Introduction - The controversial subject of ḥērem warfare

People are troubled by this call for the total obliteration of the inhabitants of Canaan (cf. also 2:24; 3:6; 7:2; Num. 21:12; Josh. 6:17–19; 1 Sam. 15:8).

The passage I just read is one of the most unpopular passages with unbelievers. Critics have called the conquest of Canaan an atrocity,¹ "barbarism,"² and even a "genocidal massacre."³ Michael Walzer calls the conquest of Canaan “the most problematic moment in the history of ancient Israel.”⁴ So I guess you are in for a treat - we will be dealing with the supposedly most problematic passage. Of course, it is not hard to see why unbelievers stumble here. But what is more sobering is how often professing Christians stumble here as well. And I really think a passage like this is a test of faith.

It is rare to find evangelical pastors preaching these texts with confidence nowadays. And when they do, many (not all, but many) preach them apologetically — not in the good sense of defending God’s Word, but in the bad sense of seeming embarrassed by it. The same is true in many academic commentaries. I did a quick survey of the 105 commentaries I own on Deuteronomy and many of them skip the passage almost entirely.⁵ How convenient. Others try to explain it away. Some argue that the Hebrew word ḥērem — which (admittedly) does mean something utterly devoted to God, either for destruction or sacred use — does not actually authorize the death of people, but it only authorizes the destruction of the idols. That's a very interesting theory. For example, R. W. L. Moberly says,

"Israel is indeed to carry out destruction—but the specified destruction is not of people but solely of those objects that symbolize and enable allegiances to deities other than YHWH (7:5). In other words, ḥērem is being presented as a metaphor for unqualified allegiance to YHWH...".⁶

But the problem with that explanation is that the book of Joshua simply will not allow it. As we saw when going through the book of Joshua, Joshua carries out this command in literal warfare. Deuteronomy 7 is not merely a metaphor for inner separation from idolatry. It is that, but it is not merely that. God really did command Israel to utterly destroy these nations. And if we are going to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, as Jesus said we must in Matthew 4:4, then we must not edit this passage, apologize for this passage, or soften this passage to make it sound less offensive to modern ears.

Liberals have sometimes claimed that this passage was not originally in the Bible, but was only added later by some redactors.⁷ They have no evidence of such a redaction. And that won’t work anyway because the New Testament treats these passages as inspired Scripture. One Roman Catholic claimed that God didn't really approve of this kind of warfare, but was accomodating himself to Israel's hardness of heart.⁸ In other words, this was Israel's idea, and God just went along with it. Others claim that Israel was just borrowing from pagan warfare customs.

But none of those approaches will work for a Bible-believing Christian. Why? Well, the New Testament treats the entire Old Testament as God's inspired and infallible Scripture. Jesus treats the books of Moses as God’s very words to us. And anyone who has read the Bible knows that the God of the New Testament is not a kinder, gentler deity who is embarrassed by the God of Sinai. No way! The book of Revelation, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, 2 Peter 3, and many other New Testament passages teach a final judgment far more comprehensive than the judgment against Canaan.

So we must begin where Scripture begins: this was indeed God’s command. But, we will see that it was not God's commands for ordinary warfare before Israel went into the land or after Israel conquered the land. It was a very special warfare, for a very special time, and was (at least in part) a symbol of the final judgment. It was not a standing rule for all nations. It was not even a standing rule for Israel throughout its history. It was certainly not a model for modern states. It was a unique, redemptive-historical act of divine judgment tied to Israel’s conquest of the land and to God’s election of Israel as His holy people. They were to be separated from the world and separated unto God.

God was not merely giving them military instructions. He was pressing the first commandment into the life of the nation: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Keep in mind that chapters 6-11 constitute God's exposition of and application of the first commandment, and then He will move on to His exposition of the second, third, fourth commandment, etc. So the first commandment means (in part) that Israel must not make peace with what God has marked out for judgment. Israel must not covenant with idolatry. Israel must not marry into apostasy. Israel must not leave the machinery of false worship standing.

So, before I begin to draw out the practical applications of this passage for us, I want to briefly explain why it was not at all unjust for God to command this ḥērem warfare.

