Devotionary

Being set apart as God’s chosen people was not enough. Just because God had designated the Israelites as His prized possession did not mean that they were inherently different or distinct from their pagan neighbors. In fact, they were very much like the other nations around them. The only thing that set them apart was their relationship with God and their possession of His law to guide their daily lives. It was the law that was to separate them from every other people group on earth. But it could do so only if they chose to obey it. And Moses knew that was going to prove a problem for the Israelites. So, in Deuteronomy 7:1-6, we have recorded his words reminding them of their status as a holy nation, and their need to separate themselves from the rest of the inhabitants of the land.