Dealing with our enemies and God's enemies. Is there a difference?

Deuteronomy Chapter 7: The Command to Conquer Canaan

Deuteronomy 7:1-26 – Highlights of The Passage and Some Thoughts

In verses 1-2, Moses identifies all the seven nations that God will clear out of the way and have the Israelites destroy them as they take over the promised land to possess it. He points out that they are all “greater and stronger” than Israel. The sons of Israel were to make no peace deal or covenant with them, nor show them any favor.

These were the enemies of God. As Christians, we have to justify that approach with Jesus’ command to “love your enemies”. How do we do that? Is it possible to think of ‘enemies’ in two different ways?  First, nations that are ‘anti-God’ in every respect as in the case of the seven nations that Israel defeated. Second, our own personal ‘enemies’ – the mean neighbor next door, the terrible boss at work, the person who broke into our house and shot our loved one, etc. There may be other ways to do this, and if so, please share them with us.

More specifically, how do we do it now that we no longer have further written words from God after the writing of the book of Revelation in the first century A.D.?

In verse 3, the Israelites are told not to allow any intermarrying between themselves and God’s enemies, lest doing so would cause them to eventually serve other gods (verse 4). Instead, God wants the Israelites to destroy every aspect of the heathen religions that they find standing (verse 5).

Verses 6-11 relate some very key aspects of God. God had chosen Israel to be a holy people for His own possession out of all the nations on the earth. One often wonders why God would do that – not chose Israel so much but choose any nation as His own. Why not treat us all alike? I can think of two reasons: First, God knew, that in time, He would need to send the world a Savior and that Savior had to come from some lineage. He used Israel. Second, God wanted to show all mankind what a Father-child relationship should be like – and He chose Israel as His child (His children) for that purpose. With them, given their disobedience, He could show His ultimate love. Perhaps you can think of other reasons more valid. If so, please share them with us.

Chuck Smith has an interesting take on this:

Now some people get upset about the fact that God chooses but you really shouldn't. God has every right to choose who He wants to associate with even as you have the right to choose who you want to associate with. Why should I deny God the rights that I want for myself? There are some people I don't choose to associate with at all. Not that I'm snobbish or anything else but their lifestyles are so diverse from mine; there's nothing that we could share in common. I really choose not to have any fellowship, close fellowship, with people who smoke cigars. I can't stand the smell. Now I have that right to choose not to get in a car and be polluted. And God has a right to choose who he wants to associate with. That doesn't bother me at all. It thrills me to think that He chose me, that He chose to associate with me. That is what really excites me. You say, "But that isn't fair if God chooses not to associate with some people".

I don't know if it's fair or not but that's the right that God has and He has exercised that right. And who are you to challenge the fairness of God? You say but, "He may not have chosen me". "Oh, how do you know?" "Well, I'm not a Christian." "Well, why aren't you a Christian?" "I don't know. I've never seen a need to be one." "Well, do you want to be a Christian?" "No."

And I add, “Well, maybe that’s why He didn’t choose you.”

In verse 7, Moses reminds Israel that they weren’t chosen for their strength and numbers – in fact, they were the weakest and the smallest. But rather because He loved them and kept His promise to their forefathers (vs. 8). That’s why He brought them out of slavery and Egypt. And that should tell the Israelites that God is faithful, keeps His words and covenants, and shows His lovingkindness – now get this – to a 1,000^th generation – with “those that love Him and keep His commandments”. How great is that! Makes us want to count up all the generations since He made that covenant with Abraham to see if we’re all still okay. We are. But the condition is still there – to “those that love Him and obey His laws”.

But look at what happens to others. In verse 10, we are told “God repays those who hate Him to their faces” and He won’t delay it. We could well ask about the meaning of “to their faces” and we could well debate about His not delaying. Certainly, God will not be “slack” with His enemies. He will deal with them in His own good time. And verse 11, Moses sees that this knowledge should be enough to cause the children of Israel to keep God’s Laws.

Then all the blessings for doing so are listed in verse 13 – the Israelites will grow in number, they will bear children, but they will also be successful in their farming and ranching. But there’s more. In verse 14, we are told they will be blessed “above all peoples”. And here comes the closer I had never noticed before – “there shall be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle”.  Now, that’s big. I tried to look up some infertility rates by country – they are not to be found. If you do, please let me know. I do not think that we should be thinking here that not a single woman (or man) would be infertile in Israel ever.  That’s not what God was saying. He was assuring them that overall, they would grow in their numbers and find joy in reproducing offspring. And I believe that is still the case for many Jews today. And the same was to be true for illnesses among the Israelites as described in verse 15.

