I’m currently reading through the Scriptures, as I try to do continuously, and am working my way through Deuteronomy. I wanted to share this beautiful and rich piece of Scripture and how it relates to God’s people today.
Yahweh had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because Yahweh loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 CSB).
Let’s consider this piece by piece. “Yahweh had his heart set on you and chose you…” (v. 7:7) Oh, just take a moment to re-read that and savor it. God Almighty, Yahweh, the great I AM had His heart set on you and chose you! The fact that He actually had His heart set on me and chose me; is incredible to me because I know that I did not deserve such love and grace. None of us do. None of us ever could. The Scripture goes on to say, “Not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” The meaning behind this is echoed in following verses from 1 Corinthians.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT).
I don’t know where you were when God called you to repentance and faith in Christ, but I was certainly in a dark and difficult place. Referencing back to Deuteronomy 7:7, God didn’t choose any of us because of how good or great we were, for none of us are good or great before the perfect and Almighty God. The New Testament word for this beautiful truth and expression of love and mercy is grace.
In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace (Romans 11:5-6 CSB).
Okay, moving on to verse 8:
But because Yahweh loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:8 CSB).
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1 John 4:9-10, NLT)
I didn’t write any personal commentary between sharing Deuteronomy 7:8 and 1 John 4:9-10 because it is not needed. The Scriptures often speak the clearest when they speak by themselves. Yes, God loves us, and He has proven this unfathomable love by making redemption and forgiveness possible through the Son. I’m not finished with Deuteronomy 7:8. Notice where it says that God “redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt”? This is relevant to God’s people today as well. There are so many great verses in the New Testament to use as a reference, but I’m going to try to only use a few.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:19-20 ESV)
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! (Ephesians 2:1-5 CSB)
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36 ESV)
Jesus went on to tell them, blatantly, what they were either too ignorant of or too proud to believe. He told them that they were children of the devil. All of us are naturally slaves to sin and children under the oppressive rule of the devil. Just as God freed the Israelites from their slavery and servitude to Pharaoh, He offers people today a similar but greater freedom from slavery to sin and Satan. Yes, for those who have repented and placed their faith in Christ, you have been set free from slavery; you are redeemed!
Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9 CSB)
God’s faithfulness is something that echoes throughout all of the Scriptures.
Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thess. 5:22-24 ESV)
Yahweh, you are my God; I will exalt you. I will praise your name, for you have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isa. 25:1 CSB)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:35-39, ESV)
Love and obedience are intertwined (oh, how I hope my children grasp this concept sooner rather than later)!
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:21, NLT)
I hope that this helps you appreciate some of the beauty and richness that can be found in the Old Testament. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but our love and knowledge of Him always have room to grow and deepen!
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