Deuteronomy 7, Who Does What?

Deuteronomy 7 as the Framework for “Who Does What?”

Deuteronomy chapter 7 we reading the entire chapter hear the word of the Lord. When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it and clears away Many nations before you the Hittites the Girgashites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hivites and the Jebusites seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves.

And When the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them giving your daughters to their sons.

Taking their daughters for your sons for they would turn your sons from following me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them.

You shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their ashram and burn their carved images with fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples Who are on the face of the earth?

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you. For you were the fewest of all peoples. But it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.

That the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God the fateful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations and Repays to their face those who hate him by destroying them.

He will not be slack or the one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. And Because you listen to these rules and keep them and do them the Lord your God will keep with you The covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.

He will love you bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground your grain and your wine and your oil the increase of your Herds and the young of your flock in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be a male or female barren or among you or among your flock and the Lord will take away from you all sickness and None of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew will he inflict on you?

But he will lay them on all who hate you. And You shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them neither shall you serve their gods for that would be a snare to you.

If you say in your heart, these nations are greater than I how can I dispossess them? You shall not be afraid of them. But you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt the great trials.

That your eyes saw the signs and the wonders the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.

Moreover, the Lord your God will also send hornets among them. Until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. You shall not be in dread of them for the Lord your God is in your midst a great and awesome God.

The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once. Lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion.

Until they are destroyed and he will give their kings into your hand and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. The carved images of their gods.

You shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or or take it for yourselves lest you be ensnared by it for it is an abomination to the Lord your God and you shall not bring an Abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it.

You shall utterly detest and abhor it for it is devoted to destruction. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. It's important in any relationship to know who does what? You know when he does that.

She does this when it comes to marriage are all roles interchangeable. Yeah, that seems to be the assumption of many people today. I I don't know if they've ever sat down and and thought it through but it it seems that many today Assume that the roles of a man and woman in marriage are interchangeable that they can be individually suited to every marriage.

There's no like when he does that I that she does this. There's no natural or universal law that says they say that the husband does this and the wife does that it's Sexist we're now told to assume that the man should be doing some things and the woman some others.

This is the wife usually cook My house and people want it that way. Yeah, does the husband usually grill? Should the man do the driving. Should the wife do the laundry iron the clothes do the dishes should the man cut the grass fix things, you know.

Like outside the house, you know in Chinese culture. They use that phrase saying something like what the woman takes care of the inside Minister of the interior and the man is the minister of the exterior right outside.

Yeah, it's not so differently American culture. You know. There's usually expected. The wife takes care of indoors and clean the house and the man goes out and takes care of the outside cuts the grass.

But in our new a egalitarian culture. We're taught that all these roles are Interchangeable that may be in one relationship that the man can cook and clean and the wife can then mow the grass. Or maybe they'd switch every other week something like that.

Surely even if we're very traditional we recognize that sometimes. Who does what in a relationship depends on the talents of the partners? I mean if the man were Emeril Lagasse, you know world-famous chef.

Maybe he should cook you think and if the woman is Danica Patrick NASCAR driver, you know, maybe she should drive you think today we think that's just obvious. That's a common sense because we're taught.

It's just in the air around us now. Egalitarianism the belief that we're just kind of all equal. We're all the same and particularly the sexes are equal, which we often assume. Because people don't really think so clearly about it.

We often assume means that they're interchangeable there's no natural role for for one or the other but Nature doesn't seem to agree, you know when it comes to bearing children 100 of the time the women are the ones who get pregnant, you know husband might say, you know, honey next child I'll do the bearing but it just won't work out that way.

There is a natural law at least about some roles. About who does what? What about other relationships, you know in a workplace people want to know who does what when he does that I Do this some people were refused to do some things if it's not they say in.

Their job description, right? That's not what I was hired to do. I'm not gonna do it. A secretary might insist that she's not paid to make coffee. Or in a sports team athletes need to know what they're supposed to do in football.

