Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:Thursday: Numbers 32, 33, 34The command in Numbers 33:50-56 to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land” seems a bit severe. What justification do you see for such an order?
Life is sacred. To God. And it should be to us. Reading the passage in Numbers 33:5-56 does seem very severe to "drive out all the inhabitants of the land." Israel was in a war mode. Not to justify or glorify war, but the "neighbors" Israel was encountering were not about to just give them the land and move away quietly. If you put it in modern perspectives, we just don't have over our land to someone who says God gave it to them. Our own US history shows many events where "we" did the same thing. The people of Israel knew they were to be in a war for land and for their faith. Israel was the only monotheistic (belief in one God) people. For their many years of slavery they were surrounded by those who believed in many gods including the belief that Pharoah was god. In fact the ten plagues set the stage for the real contest, not between Moses and Pharoah, but between Pharoah and God. As they traveled through the wilderness their monotheism was strengthened and now they're at the point of entering a land where they had a god for most everything, each god represented by idols, and even the use of sex in their worship. God is asking the question, how faithful will you stay if you don't drive out the inhabitants? Biblical study shows this was a harsh but necessary step to drive out the potentially negative influences of idol worship. As we get further into the Old Testament you will see how even the kings of Israel were not immune from this temptation.
In our situation we still come up against placing things or people before God. Wanting to sleep in on Sunday quickly becomes our "god." Worse yet choosing that because our neighbors do, shows who's more influential. Choosing to wash our car instead of worship shows where our true worship lies. After all, our neighbors do it. And the list can go on and on about where our true worship and loyalties lie. God asks the question, where am I in your life?
PRAYER: Loving God, I invite you to occupy first place in my life. I ask forgiveness for the times when I've thought my neighbor had a better idea when it came to life choices and I've chosen to be apart from You. Let me choose You today and all days. I pray in the name of He who placed You first, Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Here is our study guide for today:Thursday: Numbers 32, 33, 34The command in Numbers 33:50-56 to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land” seems a bit severe. What justification do you see for such an order?
Life is sacred. To God. And it should be to us. Reading the passage in Numbers 33:5-56 does seem very severe to "drive out all the inhabitants of the land." Israel was in a war mode. Not to justify or glorify war, but the "neighbors" Israel was encountering were not about to just give them the land and move away quietly. If you put it in modern perspectives, we just don't have over our land to someone who says God gave it to them. Our own US history shows many events where "we" did the same thing. The people of Israel knew they were to be in a war for land and for their faith. Israel was the only monotheistic (belief in one God) people. For their many years of slavery they were surrounded by those who believed in many gods including the belief that Pharoah was god. In fact the ten plagues set the stage for the real contest, not between Moses and Pharoah, but between Pharoah and God. As they traveled through the wilderness their monotheism was strengthened and now they're at the point of entering a land where they had a god for most everything, each god represented by idols, and even the use of sex in their worship. God is asking the question, how faithful will you stay if you don't drive out the inhabitants? Biblical study shows this was a harsh but necessary step to drive out the potentially negative influences of idol worship. As we get further into the Old Testament you will see how even the kings of Israel were not immune from this temptation.
In our situation we still come up against placing things or people before God. Wanting to sleep in on Sunday quickly becomes our "god." Worse yet choosing that because our neighbors do, shows who's more influential. Choosing to wash our car instead of worship shows where our true worship lies. After all, our neighbors do it. And the list can go on and on about where our true worship and loyalties lie. God asks the question, where am I in your life?
PRAYER: Loving God, I invite you to occupy first place in my life. I ask forgiveness for the times when I've thought my neighbor had a better idea when it came to life choices and I've chosen to be apart from You. Let me choose You today and all days. I pray in the name of He who placed You first, Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
