Joshua 23:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your
God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of
these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you
associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain
that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but
they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in
your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God
has given you.
NOTE: Joshua
acknowledges in the previous verses that there is still work to do. And he
challenges the people to stay true to the task, but he also warns the people
against failure to continue to drive out the nations from the land. This is the
prelude to Judges, for that is exactly what happens over and over again. The
people get comfortable; the people follow the example of neighbors and forget
God; the people are enslaved or attacked by those nations; the people cry out
to God in repentance; God sends a delivers; and God gives them peace. But
Israel never learns, and approximately 12 times goes through this cycle in
different parts of the land in one failure after another. The lesson to us is
what failure continues to haunt us? Where do we get apathetic in our
convictions? Are we too comfortable? Are we serving in ministry? God wants to
use our lives as a blessing to Him and to others. But we have to get out of a
focus on ourselves and begin living for others.
No comments:
Post a Comment