God's commands to Israel regarding the Canaanites reveal His intent for them to drive out and destroy the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Initially, He declared that He would deliver the inhabitants into Israel's hands, requiring them to cast them out with strength of arms, as these carnal people would fiercely resist. God fully intended for Israel to engage in this fight, leading them against the inhabitants to ensure their victory, while still holding Israel responsible for cleansing the land of the Canaanites and other peoples. This responsibility persisted regardless of Israel's faithfulness, though obedience would bring His blessing and make the task easier. Even after Israel's unfaithfulness with the Golden Calf, God reaffirmed His promise to drive out the inhabitants, instructing Moses to number the men able to go to war, showing that Israel was still expected to participate in the battle. Later, at the border of the Promised Land, despite a negative report from scouts, Caleb and Joshua understood this as a cooperative effort between God and Israel, confident of victory with Him on their side. However, Israel's refusal to follow His lead resulted in 38 years of wandering, yet His command for cooperative dispossession remained unchanged. God explicitly commanded Israel to smite and utterly destroy certain peoples, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:2 and in His later instruction to Saul to annihilate the Amalekites, sparing no one and nothing. These commands were specific to enforcing His law within the borders He had set for Israel, not extending to idolaters beyond those limits. When He gave Israel the Land of Promise, He required them to execute wrath on wicked peoples as avengers, demonstrating His justice against the hardhearted and rebellious, while remaining a God of great mercy and compassion toward those who might repent.

In the final months before Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, God gave them a direct, hard-hitting instruction regarding the warfare they would face. He commanded them to drive the Canaanites out of the country—every man, every woman, and every child. In simple language, He explained why: they could not elevate the Canaanites to their level, but the Canaanites would pull them down to theirs. There was nothing difficult to understand about those instructions. Yet, they did not follow through, and as a result, the Israelites were indeed pulled down. The Canaanites and their religions became constant irritants, keeping things stirred up.

In the context of God's commands to Israel regarding their enemies, it is evident that He did not teach hatred toward the Canaanites or other nations. In Deuteronomy 7:2, He lists nations such as the Hittites and Girgashites that Israel was to dispossess in the Promised Land. This was not an instruction to hate but to act as His instrument of judgment against these peoples whose iniquities had reached their full measure. He declared that their perversions were too great, and thus they needed to be eliminated, using Israel as His sword. However, Israel failed to fully carry out this command, leading to later troubles. Additionally, in Deuteronomy 23:6, He instructed Israel not to seek peace or prosperity with Ammon and Moab due to their past actions against His people, marking this as another judgment rather than a call to hatred. In contrast, in Deuteronomy 23:7, He commanded Israel not to abhor an Edomite, for he is their brother, nor an Egyptian, because Israel was once an alien in their land, showing a clear distinction between judgment and personal animosity. Moreover, in Exodus 23, within the covenant itself, He directed the Israelites to help their enemies in times of need. Similarly, in Leviticus 19:34, He commanded them to treat strangers, often considered enemies, as native-born, granting them the same benefits. These instructions reveal that His law did not promote an implacable hatred of enemies, but rather emphasized judgment when necessary and aid when appropriate, aligning with His broader purpose of justice and mercy.