Why ḥērem warfare was not unjust for God to declare.

Ḥērem warfare was quite different from God's normal prescriptions for warfare (eg., Deut. 20:10-15; 21:10; 1-2 Samuel, 2 Kings 6:8-23, Amos 1-2; etc.).

First, (as I have already mentioned) ḥērem warfare was not God’s normal prescription for warfare. For example, Deuteronomy 20:10–15 gives ordinary rules for Israel's wars against distant cities. Those cities were to be offered terms of peace - which they couldn't do with the cities of Canaan. Captives could be taken - which they couldn't do with the cities of Canaan. Cities were not automatically annihilated - as was commanded with the cities of Canaan. Other passages show that prisoners of war were to be treated with restraint and dignity - which they couldn't do in these unique battles. Even enemy soldiers could later be spared. For example, in 2 Kings 6:8–23, Elisha forbade the king of Israel from slaughtering the captured Syrian solders, and instead, instructed him to feed them and send them home. In other words, this ḥērem principle did not apply to nations outside of Israel. That by itself ought to give us pause to ask, "What unique thing is going on here?" It is clearly not a blank check for all human governments to do what they want with the lives of foreigners. No modern magistrate has the right to declare literal ḥērem warfare. Only God can authorize this kind of judgment (by direct, inspired revelation - which, the Bible prophesied would forever cease in AD 70), because only God knows the fullness of iniquity, only God owns life absolutely, and only God has the right to determine when a people’s cup of iniquity is full.

But even then, was God just in commanding Israel, even at that moment in redemptive history? That's what some people question. And the answer of Scripture is absolutely yes.

These Canaanites had become incredibly corrupt over the previous four hundred years, and that illustrates the incredible patience of God

You see, the Canaanites were not innocent villagers minding their own business until Israel suddenly invaded. Genesis 15:16 shows that God had waited four hundred years before bringing judgment. And God told Abraham why He was going to wait. He said, “For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” That is an astonishing statement. The Amorites were already wicked in Abraham’s day, but God did not immediately destroy them. He waited. He delayed. He endured their wickedness with patience. It's a marvelous testimony to God's patience.

Most critics focus on the destruction and completely ignore the four hundred years of patience.

And the wickedness of Canaan was not mild. Scripture repeatedly describes the Canaanites as corrupt, idolatrous, sexually perverse, violent, and defiling the land itself. Leviticus 18 says that the land vomited them out because of their abominations. Their culture was not merely “religiously different.” It was morally diseased to the core.

When I preached on Joshua, I mentioned a professor at Covenant College whose doctoral work involved Canaanite literature. She once told me that reading that literature was traumatizing to her soul. She said it portrayed a culture more depraved than the worst slasher pornography that is beginning to creep into American life. I will not describe those things from the pulpit. There are some cesspools Christians do not need to explore in order to know that God is right when He condemns them. I wish I had never explored them some thirty years ago.

But people object: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. But what about the children?” OK. That is a serious question, though it is often asked hypocritically by people who defend abortion. Still, Christians should be prepared to answer carefully. And that's why I've given you such detailed notes.

First, human courts have no authority to put children to death for the sins of their parents. Scripture forbids that. For example, Deuteronomy 24:16 says, "“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin." But God Himself has the right to take away the life of anyone at any time that He chooses. After all, He is the one who has given life. He owns life. He may remove life. In 2 Samuel 12:15, God struck David’s child. And the New Testament says the same thing. In Revelation 2:23, Jesus Himself said, “I will kill her children with death.” You see, God has rights that human judges do not have. Humans may never act as God.

Second, Scripture does not teach that children are morally innocent in the ultimate sense. Psalm 58:3 says, “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.” Any of you who have had babies, know this. Children are not innocent in God's court. Isaiah 48:8 says that Israel was “called a transgressor from the womb.” And here's the point - children need a Savior too. That is why covenant grace is so precious to us. We should not respond to this doctrine by criticizing God. We should respond by thanking God that He welcomes our children into His covenant and promises grace from generation to generation. Our children don't deserve it. It is pure mercy. When you understand human depravity, God's promises of grace to our children are astounding.

