God showed a clear difference between His people and the Heathen. 2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.
2 Kings 21:2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
2 Chronicles 20:6
And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
Ezekiel 22:26
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
They were not to intermingle with the heathen,nor learn their ways.
.God has a special love for his sheep, and He is going to seek and save everyone of them out of the darkness of heathen living.
Romans 3:21-25But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Yes. God views us all as sinners. Some, he separates unto redemption. The rest he separates unto damnation.
The love of God has been poured out on that multitude of sinners He has purposed to save in Union with Christ.
When judgments happen upon the heathen it was to protect the godly line.
1 Corinthians 5:9-12I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
All the non covenant people were considered unclean, and did not have the sign of the covenant,like when David confronted Goliath.
That gives some indication of the mindset.
Mixed marriages were also an indication of how they were not to be intertwined with them.
That is where grace and mercy come in.
God is good to all men,and the goodness of God is meant to lead men to repentance.Rom2
In return ,men hate the true God and make work based religions.
But God.....who is rich in mercy intervenes.eph2.