Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

The idea of God’s choosing some for eternal life while casting others aside (Doctrine of Election) is clearly taught in the Holy Bible and shunned in most modern churches. But as our text today shows it was God’s plan for the nation of Israel in the Old Covenant and now Gentiles in the New Covenant.

Deuteronomy 7:6

Parallel Passages: Romans9:4, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9

CHAPTER CONTEXT

Context: Command to be separate people and to destroy opposing nations.
Characters: God, Moses.
Conclusion: Those who are taken into communion with God must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness.
Key Word: Chosen, v. 6.
Strong Verses: 6, 9.
Striking Facts: The destruction of enemies furnishes an illustration of the Christian conflict. We are commanded not to let sin reign, nor to countenance it, but to hate it and strive against it. God has promised it shall not have dominion over us. Rom. 6:12, 14.

Keith Brooks, Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the Old Testament (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 39.

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God in his sovereign grace makes decisions based upon his omniscient wisdom in line with plans and purposes known, and knowable, only to him. What seems arbitrary and even unfair to us must be understood as the best possible action for God to take. This was true of his election (choice) of Israel, but one people out of the myriads from which he could have chosen. To impose human “standards” of fairness on a righteous and all-wise God is the height of arrogance. He is answerable to no man (Rm 9:20; see Ex 19:5–6; Dt 4:34; 14:2; 26:18.)

Eugene H. Merrill, “Deuteronomy,” in CSB Apologetics Study Bible, ed. Ted Cabal (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 224.

Deuteronomy 7:1–11, God’s Electing Grace

Setting Up the Section
Some refer to the book of Deuteronomy as the Romans of the Old Testament. Well, then, we should not be at all surprised to find in it such a strong statement of the doctrine of divine election, the very doctrine to which Paul devotes such considerable and famous attention in his letter to the Romans.

God’s Electing Grace

Verse 1 of chapter 7 establishes once again that it is God who drives out the nations so that Israel may possess the land. Here we find a strong statement of the principle of sovereign and electing grace. Out of all the peoples of the world, God chose Israel to be His own people. He chose her, not because she deserved His favor—she most certainly did not—but entirely and mysteriously because He loved her. As the apostle Paul would later put it: “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:16 NIV).

Critical Observation
The doctrine of election is that God has been pleased from all eternity to choose certain men and women out of fallen humanity whom, and for His love’s sake, He has determined to save by Jesus Christ. This is a controversial doctrine; those who disagree with it contend that

1. election makes God unjust, choosing to save some and not others;
2. this doctrine of divine election robs humans of their free will and thus destroys human responsibility.

Election is given a double aspect here in Deuteronomy 7. If it is true that God has chosen Israel, it is also true that He has not chosen the other nations (7:1–5). God makes this distinction between sinful and unworthy people, to call some to Him and to leave others unsummoned (7:7–10). The election of Israel as a people was the first step in that process by which God set apart to Himself those who would be saved. It is His gracious choice in each case, not human action or merit, that is the final explanation for anyone’s salvation.

As verse 11 makes clear, Moses’ point is not merely that God has chosen His people, but that they should be deeply grateful for the salvation they do not deserve but have been given as a gift, and that in their gratitude they ought to seek the Lord’s pleasure by keeping His commands.

Tremper Longman III, ed., Deuteronomy Thru Ruth, vol. 2, Layman’s Bible Commentary (Barbour Publishing, 2009), 26–27.

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Being ELECT (Set Apart) of God means being separated from what the world calls normal. God’s chosen people are to live in the world but are not to be of the world. Here are a few examples that every “Christian” must consider:

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Should Christians support the nation of Israel?

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What is the critical race theory?

Should Christians boycott companies that support anti-Christian policies?