God’s Covenant of Love
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
“But it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:8-9 ESV).
You have been formed by God with specific intention. God knit you together and has counted your days. In Jeremiah 1:5 God states, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart”. Psalm 139:13-16 describes God creating a person’s “inmost being” and knitting them together, telling us we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. In Job 31:15, Job highlights that the same God who created him in the womb created everyone, reinforcing that every person is a deliberate work of God.
(The Story of Forky from Toy Story 4).
God created you. You are God’s Idea.
God wants you to get rid of pagan influences and worship Him.
God set you apart. He loves you.
God loved you and set you apart when you were small and weak.
Discussion Guide
Share a time when you felt chosen (a team, a group, a role). How did that feel? How does it differ when you are chosen not based on merit, but simply out of love?
According to Deuteronomy 7, why did God choose Israel? What characteristics of God are highlighted in verse 9? How does verse 8 describe the way God brought them out? What does it mean to be a “treasured possession” (v. 6)? How should this status change how we view ourselves? How do we reconcile God’s unconditional love with the conditional language in v. 9? (obedience is the required response of love, not a way to earn it). What does “a thousand generations” (v. 9) teach us about God’s faithfulness?
God chose Israel to be “holy” (set apart). How does this look in our modern, secular culture? How can we practically “keep His commandments” (v. 9) this week as a response to His love? What fears or doubts are eased by knowing God is “faithful” and remembers His promises?