Who do I block in? Baseball, where do I stand? I went trying to attract me with the the coach scheduled me to run one of the legs of the 4x400 relay. That's one. So one lap around the track. I protested to the coach that I don't run sprints and he looked at me for a second and Probably recalling what I look like trying to sprint and said You're right in any relationship.

You need to know. Who does what? When your shops when she gives me the order I cook it. In churches people didn't need to know who does what like in marital relationships? We have a lot of people these days who think all the roles the relationships in the church are just kind of interchangeable.

Who think that since we're all equal in value in God's eyes, which is true. Then we're all can do the same things. Which is not really true. Now that sounds ridiculous when you say it out like that because that's the way people think we're all equal in value.

So therefore we can all do the same thing. What you? Okay, you begin to see the problem just saying it out loud, but that does that does seem to be the way many people think. So it's in the modern era that we have the movement in the church to have quote no clergy.

That is no elders who labor in preaching and teaching no particular people set aside be pastors to leave the church. Under the reason the reasoning is that it's part of the priesthood of believers. We're all priests.

They say so we don't need pastors. Well, that's not really logical. But that fits perfectly in with the individualistic Consumer view of the church that we're not part of a body. It's what many people think at least assume we're not really part of a body.

You know, I'm not. I'm not an ear by nature to do ear work or a hand by nature to do hand work. I'm a customer. And so I do whatever work I want to do. Who does what? Here we say that what we do in our relationship with God when he does this.

Then what do we do? And whatever you may think about marriages or church when it comes to God some things are just for him and some roles are for us. When he does this. Then we do that. There's the win and the then.

God Saves First, Then We Respond in Obedience

And we see that here in his passage Deuteronomy chapter 7 in four parts starting with four things that he does and Then what we do in response he first saves second he elects and third he rewards and finally, he promises and When he does each of those things when.

Then we do something in response. Who does what? Well first he saves and those first five verses when the Lord saves then. We do this notice how the passage tells us that God saves first now. To be sure that the thrust of the passage of what Israel should do.

But the assumption there is God is doing something first. He's initiated it. It's not something that we do we like like we go to church or we say the right prayer. We choose to get baptized or whatever and then God saves in response to our prior action.

That we do the action even if it's just to make a choice about what to believe and God responds to that by saving no first. God saves even here where the purpose is to tell the Israelites what they must do the basis of.

That the basis of what they must do. The reason that they are to do what they are to do is On what the Lord has already done notice even here again, the purpose is to tell the Israelites what to do. The reason is God's prior Salvation first begins in verse 1 when there's the wind and the then notice when the Lord your God brings you Into the land, you know, he's bringing you like you might pick up a kid and bring him to taekwondo lessons.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land. That's the goal that they've been waiting and praying and hoping and working for for centuries. So when God does it Notice this God who does the bringing you notice that?

It's not when you finally. When you finally do what I've been telling you to do invade that land and you take it then I'll bless you. No, it's when the Lord brings you so he's bringing in the second half of the verse of verse 1 and then when.

There's the wind and the then when the Lord clears away the opposition. So now is the Lord bringing them into the land once they're in the land. It's not left up to them either. The Lord is gonna be the one to clear away the opposition.

Nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves. Interesting how the Lord reminds them that these other nations are More numerous and mightier you think you'd want to tone that down. Unless they get discouraged like they had a generation before remember the story and and refused to go.

But the Lord here is being right up front with them. They're they're mightier than you. They're more numerous than you. You cannot naturally take them, but the Lord is gonna clear them away. So they can't left to themselves clear away those nations, but God will clear them away.

Notice the verbs about God's acting in verses 1 2. God's saving the wind and then when first God brings God clears away. Then in verse 2 God gives them over to you. Now Israel will defeat them. But it's because God first will give them over give these Cainites over to them.

There's the wind and the then. Who does what. Well when God brings. When he clears. When he gives? When he saves then. You do this. Here you be absolutely devoted to the point of destroying. Anything that has the potential?

