some women, some men, would be saved and not utterly destroyed in the military takeover. Do see what I mean about how we are to consider Moses’ account of God’s message to us through him?]

In verse 17 onwards, Moses cautions them against doubting what God can do, and what they could do with God. There is to be no fear because of what God had done, was doing, and would still do for them. And in verse 21, we have these words, “You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”

Verse 22 talks about God doing all this for the Israelites on His own schedule and in this case, not all at once, but little by little, so that the wild beasts left wouldn’t overtake the Israelites. Robert Jamieson has this to say on that:

“The omnipotence of their Almighty Ruler could have given them possession of the promised land at once. But, the unburied corpses of the enemy and the portions of the country that might have been left desolate for a while, would have drawn an influx of dangerous beasts. This evil would be prevented by a progressive conquest and by the use of ordinary means, which God would bless.”

And in the last few verses of the chapter, they are reminded to get rid of everything that smacks of their heathen idolatrous religions and to be sure nothing of the sort is brought into their own homes. Do you get the idea that God’s anger with these nations was their heathen worship? I do. And I think that’s what is happening today around the world – so much worship of anyone and anything other than the real and only God Almighty. That’s true of major religions, national religions, the non-religious, and even individuals.

Wrap-up

This passage again focuses on the need to obey God’s Laws, to believe in His power and might, and to work with His schedule, not ours. It also assures of His faithfulness forever (‘1,000 generations’ is the phrase used). But we have to do our part – obey His laws. Even as Christians, we know that there are consequences to breaking God’s laws just as there are consequences to breaking civil laws. You run a red light or speed excessively, there’s a penalty or a consequence, if you get caught. Similarly, sin against God – idolatry, adultery, and so on – guess what, there’s a consequence because you are automatically caught.  God doesn’t ride around in police cruisers or need surveillance cameras or lie detector machines to convict you of your sin. He knows and you know. And while you may not lose your salvation, there is often a social, emotional, or even physical penalty to pay. Many of us know it.

The other key part of this passage for me is an affirmation that we need to stand up and speak out against those among our nation, or in our world, who are true enemies of God. I don’t know exactly what that means for each of us, but I know that we can no longer be silent.  What’s your take?  Please respond to the post you clicked on to read this, or please leave a comment right here below in the comment section.

Till next time, fear not.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.