Deu 7:8 | KingComments | STEP | We are a holy people for an own possession: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” ( ; ). God wants a people for Himself. The heritage is for us, but we are for God. God has “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will” ( ). The same pleasure He has in His Son, He has extended to us. Then we should be a holy people who do not desire compromise, but drive out everything that does not belong to Him. Deuteronomy 7 serves to highlight how much the heart of God goes out to His people. God has not chosen the people because of their attractiveness. There is nothing in ourselves prompting God to make us sons and bestowing the inheritance to us. It is a love that finds its source and motivation fully in God Himself: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” ( ). When we think of ourselves, isn’t it a great miracle that He chose us? He is therefore worthy of worship for all eternity. Sons of God and being under the law do not belong together. Sons are not under the law. Every action of God with His sons is out of love and because He is longing to have fellowship with them. That excludes all sin. For everything we remove, we receive a greater blessing in return from Him. He also attached an oath, a promise, to the election which originated exclusively in Himself. For Israel this oath is connected with the patriarchs and ultimately, of course, with the Son. In our case, that promise is directly connected to the Son. God always remains faithful to what He has said. He also has all the means at his disposal to do what He has said. When his people are in bondage, he redeems them. Salvation is a proof of His faithfulness to His Word. His faithfulness continues “to a thousandth generation.” He is also faithful, unchanging, to His announcement of the judgment. God is love, and God is also light ( ). He cannot deny His nature, His being. He always remains faithful to Himself ( ). For Him, the people are not a mass, but individuals who together form a people. Each of them is personally responsible for the acts committed. He retaliates to each and every one personally, without delay. The verdict He makes is perfectly just and directly executable. Appeal is neither possible nor necessary. A process that will take years to complete is unthinkable in His exercise of law. All that has been said in the previous section is a great encouragement to listen to the call of Moses – for us, the Lord Jesus – in . There has been talk of their election by the LORD, the love of the LORD, His oath, the redemption from Egypt, His covenant with them, His faithfulness and lovingkindness toward them, His retribution upon those who hate Him. 1. “Commandments” are precepts in which God orders or prohibits clearly defined acts. 2. “Statutes” are guidelines for action in order to serve Him. 3. “Judgments” define the people by the right that God has over them. This concerns their daily life, public conduct, and their mutual association as members of God's people.

‏ Deuteronomy 7:8

Chosen out of Love

We are a holy people for an own possession: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1Pet 2:9; Tit 2:14). God wants a people for Himself. The heritage is for us, but we are for God. God has “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:5). The same pleasure He has in His Son, He has extended to us. Then we should be a holy people who do not desire compromise, but drive out everything that does not belong to Him.

Deuteronomy 7 serves to highlight how much the heart of God goes out to His people. God has not chosen the people because of their attractiveness. There is nothing in ourselves prompting God to make us sons and bestowing the inheritance to us. It is a love that finds its source and motivation fully in God Himself: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). When we think of ourselves, isn’t it a great miracle that He chose us? He is therefore worthy of worship for all eternity.

Sons of God and being under the law do not belong together. Sons are not under the law. Every action of God with His sons is out of love and because He is longing to have fellowship with them. That excludes all sin. For everything we remove, we receive a greater blessing in return from Him.

He also attached an oath, a promise, to the election which originated exclusively in Himself. For Israel this oath is connected with the patriarchs and ultimately, of course, with the Son. In our case, that promise is directly connected to the Son.

God always remains faithful to what He has said. He also has all the means at his disposal to do what He has said. When his people are in bondage, he redeems them. Salvation is a proof of His faithfulness to His Word. His faithfulness continues “to a thousandth generation.” He is also faithful, unchanging, to His announcement of the judgment. God is love, and God is also light (1Jn 4:8 ; 16 ; 1Jn 1:5). He cannot deny His nature, His being. He always remains faithful to Himself (2Tim 2:13).

For Him, the people are not a mass, but individuals who together form a people. Each of them is personally responsible for the acts committed. He retaliates to each and every one personally, without delay. The verdict He makes is perfectly just and directly executable. Appeal is neither possible nor necessary. A process that will take years to complete is unthinkable in His exercise of law.

All that has been said in the previous section is a great encouragement to listen to the call of Moses – for us, the Lord Jesus – in Deu 7:11. There has been talk of their election by the LORD, the love of the LORD, His oath, the redemption from Egypt, His covenant with them, His faithfulness and lovingkindness toward them, His retribution upon those who hate Him.

1. “Commandments” are precepts in which God orders or prohibits clearly defined acts.

2. “Statutes” are guidelines for action in order to serve Him.

3. “Judgments” define the people by the right that God has over them. This concerns their daily life, public conduct, and their mutual association as members of God's people.