Scripture: And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.”
Numbers 33:50-56 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, the fertile land of Jazer and Gilead (surrounding Israel’s present encampment) attracts the attention of the clan leaders of Reuben and Gad. So they approach Moses and Eleazar, requesting permission to settle in this land suitable for animal husbandry that adjoins the eastern border of the Jordan. Moses initially pushes back, assuming they intend to shirk responsibilities in helping seize the Promised Land, which would invoke God’s wrath on all his people. So, they counteroffer to build fortified cities for their families and sheepfolds for their livestock while committing all their fighting men to join forces with the other tribesmen in the conquest of Canaan and not return until the other tribes gain their land inheritance. Moses grants their request and assigns the boundaries of the conquered kingdoms of Sihon (Amorites) and Og (Bashan) to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Skipping verses 1-49 (that recount Israel’s journey from Egypt to the doorstep of the Promised Land), today’s reading presents Yahweh’s charge (through Moses) to Israel as they prepare to take possession of the Promised Land: Drive out all the inhabitants and destroy all their pagan religious images and places of worship (i.e., high places) and take possession of this covenanted Promised Land. Briefly reviewing the steps to partition the land, Moses reminds Israel that:
- The land is their patriarchal inheritance.
- Israel will allot the land proportionately by clan size.
- Lots will determine the order of allotment.
The review concludes with a stern reminder that if Israel fails to drive out the inhabitants, those they permit to remain will become barbs to the eye and thorns to the side, causing the nation much anguish. Moreover, if Israel disobeys Yahweh’s command, he will inflict the suffering on them that he intended for their enemies.
Takeaway: The Hebrew in this text uses strong action verbs that send a jarring warning to this second generation that has much to hope for if they obey Yahweh’s commands, which are to:
- Drive out (yāraš) the inhabitants (v.52).
- Destroy (ʾāḇaḏ) their idols and idolatrous images (v.52).
- Demolish (šāmaḏ) their high place (v.52).
With these strong warfare-toned words, Yahweh reminds the nation that Canaan is his possession, along with the rest of the earth. Thus, Yahweh alone reserves the right to determine who possesses his land. Therefore, Israel, you who are Yahweh’s agent, seize the day and leave no survivors lest Yahweh drive out, destroy, and demolish you. Sadly, this stern warning would prove prophetic when, in 722 BCE, Assyria dispossessed the ten northern tribes (2 Kings 17-18), and, in 587 BCE, Babylon did the same to the two southern tribes (2 Kings 24-25).
Our takeaway? This stern warning seems perhaps unfair to our modern audience. Still, to a nation that endured torturous slavery in Egypt for centuries and, more recently, unprovoked wars en route to the Promised Land, Yahweh’s commands are fighting words that encourage his anointed militia to put on their big-boy pants and play the part of the victor rather than the victim, for anything less than obedience to the battle cry will lead to utter failer. And the same applies to us.
As talked about in these devotions that address Israel’s warfare, the battles we face are no less intense nor of lesser stakes. But they’re not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), and our enemies play for keeps. They seek to drive us away from Christ, destroy our memorials of Christ’s presence, goodness, and love for us, and demolish our places of sacred worship of him.
Our part? We must set the tone and, with the help of our Triune God, drive out strongholds of sin in our lives (destroying idolatrous images and demolishing high places of worldly worship) so that we might take possession of our Lord’s New Covenant Promised Land. What does this look like? As touched on in our devotions that consider how to fight the good fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) so that we can:
- Confess our sins that the Holy Spirit exposes to our minds and hearts with Christ’s truth and grace (John 1:14-17).
- Guard our hearts against thoughts of self-condemnation with a maturing faith that Christ died a sinner’s death so that we might become his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Stand firm on Christ’s Gospel of peace, where we can approach his throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
- Raise our shield of faith to deflect the fiery words of the enemy (who whispers condemning thoughts) by transforming our minds through reading and reflecting on God’s Word so that we no longer conform to the patterns of this world but to obedience to God’s will (Romans 12:2).
- Pray at all times—inviting our Triune God into our daily routines where we turn our thoughts toward him in our coming and going (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) and acknowledge him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).
When we do, his Spirit will drive out our strongholds of sin and lead us to victory, where we take possession of our Promised Land—growing the Kingdom of God on earth.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for your Son, who ushered in the New Covenant of Grace and your spiritual Promised Land. Also, thank you for your Holy Spirit, who equips us with your spiritual armor and guides us into battles against the principalities and powers of darkness. Still, we confess we are inconsistent in wearing your spiritual armor. So, please disrupt us and motivate us to develop this daily discipline so that we might take possession of the land your Spirit lays out before us—growing your kingdom and glorifying your name. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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