THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Due to their foolishness and tendency to stray from God, He emphasizes the importance of obedience, as proclaimed: "And when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land which thou shalt enter therein to inherit it, and shall root out great and many nations from before thee... and the Lord thy God shall deliver them into thy hand: and thou shalt utterly destroy them" (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). He warns against forming bonds that could lead to compromise: "Thou shalt not give thy daughter unto his son, neither shalt thou take his daughter unto thy son: For they will turn away thy son from following me" (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). God's protection is unwavering, as the sacred Scriptures confirm that He provided His people with laws to guide them.
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However, they struck down this divine instruction, succumbing instead to idolatrous practices and misleading soothsayers. They shunned the counsel of holy prophets, demanding instead false prophecies: "Do not speak to us right things, speak unto us smooth things" (Isaiah 30:10). In disobedience, they entered into relationships with women from neighboring nations, despite the prohibitions of the law. By welcoming those steeped in idolatry into their homes, they fathered children who followed the ways of their mothers, demonstrating a failure to uphold the teachings of Moses.