The Inhabitants of the Land (Num. 33:50-56)

3/2/2009 8:03 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The inhabitants of the land

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Numbers 33:50-56

 

            Message of the verses:  “50 ¶  Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51  "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52  then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; 53  and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54  ‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55  ‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. 56  ‘And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.’”

            In this section of Numbers God again tells the nation of Israel through Moses that they are to cross over the Jordan river and they are to go into the Promised Land and destroy the nations that were living there and that they were to take possession of this land and divide it between the tribes of Israel. 

            Dr. Wiersbe points out three reasons why Israel was to destroy these nations.  The first on is because these nations were very wicked and because of their wickedness they were now to be destroyed.  A look at Romans 1:17-32 will give a clue as to this reason why God destroyed them.  The second reason is because God was going to give this land to Israel and set the stage for the miracles that He would do in this land and also bring about the birth of the Messiah.  The last reason he gives is found in verse fifty-five and that is that if Israel did not destroy them then they would be a throne in their side and they would eventually start living like those nations that God wanted destroyed.  This did happen and verse fifty-six became true of the nation of Israel. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have often thought that this process of destroying the heathen nations that lived where Israel was to go was a picture of how a person lives the Christian life.  God has given me eternal life through Jesus Christ just as He gave the Promised Land to those who went into it.  God then uses Joshua to destroy the majority of inhabitants of the land and tells the people to make sure that they finish the job or those left would be a throne in their side.  For the most part Israel failed at this, but I am to do the same thing as there is an invisible battle going on even though the victory has already been won and I am to be active in this battle, as Paul writes in Ephesians I am to stand firm.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. To stand firm in the battle.
2. To learn contentment.
3. To give myself to the Lord for service and worship.
4. To have my mind renewed by God’s Spirit through His Word.

 

3/2/2009 8:24 AM