Números 33

Números 33

Spurgeon - They did not destroy the peoples, They were commissioned to act as executioners upon races condemned for their unnatural crimes, and through sloth, cowardice, or Sinful complacency they sheathed the sword too soon, very much to their own danger and disquietude. It is a great evil with professors that they are not zealous for the total destruction of all sin within and without. We make alliances of peace where we ought to proclaim war to the knife; we plead our constitutional temperament, our previous habits, the necessity of our circumstances, or some other evil excuse as an apology for being content with a very partial sanctification, if indeed it be sanctification at all. We are slow also to rebuke sin in others, and are ready to spare respectable sins, which like Agag walk with mincing steps. The measure of our destruction of sin is not to be our inclination, or the habit of others, but the Lord's command. We have no warrant for dealing leniently with any sin, be it what it may. But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. It was not the wilderness which caused Israel's sins; they were just as disobedient when settled in the land of promise. They found evil company, and delighted in it. Those whom they should have destroyed they made their friends. Having enough faults of their own, they were yet ready to go to school to the filthy Canaanites, and educate themselves still more in the arts of iniquity. It was certain that they could learn no good from men whom the Lord had condemned to utter destruction. Few would wish to go to the condemned cell for learning, yet Israel sat at the feet of accursed Canaan, and rose up proficient in every abomination. This, too, is a grievous but common error among professors: they court worldly company and copy worldly fashions, and yet it is their calling to bear witness against these things. None can tell what evil has come of the folly of worldly conformity. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. They were fascinated by the charms of idolatry, though it brings misery upon its votaries. A man cannot serve sin without being ensnared by it. It is like birdlime, and to touch it is to be taken by it. Samson laid his head in the Philistine woman's lap, but ere long he woke up shorn of his strength. Dalliance with sin is fatal to spiritual liberty. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils. This was being snared indeed; they were spell bound by the cruel superstition, and were carried so far as even to become murderers of their own children, in honour of the most detestable deities, which were rather devils than gods. "And shed innocent blood." The poor little ones whom they put to death in sacrifice had not been partakers of their sin, and God looked with the utmost indignation upon the murder of the innocent. "Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan." Who knows how far evil will go? It drove men to be unnatural as well as ungodly. Had they but thought for a moment, they must have seen that a deity who could be pleased with the blood of babes spilt by their own sires could not be a deity at all, but must be a demon, worthy to be detested and not adored. How could they prefer such service to that of Jehovah? Did he tear their babes from their bosoms and smile at their death throes? Men will sooner wear the iron yoke of Satan than carry the pleasant burden of the Lord; does not this prove to a demonstration the deep depravity of their hearts? If man be not totally depraved, what worse would he do if he were? Does not this verse describe the ne plus ultra of iniquity? And the land was polluted with blood. The promised land, the holy land, which was the glory of all lands, for God was there, was defiled with the reeking gore of innocent babes, and by the blood red hands of their parents, who slew them in order to pay homage to devils. Alas! alas! What vexation was this to the spirit of the Lord. STRONG WARNING FOR FAILURE TO DISPOSSESS But - Term of contrast, contrasting blessing of possessing versus the cursing for failure to dispossess. In short failure to dispossess would bring disaster to the nation of Israel. if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you - Note the "if" identifies this as a conditional promise/warning. Sadly the IF became a reality and Jdg 1:28+ gives a good summary of what transpired - "It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely." (Read the entire chapter of Judges 1:1-36+) Then - The consequences for failure to drive out the Canaanites would be two fold. We have seen an excellent (sad) illustration of the problem that would result from fraternizing with the pagans in Numbers 25 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot (THIS BECAME A "WATCHWORD" FOR THE NATION - SEE CROSS REFERENCES BELOS) with the daughters of Moab. 2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel. 