[Why do I believe that is what these verses mean and that they are not to be taken literally – meaning every single man and woman, and every cattle; or that no one would ever have an illness? Well, I look at the style of the writing elsewhere. For example, we read that these enemies being discussed here were to be “utterly and totally destroyed”. Well, if that is the case, then there would be no need for God to warn the Israelites about intermarrying with them as He does through Moses. But rather, some women, some men, would be saved and not utterly destroyed in the military takeover. Do see what I mean about how we are to consider Moses’ account of God’s message to us through him?]

In verse 17 onwards, Moses cautions them against doubting what God can do, and what they could do with God. There is to be no fear because of what God had done, was doing, and would still do for them. And in verse 21, we have these words, “You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”

Verse 22 talks about God doing all this for the Israelites on His own schedule and in this case, not all at once, but little by little, so that the wild beasts left wouldn’t overtake the Israelites. Robert Jamieson has this to say on that:

“The omnipotence of their Almighty Ruler could have given them possession of the promised land at once. But, the unburied corpses of the enemy and the portions of the country that might have been left desolate for a while, would have drawn an influx of dangerous beasts. This evil would be prevented by a progressive conquest and by the use of ordinary means, which God would bless.”

And in the last few verses of the chapter, they are reminded to get rid of everything that smacks of their heathen idolatrous religions and to be sure nothing of the sort is brought into their own homes. Do you get the idea that God’s anger with these nations was their heathen worship? I do. And I think that’s what is happening today around the world – so much worship of anyone and anything other than the real and only God Almighty. That’s true of major religions, national religions, the non-religious, and even individuals.

Wrap-up

This passage again focuses on the need to obey God’s Laws, to believe in His power and might, and to work with His schedule, not ours. It also assures of His faithfulness forever (‘1,000 generations’ is the phrase used). But we have to do our part – obey His laws. Even as Christians, we know that there are consequences to breaking God’s laws just as there are consequences to breaking civil laws. You run a red light or speed excessively, there’s a penalty or a consequence, if you get caught. Similarly, sin against God – idolatry, adultery, and so on – guess what, there’s a consequence because you are automatically caught.  God doesn’t ride around in police cruisers or need surveillance cameras or lie detector machines to convict you of your sin. He knows and you know. And while you may not lose your salvation, there is often a social, emotional, or even physical penalty to pay. Many of us know it.

The other key part of this passage for me is an affirmation that we need to stand up and speak out against those among our nation, or in our world, who are true enemies of God. I don’t know exactly what that means for each of us, but I know that we can no longer be silent.  What’s your take?  Please respond to the post you clicked on to read this, or please leave a comment right here below in the comment section.

Till next time, fear not.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

What is the role of human help when you're totally dependent on God?

Numbers 10:11-36 Israel Departs Mount Sinai

Day 49 of our so-called “stay in your homes unless you absolutely have to go out” isolation. That’s seven weeks folks. And still no word when all will be well. In fact, in our province, the two grocery stores we go to now (for an ‘absolutely need to reason’) insist on all customers wearing masks. Good thing I have some. In the meantime, I am enjoying my time studying Numbers with you. Looking forward to finally getting those Israelites to leave camp at the base of Mount Sinai and head out.  I wish we could do something like that these days.  Read on.

The Passage

Verses 11-13: Now it came about in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. So, they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the Lord through Moses.

Verses 14-28 give an account of each of the standards and how they moved out. In the midst of this is the record of the tabernacle being taken down (vs. 17).

Verses 29-36:

²⁹ Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us and we will do you good, for the Lord has ^[a]promised good concerning Israel.” ³⁰ But he said to him, “I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and relatives.” ³¹ Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us. ³² So it will be, if you go with us, that ^[b]whatever good the Lord^[c]does for us, we will ^[d]do for you.”

³³ Thus they set out from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord journeying in front of them for the ^[e]three days, to seek out a resting place for them. ³⁴ The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

³⁵ Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said,
“Rise up, O Lord!
And let Your enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate You flee ^[f]before You”
³⁶ When it came to rest, he said,
“Return, O Lord,
To the myriad thousands of Israel.”

