Numbers 33-36 Doing Exactly What God Says Not To Do

God had told Moses to keep a record of their ravels over the 40 years after they left Egypt, and he reviewed it before they entered the Promised Land.  I imagine that the new generation born after the Exodus may have been too young to remember many of those places, but their parents surely had told them stories of what had happened at each one.

So, as Moses began to read off the place names, their hearts were probably tinged with regret over those places where they or their ancestors had sinned and disappointed God.

God wants us to live a life of no regrets.  He doesn’t want us wallowing in guilt.  To that end, He has given us His Word to guide us.  The warnings in it are for our own good.

As Moses concluded his tenure as their leader, he issued a warning from God.  “Force out all the people who live there.  Destroy all of their carved statues and metal idols.  Wreck all of their places of worship … But if you don’t …  they will bring you trouble … Then I will punish you as I had planned to punish them.”

What a shame that they never took God at His word.  They ended up doing exactly what He told them not to do.

Father, help me not to disobey You.  Make Your presence in my life much stronger than my sin nature.  Help me to obey.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford