God's love does not depend on the current spiritual condition of those He loves.

Christians must allow no unclean thing to interfere with a harmonious relationship with Christ.

Fear of the right type can be beneficial to the people of God (see Prov. 1:7), but the fear of man's hostile intentions seldom fits that category.

God realizes His people need protection from the pains and heartaches of the world.

God wanted Israel, as He wants Christians, to learn to utterly abhor and detest anything that had the potential of coming between them and their God. The believer's enemies are typically internal rather than external, and they pose a powerful threat to spiritual health and progress.

God never forgets a promise.

If Israel is to please the Lord fully, they will live lives that are as distinctive among the nations as their Lord is different from pagan deities.