Third, knowing something of Canaanite culture (and I already mentioned, I too felt defiled by studying that in the past), it is possible that God spared many children from a lifetime of physical, psychological, and spiritual devastation. Robert Bowman suggests that even the youngest children in Canaan may already have been ravaged by abuse and disease and would otherwise have grown up scarred and likely to perpetuate the same cycle of corruption.⁹ Abuse of children started almost as soon as they were born. That does not make this passage emotionally easy, but it does remind us that God sees all factors, including factors we cannot see.

So the conquest of Canaan does not show that God is impatient. It shows the exact opposite. God waited four hundred years. He judged only when the iniquity of the Amorites was complete. And even then, as we will see, He showed mercy to many Canaanites.

God is sovereign to do as He wills (Rom. 9:21-24)

Third, God is sovereign. Romans 9:21–24 says:

21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God created all things. God owns all things. God sustains all things. Therefore God has absolute rights over all things. We do not sit above God as His moral evaluators. We stand beneath Him as creatures. If He gives life, He is generous. If He takes life, He is just. If He saves sinners, He is merciful. If He judges sinners, He is righteous.

The modern mind says, “No, God must answer to me because I don't like this doctrine.” But in Romans 3:19, Paul says that God gave the Scriptures (in part) so "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Unlike Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4:11), these nations did not repent (v. 10)

Fourth, God’s judgment was not inevitable in a fatalistic sense. Nineveh shows us that. Jonah announced, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Nineveh was a foreign nation just like the Canaanites. They deserved judgment, and God pronounced judgement on them in forty days. But Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. That story shows God’s incredible mercy to those who repent. He delights to spare repentant sinners. But unlike Nineveh, the Canaanite nations (as nations) did not repent, other than the Gibeonites.

Many Canaanites did receive mercy from God (like the Gibeonites, Caleb, Rahab, the Pelethites, Cherethites, etc.)

Fifth, even in the midst of ḥērem judgment, God showed mercy to individuals. Rahab was a Canaanite, yet by faith she was saved and became part of the line of Christ! Isn't that something? A Gentile in the line of Christ. The Gibeonites were spared. Caleb was a Kenizzite, yet he became one of the great heroes of faith. Uriah the Hittite was a faithful believer in a later generation. David’s bodyguards included Cherethites and Pelethites, who were Philistines that God warred against, and yet who became loyal servants. Ittai the Gittite was another faithful Gentile attached to David.

So this was not ethnic hatred, as some liberals falsely portray it. It was covenantal judgment upon idolatrous rebellion. The issue was not bloodline but worship. The door of mercy was open to those who came under Jehovah's covenant. And that should astonish us. The question is not, “Why did God judge so many?” The deeper question is, “Why did God save anyone?” Every Israelite sacrifice that they offered at the tabernacle was a substitute ḥērem that testified that Israel deserved death too. Apart from grace, Israel also deserved ḥērem.

Passages like this test whether you have genuine faith in God or not

Sixth, these stories are a test of our faith and loyalty to God. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the destruction of Canaan were perfect acts of justice. Questioning God's justice and fairness makes us the judge, rather than God. But Deuteronomy 32:4 says, "all God's ways are justice" - by definition. All God's ways are justice. If God does it, it is just. And to think otherwise is arrogance of the highest order because it puts our mind and opinions as the ultimate standard of the universe. Don't stumble over tests like this in the Scripture; embrace them and worship God through them; humble yourselves before God in them. Have faith that our God is righteous and just.

