NATIONS
We learn from the definition of “nations” in the Old Testament and in the New Testament that the word essentially refers to people. In fact, the Hebrew word “gowy” and the Greek word “ethnos” are sometimes translated as “people.” Therefore, when reading about nations, the best interpretation to make is “people.” More specifically, nations, like cities, are collections of religious people  (e.g. Jews, Lutherans, Catholics, Hindus, Pentecostals, etc.).

While “nation” can sometimes be applied to Israel, it is most often applied to Gentiles who do not initially follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but who are eventually led to follow him because of Israel’s obedience. But most scriptures that refer to nations — except for those that include the nation of Israel — should be interpreted to include Gentiles who do not follow God. For example, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per’izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb’usites were the occupants of the Promised Land that Israel was challenged to fight to drive out. These all symbolize religious entities/nations that do not follow God.

The modern-day equivalent of these pagan nations that God wants to displace with his people is found in all incorporated and unincorporated religions in the world. In other words, biblical references to nations are to all brand of religion — including Judaism and Christianity.  Because they all follow foreign gods (i.e., human religious leaders) and are led by spiritual leaders who are the equivalent of spiritual kings, God wants them to be utterly destroyed. Destruction of these religious kingdoms was and is the reason God sent Israel into the Promised Land.

But God does not want to literally destroy or kill the people. The Bible uses these graphic words to symbolically describe killing and destroying the religious kingdoms that follow other gods and are led by other kings — not by God. He wants to destroy the religious kingdoms led by religious leaders and replace them with his kingdom. This process is symbolically represented in stories where Israel, under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, utterly destroys cities and nations that occupied the promised land.

In this process God uses his chosen people to be a light to the Gentile nations of the world as they cease following other gods and other kings and choose to follow the one true God. That was God’s command to Israel and it is his command to his followers today. This command is summarized in God’s sweeping command to love your neighbor.