Deuteronomy 7-9; Psalm 55

How can you read this passage and not be confident that we can’t take the Bible literally? It’s so insane what God asks the Israelites to do — Kill all the people in their path? God hates the evil? What’s the heart of this? What’s the heart of this? What can be some take aways…

That we are not to overtake others to take their things and use them to get rich ourselves. That we should not get proud if we win because it’s not from anything we do but because God destroys evil. That we should not covet. That we should be humbled if we receive any blessings. Again, not our doing. It is all by grace. We are not that far from the people we oppose. Discipline from God is good… you discipline those you care about.

Reading the Bible this way is pretty taxing. It’s like a pummeling to a one day hopeful redemption on the cross. I’m exhausted. I’m tired. I’m starting to hate people and rules and commandments. Huh? A mirror for who we are? A stubborn people.