To turn you away from him you destroy it. You don't compromise with it. You don't give it an inch. This is really what the Lord Jesus was getting at when he said that if your hand or your eye Causes you to send you you cut it off or you gouge it out.

It's better to be maimed or blind than to let some sin drag you into hell. Of course, it's really never the hand or the eye. It causes us to sin. You know, maybe people say don't take that literally. No, you take a literally just notice the if word at the beginning if.

Your hand or your eye causes you to sin, but your hand or your eyes never really causing you to sin. It's the sin. We let rise in our heart. It's our flesh our very sinful nature. What he meant was that our commitment to battle sin has to be so fierce that if.

Chopping it off your hand. Gouging out your eye if that would help. You'd do it. Well, that's why I like here. We must resolve to make constant warfare on it until we have exterminated sin in our lives like here.

You don't make a peace treaty with sin. You know give it a little room. Give it a look. You give a little time watching porn on the Internet or serving greed. Living your life for the dollar. You give a few days a week for that and then maybe a day of the week for the Lord in verse 3, you don't knowingly marry someone who will help you sin.

You don't help your children marry people who will help them. Lead them away from the Lord as JC vile wrote let no sin live quietly undisturbed in your heart. In other words continue to harass. The sin that's in your life.

Keep bothering it. Don't make peace with it as Paul said you punish every disobedient thought every idea or every feeling. That doesn't conform to the Word of God. You punish it you you beat it down. You don't have the attitude like somebody today.

Well my feelings my ideas. My inclinations whatever should be affirmed should be celebrated should be respected. No. You shouldn't even respect your own Sinful ideas or feelings if your feelings want to have sex outside of marriage.

Well, you suppress that maybe by diverting your mind to memorize scripture or or singing praises. If your mind says well, I want I want more money. I want to. I want money more than seeking first God's rule in my life.

Then you put that down by telling yourself that you can't serve God in money that there is there's nothing on earth. That you desire Besides the Lord because now he is the Lord your greatest treasure.

You believe he will supply all your needs so you don't seek first the food, you know, the birds are fed. Or the clothes the flowers have their clothes. Not only do you believe all of that but here in verse 4.

No, Jesus on the seven of them out. This is the carrot. This is the is the incentive. He will reward you. He will bless you believe that. Other passages of the Bible like here. There's the stick. There's the carrot in the stick the stick here.

There's the reward of the incentive. It's the carrot. Then there's a penalty. If you don't fight sin if it draws you away from the Lord then Who does what. The Lord will get angry his anger against you will catch fire and he will destroy you when and then when he saves you.

Then you give your life to him as a living sacrifice. You declare war on the world the flesh and the devil you don't compromise with it. Notice how fierce your commitment is supposed to be in verse 5.

Thus you shall deal with them these these temptations these forces of evil the world the flesh and the devil. Anything that could draw you away from him thus you shall deal with them and then he gives what at least four commands.

God Elects a Treasured People for Himself

Break them down. Dash them in pieces. Chop them down. Burn them those those verbs so vigorous break dash chop burn make total war against everything. That is warring against your soul. Who does what? Second the Lord elects.

That is his choice. He chooses his people his choice comes first in verses 6 to 11 when he elects. Then There's the wind and the then he elects then. You become holy in verse 6. You are a people Holy to the Lord you are set apart by him for him.

You're not just another person, you know out of the general population. That's another person like in the world who can live. For getting your best life now all about the comfy life the money the electronics the cars the house the retirement.

The beach house. Whatever else you want want the soothing religion that makes you feel good about living for all that stuff now. And and you won't dare let anything threaten. That life, especially not a virus.

That's why you'll hunker down hoping it disappears if your life is all here. Then the virus threatens to take all all that you have. And that's typical. That's that's kind of the life in the world. That's the way the society around us is and that may be good enough for others for your friends and your neighbors.