Footnotes

1. Numbers 10:29 Lit spoken
2. Numbers 10:32 Lit that good which
3. Numbers 10:32 Lit does good
4. Numbers 10:32 Lit do good
5. Numbers 10:33 Lit three days’ journey
6. Numbers 10:35 Or from Your presence

Thoughts on the Passage

This was a very precise date on which the camp first moved out after the tabernacle was erected for the first time. They moved from the foot of Sinai to Paran.

David Guzik talks about the sense of excitement that must have filled the entire assembly or congregation of the Israelites. All these preparations were completed. They had learned everything they had to do. He then writes:

One would be tempted to think that after such extensive preparation - a virtual transformation from slave people to Promised Land people - the actual entering into the Promised Land would be easy. This was not the case. The preparation was exactly that - preparation. Ahead of them are the greatest challenges, challenges that can only be met by faith. A soldier might think boot camp finishes something - but it doesn't. It only prepares for a greater challenge: The actual battle itself.

The highlight of the passage is an account of Moses who was married to Zipporah asking his father-in-law’s Hobab (also known as Reuel and Jethro), to continue on the journey with the Israelites rather than returning back to his own people. Hobab had brought Moses’ wife and sons to join them in the wilderness as they were not living with the Israelites in Egypt at the time of the exodus. They had stayed with her father. So Moses now entreated him to stay with the Israelites as they needed a good scout who knew the area and thus where they could camp at night. And Moses promised Hobab that the Israelites would bless him in whatever way God was blessing them.

At the same time, as Matthew Henry informs us – there is a disagreement as to whether Hobab was indeed Jethro or Reuel (also spelled Raguel). [And Robert Jamieson also supports this alternate possibility.] One school of thought has him as Jethro’s son (also a Reuel) and that Jethro had already returned to his land, or never came out with Zipporah and the Moses’ children. This is based on the number of years and the age that one assumes Jethro may have been. Also, it is said that the Hebrew word for father-in-law and son-in-law is very similar if not the same.

We have to understand that Hobab was a Midianite and the land of the Midianites was in the valley between Mount Sinai and Mount Paran. That is why Hobab had brought his daughter (or sister), and grandsons (or nephew), to Moses at that point of the journey. Chuck Smith says this:

He [Hobab] was able to track in the desert; he was able to tell them where the water was and he had that desert savvy, that desert knowledge. And so, Moses was really desiring that guy to stick with them because he really had all that desert savvy. And you can be as eyes for us, and all. And Moses was asking the fella to remain with him.

Now why would Moses need Hobab when God had provided the guidance of the cloud? I asked myself that very question when I read the passage. I thought that was an indication of non-dependence on God. Hey Moses, you know better. But then as I did my research, I came upon what David Guzik says on this very thing:

Moses was a wise enough leader to know his limitations, and to know that he needed help. Instead of just saying, “well, God got us this far and He’ll see us through without Reuel,” he knew God’s help often comes through men like Reuel. Though Israel was guided by God, there was still help needed by man – men like Reuel. God plans it this way, often arranging it so His help comes to us partially through people He has ordained to help us. Please do not leave: Since he knew God could use Reuel in a significant way, Moses was willing to appeal to him – and not take an initial “no” as an answer.

And Moses succeeded. So off they all took and travelled for three days following the cloud. But they were still in the wilderness. Matthew Henry says this about that:

Note, all our removals in this world are but from one wilderness to another. The changes which we think will be for the better do not always prove so; while we carry about with us, wherever we go, the common infirmities of human nature, we must expect, wherever we go, to meet with its common calamities; we shall never be at rest, never at home, till we come to heaven, and all will be well there.

But Moses knew a secret with respect to how then he could manage through this reality. Verses 35 and 36 indicate who Moses would often praise the Lord when the ark was about to move out and when it was coming to rest. He praised God and he pleaded for God’s enemies to be scattered and that God would protect the Israelites as they camped. Guzik also has some wonderful thoughts on these two prayers of Moses:

The idea was simple: "God, go before us and take care of our enemies. It's too dangerous ahead unless You do so!" What a fitting prayer for every believer to pray! God has things before us, places to lead us - shouldn't we pray this same prayer?

ii. Isn't this a fitting prayer also by which to remember the glory and strength of our resurrected Lord? When Jesus rose up, were not all His enemies scattered? Who dared oppose Him? Is not all our victory found in His risen glory?

 Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel: This was the prayer of Moses when God's presence stopped, and indicated a place to camp. Moses then prayed, "Here we camp, LORD. Stay with us."

i. God sometimes tells us to move on, sometimes tells us to "camp out" - either is fine when we are guided by His presence.

ii. "Will you and I go home and pray this prayer by ourselves, fervently laying hold upon the horns of God's altar? I charge you, my brethren in Christ, do not neglect this private duty. Go, each of you, to your chambers; shut to your doors; cry to him who hears in secret, and let this be the burden of your cry - 'Rise up, Lord; and let thine enemies be scattered.'" (Spurgeon)

In the words of Chuck Smith, I leave you with this:

We've got some many exciting adventures in the book of Numbers as we move ahead. I really like the book of Numbers. The first part is a little redundant in some of the numberings and all but now we're starting to get into some pretty exciting experiences as God begins to lead them toward the land that he had promised unto their fathers.

Hang in there folks and perhaps you may wish to share these studies with others. And please, feel free to ask me questions. Until we study together again.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

A Glimpse Into What a Loving Father is like.

Leviticus 26:40-46 The Promise of Restoration

Day 30 of self-isolation. Had my outing for the week – an essential trip to our pharmacist to pick up our prescriptions and a much-needed excursion to Costco for groceries. Two new things at the drugstore today – they don’t take any leftover tablets you don’t need any longer and they re-arranged their store so you can only go in at the very front, the rest is closed off. If you want something from their shelves, one of the staff have to get it for you. And did I mention that they haven’t accept anything but debit and credit cards for the last few weeks. Meanwhile over at Costco, long line-ups outside [but much more comfortable and less congested inside], and now you don’t touch your purchases at the check-out [they take them out of your cart and put them back in or scan them in your cart], and there’s no more check what you have in your cart at the exit – they just count you so they can let someone else in.  Interesting times. There’s talk of a “re-opening of the country” and the world soon – two to six weeks depending on progress. But that will come in three phases – churches still left shut.

We press on with our study of the Word. Thanks for joining us and feel free to comment.  Hang in there.

The Passage

⁴⁰ ‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— ⁴¹ I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, ⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. ⁴³ For the land will be abandoned by them and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, ^[a]because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. ⁴⁴ Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. ⁴⁵ But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.’”

⁴⁶ These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the Lord established between Himself and the sons of Israel ^[b]through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Footnotes:

a.     Leviticus 26:43 Lit because and by the cause

b.     Leviticus 26:46 Lit by the hand of

Thoughts on the Passage

The last part of this passage is God’s promise that there is hope even if we have seriously disobeyed Him for a long time. There are still some conditions, but God so much wants to forgive His people. Verse 40 requires us to confess our sin and the sin of our fathers. We need to recognize that when we sinned (and still sin today), while we may think it is usually against people (the store owner from whom we stole, the business contact we cheated, the spouse we betrayed), it is indeed a sin committed against God. It is an act of hostility against Him.

I find verse 41 most interesting. This is God admitting that He was acting in a hostile way towards His people in response. Is this admission related to the last phrase of verse 40? Not sure.

But if we humble our hearts and make amends for our sin, God says [in verse 42] that He will remember His covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham to have His people multiply. And God says He will remember the land. [God loves the earth that He created for His people.]

In verse 43, God expects that while the land is being replenished, God’s sinful people will be making amends for their sin as they recognize that they rejected his laws and that their soul hated His commandments.

And still, even during this time, even though His people have not fully repented (verse 44), and while they are in the land of their enemies, God will not reject them or abhor them to the point where He would destroy them as a people forever.  For doing so, would be breaking His covenant with them. He can’t do that – because is the Lord their God.

Instead in verse 45 He says He will remember them (for the sake of the covenant He made with their forefathers), and because He brought them out of Egypt in broad daylight (in the sight of all people) so that He could be their God.

Matthew Henry says that this restoration has basically three steps to it:

-- First, confession is required. This is confession by which God’s people are to give glory to God and take shame to themselves.
-- Second, there must be remorse and godly sorrow for our sins (verse 41) whereby our “uncircumcised hearts must be humbled”.
-- Third, submission to the justice of God in all His dealings with them, even in light of their sins.

And in return, Henry says, they will not be abandoned by God, and they will be remembered by Him.  