We all deserve ḥērem justice, and the real problem is not the problem of pain, but the problem of pleasure

Seventh, even if you don't think so, you too deserve the same ḥērem justice - the same ḥērem destruction. Everyone does. As Romans 3 says, "The wages of sin is death." To make exceptions is to edit God. John H. Gerstner, in his book, Repent or Perish, put this into perspective very well. He said,

If you recognize that basic Christian teaching [that all deserve hell because all are sinners], you’ll understand why I wrote a little primer entitled “The Problem of Pleasure.” We talk so much about the Problem of Pain. There’s no such thing as the problem of pain! You tell me how excruciating it is and I’ll still look you in the face and say there’s no problem. Why? Because we’re sinners. We deserve the eternal wrath of God. I don’t care who you are or where you are. That you are breathing at all is incredibly gracious. What needs explaining is not that there’s pain in the world. If there wasn’t any pain, we would have a problem. [The problem is] How can God be holy and this world be wholly sinful and there be anything but pain? It’s incredible that there is non-pain…. Why is anybody not suffering? That’s a problem! Christ solves that problem. Temporary freedom from pain is given you so that you may repent and not perish. The only answer to the problem of pleasure is that God is pleased to give hell-deserving sinners an opportunity to repent.¹⁰

That perspective changes everything. We stop asking, “How could God judge?” and begin asking, “Why has God been so patient with me?”

On the last day of history, Jesus will engage in a "holy war" against all the non-elect that will make this one pale by comparison (2 Thes. 2:5–10; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 19:11–21)

Finally, ḥērem points forward (not exclusively, but in part) to the final judgment. The conquest of Canaan was a historical type, or picture, or foreshadowing of Christ’s final victory over all His enemies. Revelation 19 pictures Christ riding forth in judgment. 2 Thessalonians 1 says that He will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God.” 2 Peter 3 says that the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire until the day of judgment.

So if someone rejects the justice of Canaan, he will almost certainly reject the justice of hell. But Scripture teaches both. And the final judgment will make the judgment of Canaan pale by comparison.

Therefore, Deuteronomy 7 is not an embarrassment at all. It is a warning. It is a type. It is a preview. It is a perfect revelation of the holy jealousy of God. And it is a call to repentance.

The structure of the chapter helps us to understand its relationship to the whole exposition of the first commandment (6:1-11:32)

Before I go through this passage phrase by phrase, it might be helpful to take a couple minutes to show you the connection to the rest of the chapter and the rest of the book. You may remember that chapters 6-11 give a practical application of the first commandment. Chapter seven applies the first commandment to Israel's loyalty to God in the land. And this chapter has a chiastic structure (as you can see in your outlines) of ABCDCBA with the central heart of the chapter (the D section) being verse 11, which says, "Therefore you shall keep the commandment [that's singular - the first commandment that He has been talking about - and then He goes on to all the rest of the commandments that flow from that first one], the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them." That logically ties in with the first commandment since that commandment requires ultimate loyalty to God alone.

The A sections ground the Ḥērem principle in God's election of Israel as His holy people. They are to be separate from the world and separated unto God. The B sections show that past and future victories are grounded in God's same elective love, not in their goodness. The C sections explain why their present conduct and future hope are grounded in the very character of their covenant God. So you can see that this chapter really does a good job of continuing the exposition of the first commandment.

Chiastic structure

A The ḥērem principle, grounded in Israel’s status as a holy people (vv. 1–6)
  B Past victory (exodus), grounded in Yahweh’s love for Israel and oath to the ancestors (vv. 7–8)
     C The character of Yahweh, the ground of Israel’s present conduct (vv. 9–10)
       D Obedience, the response to Yahweh’s command (v. 11)
     C′ The character of Yahweh, the ground of Israel’s future hope (vv. 12–16)
  B′ Future victory (in Canaan), grounded in Yahweh’s presence with Israel (vv. 17–24)
A′ The ḥērem principle, grounded in Israel’s holiness (vv. 25–26)[^11]

So let's dig into the text:

This is God's War (vv. 1-2a)

The certainty of this ḥērem warfare ("When")

Verse 1 begins, “When the LORD your God brings you into the land…”

Not “if,” but “when.”

There was no uncertainty about God’s purpose. The cup of iniquity was full. The land would be given. The nations would be cast out. God’s promises would stand.

That matters for us as well. Christ’s victory is not an “if.” It is a “when.” He is the Greater Joshua, and He will disciple the nations. He will put every enemy beneath His feet. The gates of Hades will not prevail against His church. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. So the ḥērem warfare points typologically not only to the final judgement, but also to the advancement of Christ's kingdom right now. He is the Greater Joshua who is gradually subduing all of His enemies.

