Deuteronomy Chapter 7
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” (Deut 7:6)
There were 2 things which Moses liberally mentioned in his instructions to the Israelites which caught my attention in this chapter.
1. Not If But When
Moses spoke in no uncertain terms that the LORD God of the Israelites will personally bring them into the promised land. It was not a matter of whether God will or will not guide them in their life journey, but that He has already taken action, honoured the covenant and paved the way for His chosen people.
How would we respond to this promise? Will we respond faithfully to the covenant with God, and enjoy His promises, or take another path?
‘When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess.’
God ‘has cast out many nations before you..’
‘When the LORD your God delivers them over to you…’ (Deut 7:1-2).
2. You Shall Obey God
How did God expect the Israelites to respond then, and similarly, what does God expect from us – as His chosen people today?
In any corporate procurement process, the company publishing an invitation to tender, must state their requirement specifications clearly. The clauses for the potential tenderers to fulfil are worded as such if they are critical clauses: “The tenderer shall…”, or “The tenderer will…”. In such cases, mandatory compliance is expected, and a failure to comply, or a partial compliance would result in disqualification of the tenderer in the bidding process.
Non-critical clauses are worded as such, “The tenderer may…”, or “the tenderer should…”. Non-compliance or partial compliance would not result in disqualification.
It is interesting that this chapter aligns with this language rule.
In the procurement process, the tenderer must comply with the rules of procurement. In our life of faith, we shall comply with the rules of life that God has instructed us through His word.
“Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them. Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.” (Deut 7:11-12)
A Victorious Life
Today, these life lessons to the Israelites still apply to us. God has made His stand very clear. God has chosen us today (from all the multitude of people in the world) because He loves us dearly. His word (in the Bible) is immutable; it does not change over time nor circumstances. What He expects of His chosen people then, applies to us Christians today.
In the face of our weaknesses, and no matter what life throws at us, we must obey God’s word, and we shall be blessed above all peoples (Duet 7:14) because we are His special treasure.
