When the Lord brought Israel to the edge of the Promised Land, He didn’t paint a picture of an easy vacation. In Deuteronomy 7:1, He told them plainly they would face seven nations “greater and mightier” than they were.
Israel had just come out of Egypt. In the Bible, Egypt pictures the world, and the Promised Land pictures living inside the will of God. Humanly speaking, Israel had no chance. These were stronger nations with established cities and larger armies. But this is exactly the kind of work God loves to do. When the task is impossible, God receives all the glory.
God promised incredible blessings for obedience: mercy, fruitful families, and protection from disease. But entering that “land” required more than just showing up. It required following five clear commands that still teach us how to live in God’s will today.
1. To Enter God’s Will You Must Be Relentless
Deuteronomy 7:2, “And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them.”
God commanded Israel to be relentless. No compromise or treaties with sin. You cannot make a “peace treaty” with a habit or a world system that God has told you to destroy.
Jesus gave the same instruction in Matthew 16:24: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” You deny yourself first, then you take up the cross and following comes last. Many Christians try to follow Christ and carry a cross when it’s convenient, but they never deny themselves. That is why so many people end up quitting. They tried to negotiate with their old life instead of being relentless against it.
2. To Enter God’s Will You Must Focus on Your Relatives
Deuteronomy 7:3–4, “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.”
God knew exactly how influence works. The home determines the direction of the next generation. Protecting your family isn’t just about “spending time” together; it is about directing their hearts toward God.
In Deuteronomy 6:6–9, just one chapter earlier, God explains that His Word must be in your heart first, then taught “diligently” to your children. It has to fill the home. It has to be spoken of when you sit, when you walk, and when you lie down. If you don’t fill the home with the Word, the world will fill it with something else.
3. To Enter God’s Will You Must Reject the World’s Religion
Deuteronomy 7:5, “But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.”
God would not allow Israel to mix truth with false worship. They were to tear down the altars and remove the idols. God is very clear what defines pure religion.
James 1:27 tells us that “pure religion” is visiting the fatherless and widows and keeping oneself “unspotted from the world.” True religion cares for the helpless and stays separated from the world’s way of approaching God. You cannot have a heart for God while you are building altars to the world’s idols.
4. To Enter God’s Will You Must Remember God’s Love
Deuteronomy 7:7–8, “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
Israel was not chosen because they were impressive or strong. They were chosen because God simply loved them. This is a humbling thought! God didn’t save us because we were great; He saved us because He is good.
John 3:16 reminds us that God so loved the world that He gave His Son. When you realize that God’s will is based on His love for you, it changes why you obey. You aren’t working to earn His love; you are working because you already have it.
5. To Enter God’s Will You Must Respond to God’s Word
Deuteronomy 7:11, “Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.”
God expects a response when it comes to His Word! His Word isn’t a suggestion; it’s a command. Jesus said man must live by “every word” that proceeds from the mouth of God.
The real question for us is simple:
- Do we see politics through the lens of the Bible?
- Do we see our church through the lens of the Bible?
- Do we see our daily life through the lens of the Bible?
- Do we have a world view based on the Bible or do we have a view of the Bible through the lens of the world?
If we want to live in God’s will, we have to stop responding to our feelings and start responding to His Word by faith!
