February 14

On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

~ Numbers 33:50-53

 

"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, we are like ignorant children who want to continue making mud pies in a slum because we cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

~ C. S. Lewis

 

In today's reading, the Israelites were still preparing for their move into their new home. Joshua had been appointed as Moses's successor to lead the people. Instructions were given by God to conquer and settle the land.

 

It stood out to me that God specifically told the people to not only drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan, but to also destroy all remnants of their pagan religion. Once all the idols and high places were gone, then they would be allowed to settle the Promise Land. I think this means that God knows human nature all too well. Our nature, unfortunately, is to gravitate towards things that are not of God. He knew that if the Israelites had settled the land, but left all the items associated with false gods and pagan religions, they would quickly turned their backs on Him. (As it turns out, they ended up doing that anyway.)

 

Sin is and always has been very attractive and very deadly to people. Part of God's plan is and always has been to protect us from our sin. By telling the people that they must get rid of all idols and high places, He was protecting them from the consequences of idolatry and disobedience. In verses 55 and 56 of chapter 33, God warned them that they would suffer the same fate as the Canaanites if they did not follow His commands.

 

I find it amazing that the purpose of God's command was not simply to protect His people from sin. He also wanted to bless them greatly. He wanted them to live in a beautiful and fruitful land. He wanted them to experience fulfillment in a relationship with Him. He wanted them to be a shining example of His love and mercy.

 

God also wants the same for us as well. He wants us to drive out all things that hinder our relationship with Him. He wants to provide us with everything we need. He wants to experience fellowship with us. It seems crazy that we would ever choose mud pies in a slum over a vacation by the sea, but that's what we do whenever we allow something to come between us and God. As attractive as sin may appear to us, it leads to nothing but suffering and it doesn't even come close to the blessing and the joy that God wants us to experience in Him. I encourage you to evaluate what idols and high places there are in your lives. Once they are identified and then driven out of your life, then you can experience the true blessings of God.