Today, I just want to focus on the last verse, verse 10 “But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among the Ephraimites to this day, but 1they have been forced to work as slaves.”
The last verse of the chapter tells us that the tribe of Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in their land. Instead, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves (10). It didn’t say they could not drive them out, but they did not drive them out because they could drive them out. In fact, if they could force the Canaanites to work as slaves, then it means they had more than enough power to drive them out, but they didn’t. That was a very serious problem before God because God had commanded numerous times that they had to kill them all because allowing the Canaanites to live would corrupt the Israelites.
So God commanded, for example, Deuteronomy 28:16-18 “But as for the towns of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive. 17You shall annihilate them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded, 18so that they may not teach you to do all the abhorrent things that they do for their gods, and you thus sin against the Lord your God.”
Why is it so important that they were not to live with the Canaanites and not to be influenced by them, their ideas, their values, their way to live and worship? Because they have a very special calling as people of God. These people had lived in Egypt for 430 years, then about 50 years ago by then, God had called and sent Moses to deliver the people from Pharaoh in Egypt. Do you remember what was the message of God proclaimed to Pharaoh through Moses?
Exodus 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
“Let my people go so that they may worship me.” God pronounced this message not one time, but 7 times God repeated this message to Pharaoh through Moses.
God wanted to rescue the Israelites so that they might worship Him. God wanted His people to be primarily worshippers of Him.
You and I also have to remember God called us and saved us so that you and I may become worshipers. Our primary calling is not to become pastor, elder, deacon or evangelist. If we fail in worshipping the Lord, we fail in the primary responsibility no matter how well we do in our ministry.
But there is a condition to become worshippers. That’s why God wanted them to leave Egypt.
But, Pharaoh didn't understand it so he suggested to Moses that the Israelites stayed there in Egypt to offer sacrifice. But, Moses couldn’t and didn’t accept his offer. Why do you think it was necessary for the people to leave Egypt before they worship God?
God said through Hosea the prophet, “I delight in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:24) You can worship only in truth, you have to have a right understanding of who God is. You have to have the right understanding of what God thinks, which is truth in order to worship Him. But, the Israelites, though they were Chosen people, their mind was so corrupt because they had learned the wrong ideas and concepts of who God was and how to worship as they had lived for more than 400 years. Since their understanding of God was so wrong, their understanding of human beings and their worldview was also so wrong and they weren’t prepared yet to worship God.
Our passion for God and our desire to worship God do not guarantee that we are ready to worship. We have to have the right understanding of who God is and what God sees. This is why we have to study the Bible carefully so that we may have the right understanding of who God is. In fact, our worship of God and our service for God without the proper understanding of God and His will, could bring more harm than service to ourselves and others.
This was what exactly happened among the Jews in Paul’s time and even today. They have a zeal for God but not based on God’s word as Paul said: “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.” (Romans 10:1-3)
The Jewish people had a zeal and passion for God, but since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God by grace, they sought to establish their own righteousness. But the Bible tells us our worship should be based on this grace of God: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1)
If you don’t know the grace of God, if you haven’t received the mercies of God, you are not ready to worship the Lord. We don’t worship to gain His grace. We don’t serve and worship Him to gain His mercies. We don’t worship Him to gain His salvation, but We worship Him because we have received His grace and because we have been already saved by the grace of God. Unfortunately, there are so many people out there who love the Lord and desire to serve the Lord, but they don't feel they deserve the forgiveness of sins and His grace, thus they don’t have the assurance of salvation because they haven’t accepted the grace freely given. They do what they do to gain favor but live in fear of judgment. Thus they did not submit to God’s offer and they could not properly worship God.
Let’s go back to Exodus. I told you that they were not prepared to worship God. Then, when and how were they prepared to worship? This was what God had said to Moses before he went to Egypt to deliver God’s message to Pharaoh and to lead the people out of Egypt: “when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you (plural - the people) shall worship God at this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)
God had promised Moses that the people would be prepared at the mountain Sinai. It took one and a half months for the people to get there on the mountain since they left Egypt. There they received the 10 commandments, which was necessary because God revealed Himself through these commandments.
The 10 commandments (God revealed Himself and His love)
Do not have other gods besides Me. (He wants to have an exclusive relationship with His people)
Do not make an idol for yourself (He is Spirit and Creator so He can’t be modeled after any other creatures in the world)
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. (He wants to be glorified and honored)
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (He wants to be remembered as Creator for them)
Honor your father and your mother; 6 Do not murder; 7. Do not commit adultery; 8. Do not steal; 9. Do not give false testimony against your neighbor; 10, Do not covet your neighbor’s belongings (God wants His people to have the right and loving relationship with one another.)
Again, we have to remember the 10 commandments were not only the revelation of who God is and wants but also they were commandments so the Israelites became His people on the condition that they would obey the commandments. That’s why we call the 10 commandments the Old Testament or the Old Covenant because, on the terms of the 10 commandments of God, the Israelites became His people. They became covenant people of God.
Even then, they were not prepared to worship they had to wait until as God directed they made the tabernacle, the meeting place with God with all the sacred objects in it, and ordained the priests and the sacrificial system because God knew that His people for sure would break the commandments so the gracious God made a provision that in case they broke the laws, they could still come to Him and had their sins forgiven through the sacrifice.
God redeemed and called His people so that they love the Lord and worship Him in truth. That was why God commanded them to kill them all and drive them away so that they wouldn’t be influenced by them.
But, they didn’t obey His command. Rather they forced them to serve as servants for them., meaning they put their convenience above the worship of God (in a proper way). Soon or later, they intermarried with the Canaanites and their children turned away from following God and served other gods. Eventually, they were conquered by other nations, they lost their identity and privilege as people of God.
You and I were created in the image of God, according to God’s kind, so that we may have fellowship with Him; God called us to have fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ; Jesus died so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. We were created, we were called, we were saved to have fellowship with the Lord and to worship the Lord. We have the same calling and same purpose as the Israelites
My question to myself and to you is, Do you and I put loving God above the convenience or any other worldly interest? We all know, as the Bible tells us, we can’t love the Lord and the world at the same time. We have to choose either God or the world. It’s a daily battle for us. I made decisions one after another, time and again, to put loving God above the world, but I kept breaking my decisions. But, at the same time, I am encouraged because I feel safe here to share my problem and you accept me without judgment. Also, I am encouraged because the All Nations Church is small in size, but many of you seem to be spiritual giants, spiritual warriors, and good models I can learn from and be challenged to follow. Thank you for your presence here. Let’s keep encouraging in our journey to become more dedicated worshippers who put loving the Lord above loving the world.
Let me finish my sharing by reading Romans 12:1-2, Let’s read together.
Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