But not for you if the Lord has made you holy holiness is first a status of set-apartness. Being made different. And that's conferred by god's call. You've been called by him. And that makes you holy because the whole world hasn't been called.

God calls his people and that call makes them holy. When he calls us holy. Then We respond. By living holy lives in verse 6 you are a people holy to the lord. Now why why are we holy to the lord. Because He says the lord your god has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession.

Always his choice has come first. He's made he's treasured us. As in romans 8 he foreknown us those whom he's foreknown. He's also called and then predestined He he's so we are his treasured possession.

You'll be treasured the treasured property of the lord like you might have a treasured piece of jewelry In your in your jewelry box. He here god is saying you are you are my treasured possession as and peter takes this in first peter chapter 2 verse 9.

Applies it to the church to christian people, but you. You believers in jesus. You are a chosen race. You're the race that's been chosen. Not an ethnic race. You're a race of believers you've been chosen a royal priesthood a holy nation like from this passage a people for god's own Possession echoing again deuteronomy chapter 7 so it's not the ethnic people of israel.

But the spiritual people that of the church believers. And you the lord says here in deuteronomy you out of all the peoples Who are on the face of the earth? Otherwise, he's called some from every people.

He called you out of the world now why. Why why is he called you out of the world. Is it when when we did this? Whatever it may be. When we did something then god called us. Is that the way it works? He's responding to us.

Is it because he looked forward and saw your faith? Looked forward in time. Saw that well this person's going to believe so i'm going to call him because in response to what he did. Because he saw that you were powerful that you were impressive.

Maybe you were particularly religious. He liked your religion. Maybe you had big numbers. Wow, look at that. They're the populate populist group. I'm going to call them to get more votes. No in verse 7 it was not.

Because you were more in number than any other people. You just deserve to be notable because you're so huge. So many of you know as in first corinthians, not many of you were wise or powerful educated or rich or just impressive.

Just by your sheer numbers. You can't ignore that many people right? That's not why he set his love on you. Notice that in verse 7 he set His love on you his love wasn't just like a passing feeling. He for a while he had an infatuation with you.

You know and that just passed now. He said it. It means it's set. It's determined. I can concrete it's not going to move. It's set and he set his love on you. And notice in verse 7 he chose you. That's election that's what the doctrine of election means.

Doesn't use that word here, but that's what he's talking about. His choice of us. Well, why then why did he elect us? Why did he set his love? Why did he determine? To love us commit to himself and to us that he would love us.

And so call us elect us. Why what's the is it was there? Is there a win before that we did and then he responds. Well verse 8 answers the question. It's great when it's answered. Right there. He says he loves us.

He set his love on us. Because here it is. Here's this answer to this great theological question that theologians have been debating about for centuries. There it is in verse 8 is the answer he set his love on you because The lord loves you.

He loves us because He loves us. The reason for his election his call Is not in us. It's not in something we've done. Not our religion our baptism our confession our prayer not in anything in us. It's in him so it's election and it's Unconditional.

It's based on what he's done his own love his commitment to love. He saw us. He set his love on us. He settled to love us. He committed to love us and then he called us out of the world out of death. And it's because of why because of love.

Who does what in this relationship with god? He loves us first. That's what he does. He made an oath a covenant to love us to save us and he proved it. By bringing his people out of egypt proving that he is more powerful than even the superpower of their day.

And he proved his love his covenant. By bringing his son out of death. Proving that he is more more powerful than that last enemy. He redeemed us in verse 8. That is he bought us back from death with great cost to himself.

There's the win and the then. When he did that. Then in verse 9, here's what we do in response. Here's the vin for us. Therefore. Because of all that because of his. Setting his love on us for no other reason nothing what we've done.

He's done it merely because he chose to love us therefore. Then we know. Know the lord. Get to know him. He's called you now get to know him. Know the lord that's that's what we're here for right now.

That's why we come to church. So we get to know him better because he's called us know that he is god. Know that know who your god is. Not something else some people believe in kind of believe in god, but they're using Quote god to get to their real god know that he is god.