Chuck Smith summarizes this passage as follows:

[In other words, God says,] "I will preserve them as an ethnic group," which God has done. He kept His promise. He kept His word. No other nation; no other nation has had that same fate. Every other nation who has been without a homeland has disappeared as an ethnic group. Not the Jew; he has remained a Jew to the present day. God kept His word.

That’s the incredible God that we have as our God. He rewards our obedience; he punishes our disobedience; but He never totally rejects His people. If that is not what a loving Father is all about, then I have no idea what a loving father is.

For the Christian going through this Covid-19 experience in 2020, these promises of God can be claimed without hesitation – God will not abandon us and He will not forget us, regardless of the earthly outcome we or our loved ones may face.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

God Responds To Moses’ Plea (and to ours)

Exodus 34:10-17:

¹⁰ Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles, which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you. ¹¹ “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. ¹² Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. ¹³ But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim ¹⁴ —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— ¹⁵ otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. ¹⁷ You shall make for yourself no molten gods. . ..”

Moses has just pleaded with God that He remain in their midst to lead them and God responds by saying He’ll make a covenant. No matter how you define it, a covenant is a serious and formal document. It can be described as a contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture, pact, deal, settlement, arrangement, or understanding.

And God tells Moses He will perform new miracles that have not been “produced” before anywhere. Some readers of this text may think this implies that “others” may have been able to perform miracles, not just God. It’s just that they haven’t performed ‘these’ ones or this caliber of miracles before. Again, we must be careful not to project from a text what is not there.  This text says nothing about others performing miracles – either their ability to do so, or the quality of their work.

What we do know is that these miracles would be such that all who live among the Israelites will see God’s power being displayed because of the fearful awesomeness of these miraculous works.

And then God turns His comments back to the “covenant” that He was establishing with Moses, telling him to make sure to observe what God was commanding that day.  For His part, He’ll drive out the enemies of the Israelites (and He lists them), but for their part, the Israelites must be sure they don’t make any covenant with the inhabitants of the land(s) they were entering (because that would trap them or hinder them later on). [This reminds me of the pacts that western settlers made with Native Indians in North America, especially in Canada, when they first enter their lands; these treaties are now coming back to haunt them as Native Indians are claiming their land rights, even to the point that they believe the land the Canadian Capital buildings sit on is their land, causing a huge headache not to mention a massive financial and legal liability for the Canadian government at the time of writing.]

And God tells them what they are to do as well, once He has helped them defeat them. They are to tear down altars and smash their idols because the occupied land is to allow no other worship than towards the Lord, who is indeed a Jealous God. [This command has some great implications not only for what happened at that time, but also what happened with western settlers and Native Indians in North America. In Canada, we somehow interpreted this in a way which regrettably resulted in ‘residential schools’ for young native children, dragging them away from their reservations and parents, and forcing them to adopt the white man’s culture. This misinterpretation also has come back to haunt us.  The direction also has implications for Jewish people’s governing of Israel today – just how much of the non-Hebraic culture should be allowed? And of course, that has turned into probably one of the most contentious world issues of the last century.]

There is no doubt that God’s instructions to His people, can cause great angst for them, if not carried out in the spirit with which God intended for us to carry them out in. Of course, discerning that exact spirit is not an easy task, requiring much self-examination, wisdom, prayer, and even fasting in some cases.

The downside of failing here for the Israelites was that if a covenant were made with the enemies God helped them defeat, allowing them to continue in their merry ways, they would slowly influence His people to join them in their practices, even to the point of inter-marriage (something that goes on today) with the result being less and less adherence to one’s own faith. That’s a situation that God cannot bless. So, the bottom line is this -- God allows no room for molten gods as idols of worship, period.

Let’s remember this is God’s response to the plea of Moses. So, God sets the rules. And the same is true for us.  If we want God to be with us; if we want His blessings, we have to meet His requirements for life. As a teenager, I was a big fan of President John F. Kennedy – I think now that it was the way he spoke that charmed me the most.  I had memorized many of his lines or those attributed to him by comedians. I remember one line in particular when he was supposedly playing football with his young son, Little John as he was known, on the front lawn of the White House.  Kennedy said to his son, “Little John, if we’re going to play football together, we’re going to have to play by my rules.  Do you know why, Little John?  Because it’s MY BALL!” So, it is with us. He sets the rules – take them or leave them.  It’s our choice.

[We note here that God’s requirements for His blessings do not end in this passage but continue for another eleven verses which we study below.]

 

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.