Numbers 32-34

February 21

Numbers 32-34

Final preparations are being made as the Israelites draw near to the Promised Land. Moses successor, Joshua, has been chosen. Two and a half tribes negotiate with Moses and agree that they will go across the Jordan to conquer the land God promised, but they want to claim land on the east side of the Jordan for themselves. Moses writes a review of the journey from Egypt to the plains of Jordan as they looked across to Jericho in the land of promise.

God instructed Moses to prepare the Israelites for inhabitation of their new land. 33:51-56 instruct the Israelites to destroy all the carved images, idols, and high places of the Canaanites. They were also to drive out the inhabitants of the land. God told them if they did not drive them out they would become; “barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides.”

If we look at these passages from a theological and spiritual perspective instead of strictly a historical perspective we begin to see instruction for godly living. God has delivered the Israelites from a life of slavery in Egypt. He has attempted to shape them into His people, a nation that reveals His character as they wandered in the desert. The Israelites walk in obedience for short periods of time, then turn their backs on God. The Israelites are learning how to live as free people. They have been slaves for 400 years. God has made a covenant with the Israelites. If they walk in obedience to Him, He will bless them beyond measure, if they do not, He will bring curses down upon them.

God instructs the Israelites to destroy the images, idols, and high places of the people living in the land. He then tells them to drive them out of the land. These instructions can sound harsh to us. Why not allow those who live in the land remain? Why not allow them to stay and the Israelites can influence them for the good? God knows the Israelites are spiritually weak. He knows their hearts. He is protecting them from the dangers He knows are ahead of them.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God comes into our lives and changes us. He releases us from a life of slavery to sin. He gives us a new start as a new creation in Christ. We cannot continue to hang on to the old idols while trying to worship God. We must leave the old behind and allow God to give us a new start. A little sin, a little idol is enough to ruin our spiritual lives, just as a little yeast works through a whole batch of dough.

God wants to purge the sin from our lives to protect us not to punish us. Any we allow to remain will be like a thorn in our eye or our side the festers and can blind us to God’s desires for our lives or can cause us great pain or even death. God instructs us to purge our lives of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit in order set us free and enable us to live full and fulfilled lives.