So do not speak of advancement of Christ’s kingdom timidly. Do not say “if” in the places where God says “when.” Faith banks on the certainty of God’s promises. That "when" gives us an optimistic eschatology.

The authority for this ḥērem warfare ("the LORD your God")

Second, Moses says, “When the LORD your God…”

This war was not authorized by ethnic pride. It was not authorized by political ambition. It was not authorized by Israel’s desire for expansion. It was authorized by Yehowah Himself.

That is why this passage cannot be used to justify modern wars of conquest. This was God’s war, in God’s time, by God’s command, for God’s redemptive purpose.

And that also means Israel’s calling was not self-defined. God brought them into the land. God cast out the nations. God gave the mission. A soldier does not write his own orders after being deployed by the king. The king who sends defines the objective.

The same is true in our callings. We do not invent our mission. We receive it. Whether we are pastors, fathers, mothers, magistrates, teachers, employers, employees, or children, we must ask, “Lord, what would You have me do? Teach me what Your Word wants me to accomplish.” Then we must say, “Thy will be done.”

The privilege of this ḥērem warfare ("brings you into the land which you go to possess")

The next phrase says that God “brings you into the land which you go to possess.”

Israel did not deserve this privilege. The previous forty years proved that. They had grumbled, rebelled, doubted, and provoked God. If God had treated Israel as Israel deserved, Israel would have been destroyed in the wilderness. Yet God chose them, preserved them, disciplined them, and now brought them into the land.

So even their role as instruments of judgment was an evidence of grace. They were not morally superior. They were covenantally elected.

And that is true of our service to God. It is an astonishing mercy to be used by Him at all. We do not deserve to fight under Christ’s banner. We do not deserve to be enlisted in His kingdom. We do not deserve to have our families, our work, our prayers, our teaching, or our witness used in His cause. Yet He brings us in. He gives us a place. He equips us for spiritual warfare.

So whatever your calling, do not despise it. The God who calls you also enables you.

The recipients of this ḥērem warfare ("... seven nations greater and mightier than you")

The rest of verse 1 shows the recipients of this ḥērem warfare. And I think I've explained who they are adequately. Moses lists the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites — “seven nations greater and mightier than you.”

This is important. Israel was not naturally able to win. The enemy was stronger than them - much stronger. The nations were greater and mightier. So if victory came, it would have to be God’s victory.

The same is true in spiritual warfare. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. Satan could take you out in a moment if you operate only in your own strength. The demonic is incredibly powerful. But it is no match for a people indwelt by the Holy Spirit and walking in fellowship with God. But the reality is that the world, the flesh, and the devil are greater than we are. We cannot conquer sin by willpower. We cannot disciple nations by clever strategy. We cannot withstand temptation by natural courage. We cannot produce revivals through music, strategies, and techniques.

Yet - (and here is the amazing application) God delights to conquer mighty enemies through weak instruments. Praise God! So when you face indwelling sin, do not say, “I can't do it. I am not strong enough.” Say, “Lord, You are strong enough.” When you face cultural darkness, do not despair because the nations are greater and mightier. God has always specialized in impossible odds. That way, He alone gets the glory. Right?

The ongoing strength to engage in ḥērem warfare ("and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you,...")

Verse 2 continues, “and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you…”

Israel must fight, but God must deliver. Israel must obey, but God must give the victory. Israel must swing the sword, but God must put the enemy to flight.

That is the biblical pattern. Divine sovereignty never cancels human obedience. Human obedience never replaces divine sovereignty. In the Bible the two go hand-in-hand.

For example, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:7 that he fought, but he fought “by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” That's 2 Corinthians 6:7. Romans 13:12 says, “Cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” That's human responsibility by God's power. Ephesians 6 commands us to put on the whole armor of God so that we can resist. If you are not clothing yourself in God's strength and with His armor, you are vulnerable.

So yes, fight. Fight sin. Fight unbelief. Fight bitterness. Fight lust. Fight fear. Fight false doctrine. Fight compromise. But fight in the strength of the Lord. The battle is real, but the victory belongs to God.

God’s people must not make peace with what God has marked for judgment (vv. 2b-4)

Verses 2–4 press this logic even further. Because this is God’s war, God’s people must not make peace with what God has marked out for destruction.

This is a very important principle. We do not carry out physical ḥērem warfare. That typological warfare has expired. But we are called to spiritual warfare, and spiritual warfare requires the same holy intolerance toward sin. We must not make covenants with the enemies of God in our hearts, homes, churches, schools, or institutions. The moment we do, we are vulnerable.

God expects total conquest (v. 2b)

The next part of verse 2 says, "you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them..." Note the words, "utterly destroy them."

Again, we must be careful. This command is not given as a military goal to modern civil governments. It was a unique command to Israel in one unique period of redemptive history. But typologically, it points to the total victory of Christ as He takes the Gospel conquest.

The Great Commission is not timid. Christ commands us to disciple all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things He has commanded. He does not merely claim private hearts. He claims everything in those nations - families, churches, schools, courts, nations, art, economics, science, education, and every thought.

In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul said,

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Why must even thoughts be held captive to Jesus? Because He said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation" (Matt. 12:25). If you are giving your thoughts to the enemy (Satan) you are a kingdom divided against yourself. You have got to put off negative thinking and declare a holy war against your ungodly thoughts. Yes, every thought must be brought into captivity to Jesus. In Christ's spiritual conquest, He is calling for an utter destruction of everything that stands in His path.

First Corinthians 15 says that Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. Philippians 2 says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

He is promising us total victory. It is utter spiritual destruction of that which is in opposition to Christ. Eventually there will be a converted world that is so transformed that Isaiah 52 says that they will all see eye to eye. Amazing! We sure don't all see eye-to-eye now, do we? But God says that Christ's kingdom will eventually advance to such a degree that there won't be doctrinal differences in the church. Hallelujah!

So the application is not, “Go kill Canaanites.” The application is, “Do not make peace with Christ’s enemies.” Sin must be mortified. False worship must be rejected. Every thought must be brought captive to the obedience of Christ. Every nation must be discipled.

That too is total victory. So the ḥērem warfare of this chapter is typological of Christ's spiritual warfare - this time, conquering via grace and turning every enemy into a loyal subject. You can tell that the church has just in the beginning stages of the spiritual conquest of Canaan. This passage has relevance to us.

God expects us to make no compromises (v. 2c)

Verse 2 continues, “You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.”

That means Israel was not to negotiate coexistence with what God had condemned. No treaties. No bargains. No political marriages. No religious compromise. No “peaceful pluralism” with idolatry in the land of promise.

But let's apply it to our spiritual warfare. Sin always asks for terms. It says, “Let me stay in one corner.” It says, “I will not take over.” It says, “You can manage me.” But sin never remains managed. A homeowner who discovers termites in the load-bearing beams does not negotiate with them. He does not say, “Let us keep them in one room and hope they respect the boundary.” No. What destroys the house must be removed.

And the same is true of sin. If you are not making war on sin, sin is making war on you. If you are not killing sin, sin is killing you. There is no neutrality.

This applies to personal habits, like spiritual disciplines. When laziness makes you take a day or two off from your spiritual disciplines, before you know it, weeks have gone by and you haven't memorized Scripture, meditated, or read the Bible. Isn't that the way it works? When you don’t immediately repent of personal sin, it becomes easier and easier to fall into sin. We have got to become disciplined soldiers of the cross when it comes to spiritual disciplines.

It applies to entertainment. It applies to bitterness. It applies to lust. It applies to envy. It applies to worldly educational assumptions. It applies to institutional compromise. We must not covenant with what Christ died to destroy. Spiritual ḥērem warfare is total warfare with no compromises.

God expects our marriages to be devoted to Him (v. 3a)

Verse 3 says, “Nor shall you make marriages with them.”

