But now there is no respect of earth, of places, or countries with the Lord. So testified the Lord Jesus Christ himself to the woman of Samaria, John iv. [21,] professing that neither at that mountain, nor at Jerusalem, should men worship the Father.
While that national state of the church of the Jews remained, the tribes were bound to go up to Jerusalem to worship, Ps. cxxii. But now, in every nation, not the whole land or country as it was with Canaan, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him, Acts x. 35. This then appeared in that large commission of the Lord Jesus to his first ministers: Go into all nations, and not only into Canaan, to carry tidings of mercy, &c.
Secondly. The former inhabitants thereof, seven great and mighty nations, Deut. vii. 1, were all devoted to destruction by the Lord’s own mouth, which was to be performed by the impartial hand of the children of Israel, without any sparing or showing mercy.
The inhabitants of Canaan’s land, every soul, to be put to death, that the Israelites might enjoy their possessions: not so now.
But so now it hath not pleased the Lord to devote any people to present destruction, commanding his people to kill and slay without covenant or compassion, Deut. vii. 2.
Where have emperors, kings, or generals an immediate call from God to destroy whole cities, city after city, men, women, children, old and young, as Joshua practised? Josh. vi. and x., &c.
This did Israel to these seven nations, that they themselves might succeed them in their cities, habitations, and possessions.
This only is true in a spiritual antitype, when God’s people by the sword, the two-edged sword of God’s Spirit, slay the ungodly and become heirs, yea, fellow heirs with Christ Jesus, Rom. viii. 17. God’s meek people inherit the earth, Matt. v. [5.] They mystically, like Noah, Heb. xi. 7, condemn the whole unbelieving world, both by present and future sentence, 1 Cor. vi. 2.
CHAP. CXI.
The very material, gold and silver, of Canaan’s images, typically to be abhorred.