That's what he's saying here. Your belly isn't god. Some people live as if. Whatever they are hungry for next. Whether it be the next thing to eat. The next gadget that apple or samsung puts out. The next car the next sensation the thrill the next dollar they can make that that is god.

So they'll live for that. He's saying here. No, no, no better than that. Know that i'm god. No, because he set his love on you. Not because of something about you but because he first loved you know that he is god.

Know that he's faithful that he keeps his covenants that he has steadfast love that important word in the bible. Know that he has loyalty. To his people he sets his love on them. It's not fleeting. You're not going to be able to beat it.

It to run away from it to unearn it then knowing that you be a faithful covenant keeper like him. Love him in return love because he first loved you. There's the win when he elects you because he loves you then.

You keep his commandments, you're not going to earn his love with keeping his commandments. It doesn't work like that. It's not when you keep his commandments then you do it long enough. You do it well enough then i'll love you.

No, it's the other way around. When he loves you he elects you then. You respond by keeping his commandments. You don't keep his commandments again to earn love. You are loved you're called you're elect you're saved because you are loved and then when he's loved you you love him.

And follow his word. When he's called you. Then know him. Know that he's not like the he's not like the hand-wringing god. That many think he is he's going to depend it on us. He's bound by our free will.

He can't do anything without our permission as before again. He he judges here know that he will repay. Here is face to face. He'll repay people face to face those who hate him. In verse 10, he will take vengeance against them.

He says to their face in other words personally. One by one so that they know it. So there comes a point that they know that god Is against them? Twice he says that he will repay to their face. So who does what?

When he judges. Then we in verse 11 Should be careful to do what he commands. Well, who does what in this relationship. The lord rewards in verse 12. You you you listen to his word. You keep his commandments because he loved you first.

Then the lord will he says the lord will love you even more. He'll he'll bless you and multiply you. He'll give you rewards here. He'll bless. He says the fruit of your womb. That is your children in verse 13.

He'll bless the fruit of your ground. Most of them would be farmers ranchers in those days. So that's him saying god's saying i'll bless your work your your career your shop your business. He'll bless all the stuff that you need.

Here he talks about the wine the oil the herds the flocks today. It could be your paycheck. Your job your shop your investments your family. We're times we're sometimes shy About saying that too much today because the prosperity preachers have abused it, you know turning god basically into a blessing machine.

You say the right thing and usually you have to give them. Give the prosperity preacher some money and they promise that god will definitely bless you so much. And the lord's not like that, but the lord does indeed bless.

He is a rewarder. I have not seen the righteous forsaken. It's what psalm 37 verse 25 says i've not seen the righteous forsaken like left alone in a nursing home with no visitors. During covet 19. I've not seen the righteous forsaken or a seed his children begging for bread.

So it's not just a it's not just a one-way relationship that is always him taking the initiative and always just us responding. Sometimes we respond To his covenant love sure that comes first. We respond to him having loved us first and our obedient response to him provokes his further blessing.

He blesses our obedience. There's some confusion here because some people a lot of sometimes people is just one dimensional. They can only understand one thing at once. And one or the other either god Acts and we respond that his grace comes first.

Or we act and god responds. So our works come first and those the latter kind of are legalist that it's always either him doing the win. And us doing the then. Or it's always vice versa, you know us doing something and then god responding to that.

But god will bless our obedience sometimes discipline our disobedience responding to our actions. Now for our church, right because all this probably for many churches. There's been a drop in income because of the stay at home orders.

Sometimes drop of income because there's a drop in income for many of our members. So a few weeks ago I applied for the church to get a grant from the national. What's called the national christian foundation and that and they gave us three thousand dollars.

Isn't that nice? We got a reward. So that's why we're able to afford the waxing of the floor and the covering of the door back there. And the lord gives rewards to his people sometimes it's. Sometimes it is when we do this that is we obey or we we give or we ask.