The issue here is not ethnicity. Scripture proves that. Moses married an Ethiopian with God's approval. Why? Because she was a believer who had become a part of Israel. And when his sister, Miriam, opposed his marriage (based on her ethnicity), God judged Miriam with leprosy. You don’t like her skin color? OK, I’ll change your skin color. Rahab was a Canaanite, yet she married an Israelite. Ruth was a Moabitess. Caleb was a Kenizzite. Uriah was a Hittite. All were accepted when they came under Yehowah's covenant. And they married Israelites with God's approval. So the prohibition was not marriage with other ethnic groups. The prohibition was marriage to unbelievers. The issue is that loyalty to God stands in antithesis with loyalty to something that is in opposition to God.

Verse 4 gives the reason: “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods.” He is clearly talking about unbelievers.

Marriage is never merely private. It is covenantal. It is formative. It disciples the heart. The deepest danger in an ungodly marriage is not social discomfort. It is spiritual defection.

Many destructive compromises do not begin with formal doctrinal denial. They begin with loves, loyalties, and relationships that slowly pull the heart away from God. A boat can be surrounded by water and still float, but it cannot survive for very long if the water keeps getting inside through a leak. Israel could live among nations, but the gods of the nations could not be allowed inside Israel’s homes.

Christian young people, this is why marriage must be in the Lord. You need to be marrying spouses who are on the same spiritual wavelength as you. Parents, this is why you must disciple your children to think covenantally about marriage. Do not ask merely, “Is this person nice?” Ask, “Will this person help my son or daughter follow Christ more faithfully?”

God expects our children to be devoted to Him (v. 3b)

Verse 3 continues, “You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.”

Notice that Moses addresses parents. That's interesting. Parents were supposed to guide their children into what would be the best marriage. Covenant faithfulness in marriage is not individualistic. Parents have responsibilities regarding the marriages of their children. That does not mean parents may be tyrannical, manipulative, or controlling of their older children. But it does mean parents must care. They must advise. They must warn. They must guide. They must pray. They must not treat marriage as a merely romantic choice detached from covenant succession.

One of the great tragedies of modern Christianity is that many parents care more about whether a prospective spouse has a good job than whether he or she has a good confession. They care more about chemistry than covenant. They care more about personality than piety. Moses says that is dangerous. Marriage shapes generations.

God wants multi-generational faithfulness and covenant succession (v. 4a)

And verse 4 gives the reason: “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods.”

The concern is covenant succession. God is not merely interested in one faithful generation. He wants faithfulness transmitted to children and grandchildren. Deuteronomy 6 has already commanded parents to homeschool and to teach God’s words diligently to their children. Deuteronomy 7 now warns that ungodly marriages can completely undo that training.

This is why antithesis matters. We must teach our children not only to love God but also to hate what God hates. Not with personal malice. Not with bitterness. But with a holy moral clarity.

The world is always catechizing. You may not realize it, but the world is always trying to catechize you. The algorithms on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media are not neutral algorithms. They use AI to constantly try to introduce new thought patterns to catechize you into the world's way of thinking. And they are getting smarter and smarter as to what temptations you yourself are prone to - and they will slip those in from time to time. Social media is not neutral. Entertainment catechizes. Schools catechize. Friendships catechize. Marriage catechizes. The question is not whether our children will be discipled. The question is who will disciple them.

When we align with the enemy, then God's enmity is aroused against us (v. 4b)

Yet another reinforcing reason is given in the next clause in verse 4: "so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly."

This is sobering. If Israel covenantally identifies with the Canaanites, then Israel will come under the judgment of the Canaanites. Logically, that should be obvious. If Israel embraces the idols of the nations, Israel will be treated like the nations.

God is no respecter of persons. Being in the covenant of grace is not a license to sin. Covenant privilege increases your responsibility. The closer we are to holy things, the more dangerous hypocrisy becomes.

This applies to the church. If the church marries the world, she should not expect to see God’s blessing. If the church preserves the language of orthodoxy while adopting the loves of Babylon, Greece, and Rome (which many Reformed schools and books are doing), she should not be surprised when God disciplines her.

God’s people must never presume upon grace while making peace with idolatry. It's not the way it works.

