What did God make plain about Israel's relationship with the Moabites and Canaanites?
God made plain that Israel was to have nothing to do with the Moabites or Canaanites. They were to make no covenant or treaty with them, show them no mercy, and not intermarry, because such marriages would turn Israel's sons away from following Him.
Les explains that Israel was about to go in and occupy the land of Canaan, and Moses was giving strict commands from God about how they were to accomplish it. God said He would cast out and deliver the nations before Israel, including the Canaanites, and Israel was to smite and utterly destroy them. God also made plain that Israel was to make no covenant or treaty with them, nor show mercy, nor make marriages with them. The reason was that these marriages would turn Israel's sons away from following the Lord. Les notes Israel had already been guilty of some of this, so God was making it very plain that they were to have nothing to do with these Moabites or the Canaanites they would run into.