I'm doing a new Bible study so be prepared to be along for the #LessonsFromGideon ride, compliments of me and Priscilla Shirer (P.S) I must say it's pretty awesome so far!
Here's where we start:
God wanted to take the Israelites, His chosen people that He loved so dearly, from Egypt where they were enslaved over to Canaan, the promised land, flowing with milk and honey.
(His desire is the same for us today. We're chosen. He chose us even before we chose Him, He loves us so dearly and wants to take us from a life of being enslaved to anything:sin, worry, addiction, or turmoil to an abundant life of His love, joy, provision, and peace. He's ensured our victory too, when He said, "It is finished," in His last breaths on the cross.)
In this passage He's telling the Israelites what to do to take the Promised Land that He has already given them:
Deut. 7:1-2: "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to POSSESS and drives out before you many nations - the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canannites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations that are larger and stronger than you (***NOTE HERE that the Lord knew the opposition they were facing, and KNOWS the opposition we are facing, He's well aware that it's larger and stronger than us)Vs. continues: AND when the Lord your God has DELIVERED them over to you and you have DEFEATED them, then YOU MUST DESTROY THEM TOTALLY. Make no treaty with them and SHOW THEM NO MERCY.
So they did this... MOSTLY. Partial obedience is always a temptation isn't it? You find the ALMOST stories in Judges 1. Vs. 19 says, they took possession of the hill country, but they were "unable" to drive the people from the plains because they had iron chariots.
Can't you hear it now? "Lord, I know you specifically said you'd give us victory and this promised land and all, but these jokers got IRON CHARIOTS! You must not have known about that!? (I learned from PS that the Canaanites had mastered and kept secret the art of iron production. So the Israelites fared well only when fighting infantry on foot especially int he hill country where the terrain kept the IRON CHARIOTS at bay!) No 4 wheel drive back in the day I guess!)
PS says, Yet God had called them to claim EVERY portion of the land-even the flatland- not just the EASY parts. Israel was making decisions based on their limited supplies instead of on the boundless resources of God! He knew about them IRON CHARIOTS and had still ensured victory!
So, here the Israelites have been freed from captivity in Egypt, but they're living in the mountain crags of the Promised Land instead of the enjoying the whole place God given them! He wants them to have it ALL. And He wants US to have it ALL too. Not just some freedom, but total freedom.
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (It sounds redundant doesn't it? But sounds like the Israelites needed the redundancy and we probably do too, truth be told!) The rest of the verse says, Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!
They weren't standing firm, they were in captivity again, but not as bad as they used to be, at least this time they were living in the crags, in some corners and pockets of the promised land! It's like God giving us this big mansion and we choose to live in only a closet of it! We need to come out of the closet! (Ha! No pun intended!)
I'll speak for myself and let you know that I find myself living in the crags of sometimes because of fear of my own personal IRON CHARIOTS, but the Lord keeps saying, "I'm with you, I got this, there's more, move forward, take it!"
I encourage you today as I have been encouraged in this study already, Blow some stuff up! Destroy totally whatever it is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life God has for you! Show NO MERCY on anything in your life that is keeping you from being TOTALLY free!
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