THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE:
We, as the people of God, have been given a promise. We have a land awaiting us in which we have yet to inherit. It is already ours but for us to receive it, we like the Israelites need some instruction. The land I am talking about is not the blessed promised land of heaven but the promise of God building a group of people now. We, like the Israelites have done our share of wandering and have had our times of discouragement, but as time goes on, I find that it is time TO MOVE TOWARD CANAAN, and then we must CONQUER CANAAN.
Moses records the Israelites journeys as God instructed him, providing a spiritual as well as the geographic progress. He summarizes the journey of the Israelites, listing the stops that were made between Egypt and the plains of Moab;
1. Starting with Rameses in Egypt (vv. 3-4).
2. Their march to and through the Red Sea (vv. 5-8).
3. From Marah to Mount Sinai (vv. 9-15).
4. From Sinai to Kadesh (vv. 16-36).
5. From Kadesh to the plains of Moab (vv. 37-49).
God told Moses that before the Israelites settled in the Promised Land they should drive out the wicked inhabitants and destroy their idols (vv. 50-56). He warned that if they did not drive them out later these people would become a source of great irritation. The Israelites did not drive all the wicked nations out, and soon they began to propagate their evil religious beliefs and practices. After a while you could not tell any difference between an Israelite and a Canaanite, just as it is with some Christians and the people of the world today.
APPLICATION:
Just as the Israelites were hesitant to clear out all the wicked people, it is easy for me to be hesitant to clear out all the sin that may be in my life. It can be what I see (on TV, the Internet etc.) or what I spend my time doing (making the things of this world more priority than the Lord).