Ask and it shall be given to you when we ask then god gives a blessing. God may bless your obedience. He may bless your giving. And sometimes god will respond to people's disobedience security of his people and respond to their unbelief.

With discipline for his people and maybe cursing. For those who are not his people now like before here God makes a difference between those who are his and those who are not his for his people. He will one day Give perfect health.

He'll raise them up in the last day. For those who hate him He will afflict them. So then who does who does what. When god responds with judgment then in verse 16. You know, we better not have pity. On on those those things that that could bring his judgment on us thinking.

Well, that's just the way people are. That's the way life is that's the way society is this way always and i've known things. We just we we have to accept this whatever these sins we call it was secret cultivating of lust the compromise with materialism.

They're making excuses for unfaithfulness serving the dollar. You know, that's the way everyone is. The stubborn unteachableness that you know. Some people just won't listen to scripture or a reason when it comes to some area.

We better not just carve out a little room for whatever precious little sin that we just won't give up because if we do that might Trip us up. Who does what in this relationship when the lord saves. Then we give our lives as living sacrifices when the lord elects.

Then we're holy. And when we obey and grow. Then the lord rewards. Finally fourth thing the lord promises in those last 10 verses. If you get intimidated by your enemies now, they're greater than I. I can't overcome.

That lust. I can't break with my culture. And not burn jaw sticks or hell money to my grandmother at her funeral. I just can't do that. Yeah, I can't. It's too much pressure. I got to go along with the family.

I can't stand up to a culture of racism. It's just the way everyone around me is. I can't. I can't be different. I can't stand up against the money chasing the living for the dollar. Can't close down the shop on sunday for that.

It's just too. Are you asking too much? I can't be a church member a part of the body of christ in a society of just of self-centered consumers. The world the flesh and the devil. They're just too strong for me.

I just have to go along. The sin is carrying me along if you feel like you're being overwhelmed by your enemies. You're being intimidated. Remember god's promises. Don't be afraid of them in verse 18.

But remind yourself what the lord has already done. He saved israel out of egypt with signs and wonders and he saved jesus from the dead showing that his outstretched arm is stronger than death itself.

The same power that raised christ from the dead brought you out of spiritual death if you're a believer. That's what's already happened. So that's how you believe and that god inspired faith can overcome all your enemies.

The promise at the end of verse 19 is that in the same way. As he did to egypt or to death. So will he do to any enemy that you now face? Also in verse 20 the lord will unleash hornets. They really don't know what that word means.

It's something harassing. It's coming like out of the wild coming out of nowhere. You imagine the swarm of hornets coming after your enemy. Whatever pest Comes out of the wild. The lord will just unleash that to drive away.

Everything that would try to separate you from the love of christ. So in other words. When you look desperate you have no help. Suddenly. The lord sends something just out of nowhere. To defend you. He will continue to do that until all those enemies are destroyed.

He'll Persevere in doing it. He'll keep doing it. He'll keep at it because he's committed to you. That's his promise. Who does want this relationship. Well, he he promises. When he promises then How do we respond we believe?

When he promises then in verse 21, we will not be in dread. We don't have to fear. We won't dread the sin that we feel helpless to keep ourselves from. We all dread it because we're not depending on ourselves.

We won't dread the creeping of old age. You know the aging of the body. And the the sign that the death is coming. We won't fear we won't dread. The coronavirus might be wise about it, but we don't have to dread it because in verse 21 the lord our god is in our midst.

Says he is. He is great. And awesome. He is greater than whatever is tempting us than the coldness of death. Than a novel virus. He is more awe-inspiring than whatever else might try to to make us dread.

He has promised to overcome all our enemies. To put them all under his feet that subjugate them to lead us in victory. Those are all promises from the lord for us. And so when he promises. Then we are inspired to keep going.

We have no fear we have no dread because he's promised he promises to clear away our opposition. But notice in verse 22 He promises to do it in a particular way. He says there he'll do it clear away the opposition little by little.