READ:
NUMBERS 33:50-56
God led the
children of Israel out of Egypt after more than 400 years of bondage. When they
were en route the Promised Land, God through Moses, gave them clear instructions
about his plans for them. According to our text, God told them to drive out all
the inhabitants of the land and to destroy all their symbols of idolatry. Verse
55 says: “But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before
you; then it shall come to pass, that those which you let remain of them shall
be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land
wherein you dwell.”
Later, by the time the Israelites had begun to divide the land, many of them refused to fulfil the command. They though it was allright to let the other nations dwell among them. Judah retained the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63). Ephraim and Manasseh retained the Canaanites. In order to satisfy their conscience, they used them as slaves (Joshua 16:10).
Before the Israelites knew what was going on, they were admiring the ungodly lifestyle of their servants. After a while they started having sexual relations with them. Little by little idolatry, rebellion against God and other sins took root, and before long there was complete moral depravity. The other nations soon became a perpetual source of trouble. In the end, God had to fulfil his promise in Numbers 33:56. The nation of Israel was eventually driven out of their homes for the same reasons than the earlier inhabitants.
Have you received Jesus? Praise God! To avoid returning to sin, you must wipe out all the ‘Canaanites’ in your life, as well as their images and altars. You cannot stay with crowds who are involved in immorality, fraud and robbery. You should destroy things which remind you of your old lifestyle, such as pornographic material and objects relating to the occult. If you retain them, they will eventually destroy you.
Later, by the time the Israelites had begun to divide the land, many of them refused to fulfil the command. They though it was allright to let the other nations dwell among them. Judah retained the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63). Ephraim and Manasseh retained the Canaanites. In order to satisfy their conscience, they used them as slaves (Joshua 16:10).
Before the Israelites knew what was going on, they were admiring the ungodly lifestyle of their servants. After a while they started having sexual relations with them. Little by little idolatry, rebellion against God and other sins took root, and before long there was complete moral depravity. The other nations soon became a perpetual source of trouble. In the end, God had to fulfil his promise in Numbers 33:56. The nation of Israel was eventually driven out of their homes for the same reasons than the earlier inhabitants.
Have you received Jesus? Praise God! To avoid returning to sin, you must wipe out all the ‘Canaanites’ in your life, as well as their images and altars. You cannot stay with crowds who are involved in immorality, fraud and robbery. You should destroy things which remind you of your old lifestyle, such as pornographic material and objects relating to the occult. If you retain them, they will eventually destroy you.
MEMORIZE:
EPHESIANS 5:11 –And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them.
