08/18/2008
Numbers 33:50 - 55 (HCSB) 50The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [across from] Jericho, 51“Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast images, and demolish all their high places. 53You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land to possess. 54You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. 55But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become thorns in your eyes and in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live.
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The campaign to take over the land of Canaan is about to begin. Moses had died and Joshua is now the leader of the people. God has given Joshua instructions on how the land is to be divided and all that remains is to take possession of it.
But as they enter the land, all the current inhabitants must be driven out. Then all the old idols and shrines (high places) are to be destroyed. And if Israel fails to clear the land of inhabitants and remnants of the old pagan religion, these things will create a painful situation to Israel.
This was a very literal instruction for Israel concerning the land they were promised. But in a similar way, God has promised us peace and security in our lives. What we need to do in our lives is to remove all remnants of the old self. We must not allow any old habits (idols) or desires (shrines) to remain, or they will corrupt what God is trying to do.
Israel failed to completely clear the land of inhabitants and shrines and we shall see that trouble came to them as a result.
In order for our lives to be all that God wants it to be, we need to be sure that anything contrary to God’s purpose for us is removed. God will not share a house with evil. If we truly want to live in the peace and security that He promises, then we need to do our part to prepare and maintain a clean house for Him.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
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