The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Deuteronomy 20:18,
"They [the Canaanites] will teach you [the Israelites] to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God."
Moses told the Israelites to put to death "anything that breathes", verse 16, when they went to attack the cities of the nations the Lord determined to give them. The above verse is the reason why. The Israelites would become ensnared in the "detestable things" the Canaanites practiced in the worship of their idols. Some of those detestable things included child sacrifice and temple prostitution, things that would require them to turn from the Lord.
Were the Israelites to leave the Canaanites alive, they would be "rubbing shoulders" with them and learn their ways. What the Lord knew was that it wasn't just that they would learn the ways of the Canaanites, but would be sucked right into practicing and living the depravity and profligacy.
We learn from the Scriptures of the tendency of good people becoming bad by associating with others who are that way. Hang out with a hot-tempered person and you may become one yourself, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared." Proverbs 22:24-25.
In another proverb we learn the both sides of associations and how that can affect us, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20.
Paul points out, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33.
In Revelation 18:4 we read, "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues..."
Who we hang with has an impact on us. As we saw in Proverbs 13:20, Walk with the wise and become wise..." and on the other hand "Bad company corrupts good character.
This is not to say we should have no interaction with the wicked, as Paul says, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." 1 Corinthians 5:9-10.
"They [the Canaanites] will teach you [the Israelites] to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God."
Moses told the Israelites to put to death "anything that breathes", verse 16, when they went to attack the cities of the nations the Lord determined to give them. The above verse is the reason why. The Israelites would become ensnared in the "detestable things" the Canaanites practiced in the worship of their idols. Some of those detestable things included child sacrifice and temple prostitution, things that would require them to turn from the Lord.
Were the Israelites to leave the Canaanites alive, they would be "rubbing shoulders" with them and learn their ways. What the Lord knew was that it wasn't just that they would learn the ways of the Canaanites, but would be sucked right into practicing and living the depravity and profligacy.
We learn from the Scriptures of the tendency of good people becoming bad by associating with others who are that way. Hang out with a hot-tempered person and you may become one yourself, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared." Proverbs 22:24-25.
In another proverb we learn the both sides of associations and how that can affect us, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20.
Paul points out, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33.
In Revelation 18:4 we read, "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues..."
Who we hang with has an impact on us. As we saw in Proverbs 13:20, Walk with the wise and become wise..." and on the other hand "Bad company corrupts good character.
This is not to say we should have no interaction with the wicked, as Paul says, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." 1 Corinthians 5:9-10.
Certainly, rightly dividing this reality hangs on what we mean by "association" and certainly on how we define that in our lives- how we live it out. As believers, we need to interact with the unsaved. We are the agents that are to reach the unsaved for the Lord. However, the nature of that relationship is important in how it impacts us.
Just thinking out loud here. Perhaps you can provide better definition to this. In any event, the Israelites were not to pick up the ways of the unrighteous and neither should we.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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