Numbers 33: 55-56
55) "But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. 56) And I will do to you what I planned to do to them."
I think God's reasoning is very clear- He wanted his people to be holy, and to be/remain holy, they could not mix up with the Canaanites, who had rejected God and had made for themselves other gods/idols. God wanted to wipe out every trace of these wicked and sinful people so that his people would focus on him alone, without being swayed into sin like the Canaanites.
This kinda reminds me of 2nd Corinthians 6:14-15
14) "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15) What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
The Israelites did not fully obey God. Joshua 13:13 records the Israelites' failure to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah. To this, they suffered great consequences.
Okay, let's do a life check :) Who/what are you accommodating? You know we like to feel like we can't be easily influenced. Like we're so strong-willed and too good to be pressured into sin. Yeah right! Why do you think sexual sin is so common? Why do you think we are so quick to react? Why do you think we do a lot of the things we do? It is because of the things and people we accommodate. See, In the past few years, I've chosen not to accommodate certain things, like most of the shows on TV and secular music that glorify sin. I've also chosen not to accommodate people who are quick to attack my faith. You know why? When i watch all these shows and accommodate all these people, i allow a seed to be planted into my heart. Before you know it, this seed grows into something that controls me, and I start to live out these things that I have allowed into my heart. If everybody else is doing it, then maybe it's not so wrong, right? WRONG. Please, guard your hearts.
The explanatory notes on my Life App Study Bible looks at this from a different perspective. It says, "If you don't do the job right the first time, it often becomes much more difficult to accomplish. God warned that if the Israelites did not drive the wicked inhabitants out of the Promised Land, later these people would become a source of great irritation. That is exactly what happened. Just as the Israelites were hesitant to clear out all the wicked people, we are sometimes hesitant to clear out all the sin in our lives, either because we are afraid of it (as the Israelites feared the giants), or because it seems harmless and attractive (as sexual sin seemed). But Hebrews tells us to strip off "the sin that so easily trips us up". We all have idols we don't want to let go of (a bad habit, an unhealthy relationship, a certain lifestyle). If we allow these idols to dominate us, they will cause serious problems. As a self-test, reread the ten commandments in Exodus 20: 1-17. Ask yourself, Am I tolerating sinful practices or thoughts? Have I accepted half-measures as good enough? Do i condemn the faults of others but condone my own?"
Just meditating on these words and thought i should share :) Have a great day guys!
Oh and i'm done reading Numbers, now studying the book of Deuteronomy *happy dance*
The Ten Commandments on the wall of my closet. I know I know, me and this closet. lol
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