This week we read Moses’s final addresses to the children of Israel. Moses reminds them of the 10 commandments. He tells them about the 7 nations they are about to overtake.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2
1““When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.” 2“When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.”

God has Moses tell the people that these nations are greater and more powerful than they are. God does not hide from the Israelites who they are going against. He does not allow them to search for themselves this time. He tells them He is going to deliver these evil nations into their hands. He tells them to utterly destroy them and all their alters and abominations. He goes on and tells them to never show them mercy. Do not enter any treaties with them. Do not intermarry with them. Destroy all their pagan alters, cut down their Asherah Poles and all their idols. If you don’t do this they will lead you away from God.

Here is what the names of these nations mean:
Hittites - Terror

Girgashites - Dwelling on the clay soil

Amorites - Answer, appoint, boast, challenge

Canaanites - Humiliated, to humble, to bend the knee, bring down to subjection

Perizzites - Unwalled village, open country, belonging to a village

Hivites - Life giver, villagers, 6th generational descendant of Canaan

Jebusites - Trodden, threshing place, to trample, loath, polluted, under foot

If Israel does not deal with them the way God says these nations will come back and cause terror. They are build on clay soil what man is made of. They are not built on God they do things man’s way. They will cause you to look to man and not God. They will boast and challenge you. In doing so they will humiliate you and cause you to bend the knee to them. They will become your master. They will bring you into their village in open spaces without walls or protection. They will lead you to the slaughter. They will appear to give you a better life but it will all be lies. They will pollute you trample over you and loath you. They will never care about you they will only destroy you.

Notice how in Revelation that the beast has 7 heads which represents 7 nations. Could these nations be origins for the 7 nations in the end?

Now God tells them why He chose them.

Deuteronomy 7:6-9
“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

Have you ever felt like you were so small and insignificant? That is by design. God created you as a vessel that would hold Him and pour Him out on the world. He didn’t create you to be full of yourself, full of pride. When you feel like you are better than you are you do not have room for Him in your life. You are a useless vessel. The more unqualified you feel the more qualified you are. We are in an upside down kingdom. The one who is the least is the greatest.

You have been set apart as a special possession, a great treasure. You are so valuable the King of the Universe gave up everything to save and redeem you. He paid the ultimate price because in His eyes you are worth it. You are God’s greatest treasure let Him show you off as His prized possession. Stop hiding and giving excuses. You were created for such a time as this.