Sorry I didn't get this up on January 1, but better late than never. Our church, the Wilkesboro Church of Christ decided to read through the Bible together this year using The Daily Bible, a chronological arrangement of the Word. In addition, we are doing a daily writing in our journals using the SOAP method. (S)cripture, (O)bservation, (A)pplication, and (P)rayer. Using this method, we select a single scripture from our reading each day and write our thoughts about what that scripture means to us and how we can us it to change us, draw us closer to God. (If you want more on this, read "The Divine Mentor" by Wayne Cordeiro) So, let's get started....
“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. (Exodus 34:15,16)
Moses is preparing to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. God has seen their proclivity for idols and their lack of faith and He knows that they are easily influenced. They had just made for themselves a golden calf and then had the pleasure of eating it. Some three thousand had been killed for their unfaithfulness. God knows people. (duh) So God gives Moses this warning....He tells him that they (children of Israel) were not to make treaties with those that lived in the land. He tells them plainly that this will lead to unfaithfulness and doom future generations.
I know it is hard to believe that Gods' people would choose to befriend those that would lead to their destruction. But then again, God knows people. He knows that we are drawn to make friends with those around us and that we are easily influenced. He knows that if we are not careful, we will become just like those in the land. We will begin to look like them, act like them, talk like them, even to the point of unfaithfulness to Him.
Without consciously deciding to avoid "making treaties", we will do it. We will allow what the world consumes to become our food. As He put it..."they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices". Our eyes and ears and mouth will become the ports through which the world will enter into our lives. Soon, our hearts will change and we will begin to ask what is wrong with these things. As my mother used to say..."you are what you eat".
So, if you have made a treaty with the world; break it! If you have begun to eat the sacrifices, change your diet. God tells Moses that more than the individuals life is on the line here, his children's lives will be changed also. When it comes to our diets, Ezekiel 3 gives us some insight. We are to feast on Gods' word, it is a complete diet, providing everything we need and it tastes like honey.
I am afraid many Christians have made and are making treaties with those in the land. We need to examine our lives and see if we are influenced by man or if God is in control. May each of us decide to place God at the head of our lives and consider each decision we make in light of His word.
