13:5 “But he shall be put to death because he has counseled rebellion against Yahweh your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge evil from your midst.”

After exhorting the people to circumcise their hearts, Moses encapsulates everything that has he has spoken since recounting the covenant at Sinai. This general overview of what it means to be the people of God prescribes the attitude and practices for both taking the land and living in it, and can be summarized in loving God with all heart and soul and strength. The Ten Commandments is the standard by which God will interact with Israel, whether for blessing or curse. 

The sermon will now focus on specific procedures of the Law that have been given to Israel throughout their journey from Egypt. The people are commanded to destroy all the religious structures and hardware in the land, lest they be curious and tempted to try the rituals that God considers an abomination. Yahweh will appoint a place within the land that His people will seek Him and enjoy fellowship with Him through the rituals of the sanctuary periodically. 

We have heard the repeated commands to eliminate temptations from foreign cultures and peoples, and now Moses addresses what to do when people of the nation undertake to love other gods. Like the pagan foreigners, there will be no pity for apostates and frauds, whether a magician or family or an entire city. The Lord teaches us to cut off our hand if it causes us to sin (Matt 5:29-30), and in a similar way Israel must purge evil from within itself to maintain its role as God’s agent for blessing the whole world.