God's people must be in the idol-destroying business (v. 5)

And so verse 5 summarizes this whole paragraph by saying that we must be in the idol-destroying business. "But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire." In other words, it is not just relationships with humans that can pull us away from covenant loyalty. In this verse Moses moves from people to institutions, from relationships to public symbols, from temptation to infrastructure. Idolatry is not only personal affection; it is embodied in altars, pillars, Asherim, and images. If Israel leaves the machinery of false worship standing, false worship will not stay dormant for long.

Faithfulness requires more than saying, “I do not personally worship idols.” We must ask, “What structures are shaping my heart away from God? What habits keep feeding my sin? What media keeps discipling my imagination? What relationships keep weakening my obedience? What institutions keep catechizing my children into unbelief?”

Moses is saying: do not manage idolatry. Destroy its supply lines. That's a military tactic. Destroy the supply lines that the enemy is using to catechize you away from loyalty to God.

That means repentance must become practical. It is not enough to say, “I repent. I struggle with lust,” while keeping easy access to the very things that inflame lust. That's ridiculous! And some of you know exactly what I am talking about. You claim that you are struggling with lust, but will not let go of the very things that inflame that lust. That's rationalization.

It is not enough to say, “I struggle with bitterness,” while rehearsing grievances in your mind every day. No! Get rid of those negative thoughts. And I've got practical handouts that show you how to do that. And you might think, "But those were really evil things that were done to me, and there's nothing I can do about it." Well, if God has providentially kept you from being able to do anything about it, you need to bury it - like providence is dictating. Otherwise, the enemy of bitterness will ruin you spiritually. Your bitterness is mainly hurting your soul. Get rid of it. You are rationalizing if you think you have the right to keep harboring those bitter thoughts. Replace them with praise, thanks, and other positive things that conquer bitterness.

It is not enough to say, “I want my children to love Christ,” while feeding them a steady diet of unbelieving assumptions. It is not enough to say, “Christ is Lord of education,” while leaving every discipline influenced by Greece and Rome. I know I am stepping on toes, but hey, that's what the passage is saying.

Spiritual warfare includes demolition work.

Some altars must be destroyed. Some pillars must be broken. Asherim must be cut down. Some images must be burned. You know what those are, because God has been convicting you of them. Can you see how this paragraph really does apply to us? It not only deals with God's final judgment in hell, but with God's continued judgments in history, and His call for us to join him in fighting against everything that stands in opposition to Him.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let me say that Deuteronomy 7:1–5 shows that the first commandment is not abstract theology. It is calling for total allegiance. The logic of the passage is simple and searching:

God brought you in, even though you didn't deserve it. God set His love on you, not because you were lovable. God redeemed you from bondage. God is faithful to His covenant. Therefore, do not share your heart with His rivals.

A husband who says, “My wife is precious to me,” while continuing to entertain other women via pornography has not honored the marriage covenant. He is not being honest. Love is proved by exclusive fidelity. Yehowah is not content to be the first among many. He demands to be the only true God before His people.

Or think of loyalty in wartime. In a city under siege, no one treats collaboration with the enemy as a small private matter. Why? Because divided loyalty endangers the whole city. Moses is telling Israel that idolatry is spiritual treason against King Jesus.

And the same principle remains in our spiritual battles. So here are my questions to you:

• what rival have you made peace with?
• What sin have you simply negotiated with?
• What compromise have you renamed as “wisdom”?
• What idol have you kept because it is old, useful, profitable, respectable, or emotionally precious?
• What alliance is slowly turning your heart, or your children’s hearts, away from following the Lord?

Yehowah is a jealous God. But His jealousy is not petty. It is the holy jealousy of the covenant Lord who redeemed His people for Himself at great cost. And Christ, the greater Joshua, does not save us so that we can remain at peace with our idols. He saves us to conquer us, cleanse us, claim us, and to make us wholly His. How will you answer His call to exclusive loyalty that tolerates no rival? It's my prayer that you will all say, "Yes, Lord. Sign me up for your spiritual herem warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil." Amen. Let's pray.