Israel and idolatry

 Netziv (Bamidbar 33:55) pricks in your eyes – that means the eye of the mind. That is because the nature of Israel is that it seduces to be involved in idolatry as is explained in the medrash to Shir HaShirim

Netziv (Devarim 7:6) For you are a holy people. There are two reasons for why the Torah was concerned that idolatry be destroyed in Israel. And why the non Jews  were not commanded to destroy the idolatry in their land, after all, they were also commanded not to worship idols and nevertheless they do not have to be concerned that idols exist in their country but only the Jews in Israel were warned about it to an extreme degree.. The Torah gave the reason that because the Jews are a holy people they are more likely to be influenced and more damaged by idolatry. This is characteristic of holiness that it is more suseptical to being damaged by impurity. The second reason the Torah gives is that the Jews were chosen by G-d and those He is more concerned with them and thus he warns them to remove idolatry which can cause trouble. 

Netziv (Shemos 23:24) Do not bow down to their gods – this is a special warning (after they conquered the 7 nations) against the gods of the seven nations of Israel because of the concern that because they have seemed to have sustained these people until now they might be uniquely valuable for parnossa in Israel.