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” 6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. (Nu 25:1-9+) Play the harlot - 19x in 18v - Exod. 34:15; Exod. 34:16; Lev. 17:7; Lev. 20:5; Lev. 20:6; Num. 25:1; Deut. 31:16; 2 Chr. 21:11; 2 Chr. 21:13; Isa. 23:17; Ezek. 16:17; Ezek. 20:30; Hos. 3:3; Hos. 4:10; Hos. 4:13; Hos. 4:14; Hos. 4:15; Hos. 4:18 Played the hartot - 24x in 22v - Gen. 38:24; Num. 15:39; Jdg. 2:17; Jdg. 8:27; Jdg. 8:33; Jdg. 19:2; 1 Chr. 5:25; 2 Chr. 21:13; Ps. 106:39; Ezek. 6:9; Ezek. 16:15; Ezek. 16:16; Ezek. 16:26; Ezek. 16:28; Ezek. 23:3; Ezek. 23:5; Ezek. 23:19; Ezek. 23:30; Hos. 2:5; Hos. 4:12; Hos. 5:3; Hos. 9:1 (FIRST) 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 - NLT has "but if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides." As he was passing on Joshua gave a prophetic warning (note verbs cling, intermarry, associate) “For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you (THIS PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED - NORTHERN KINGDOM EXILED TO ASSYRIA IN 722 bc. SOUTHERN KINGDOM EXILED TO BABYLON IN 586 bc). (Joshua 23:12-13) THOUGHT - As a general rule, a genuine believer should NEVER marry an unbeliever. My son married an unbeliever and it was miserable for us all. At least she refrained from her horribly foul mouth when she was in my presence. Nevertheless the mixture of spiritual light and darkness led to continual strife and discord and eventually ended in divorce after 2 sons had been born. I am sure some "mixed" believer/unbeliever marriages have worked (and some unbelievers have become believers), but as a general rule it is a foolish thing for a believer to knowingly and willfully (against advise of godly counsel) marry an unbeliever. I am not the judge in this area, so I refer you to the Perfect Judge's clear word in 2 Cor 6:14 "Do not be bound (a command, not a suggestion) together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Related Resources: Is it right for a Christian to date or marry a non-Christian? | GotQuestions.org Is it possible to marry the wrong person? | GotQuestions.org What should a Christian do if he or she is married to an unbeliever? | GotQuestions.org I am engaged to and living with an unbeliever. I am convicted about this. What should I do? | GotQuestions.org (SECOND) and they will trouble you in the land in which you live - NLT has "They will harass you in the land where you live." Trouble (distress) (06887)(tsarar) means to be narrow, to be cramped, to be straitened, to be constricted, to hem or be hemmed in. Then it means to be hostile, to be an enemy. It is used most often to describe the action of distress in the presence of an enemy or rival. Figuratively tsarar also means to feel hard pressed and thus to be distressed (13/36 uses), troubled, oppressed, cramped, anxious or worried. This would be Israel's experience for failing to dispossess the land, and sadly it would come to be their reality because they did not completely exterminate the wicked pagan influences, either the people or their practices. Believer's Study Bible- Moses gave a solemn warning to the Israelites. If they failed to drive out the Canaanites, these pagan people would continually harass them. These words turned out to be prophetic of Israel's problems in the land. Far from being an inexplicable and barbarous command from God, it was His judgment on a determinedly wicked nation. Romans 1:18-23 makes it clear that such judgment assumes a failure to respond to the majesty and mercies of God. The amazing truth from God's Word is not that God destroys some, but that His mercy extends to spare any. A further reason the destruction of the Canaanites was necessary was to protect the purity of Israel, in order to guarantee success of the missionary mandate of Israel. Ryrie - Israel did fail to completely exterminate the Canaanites, whose pernicious influence plagued Israel and eventually resulted in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. THOUGHT - Can we not see the message for us today? If we have any "Canaanite practices" that we are refusing to exterminate, beware for they may become pricks and thorns and trouble us! Jensen adds "The lesson is clear as applied to the life of rest in the book of Hebrews. All other conditions for this happy life may have been fulfilled; nevertheless, old habits of sin and persistent idols of the heart will continue to vex the Christian and cause him to forfeit the manifold blessings which would otherwise be his." THEREFORE let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11+) Mattoon - The Canaanites were to be destroyed by Israel. Why? They were wicked. Their removal would clear the way for Israel's inheritance and it would remove the temptation of Israel to worship idols. Failure to defeat their enemies would lead to God's judgment.