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It's been a few days since my last post because I've been processing.
I have been working my way chronologically through the Old Testament using this yearly plan, and I keep bumping into a common theme in the book of Judges. And this theme makes me uncomfortable, quite frankly, because it forces me to look at the way I view the indwelling sin in my heart.
I have been reading through the books of Joshua and Judges, when the Israelites were entering into the Promise Land and taking over the region. You see, God had instructed them to enter into this occupied land and conquer it, kingdom by kingdom, destroying or driving out all of the people and claiming it as their own, under His guidance and protection. But instead of fully obeying this command, they frequently chose to take over the land and only kill some of the people. Those who remained would become enslaved by them and forced to do labor for them.
Check it out with me in the first chapter of Judges:
"But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor." Judges 1:27-35, emphasis mine
Although the Bible accurately records historical facts, I believe these passages also speak to spiritual matters, as well, which are occurring in my heart on a daily basis.
God commands us to have a "no tolerance" policy with the sin in our lives. We are to battle and conquer the sin in our hearts, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and gain victory over it, becoming more and more like Jesus. We call this process of growing in holiness and becoming more like Jesus "sanctification."
"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13
But how many of us, instead of seeing our sin for what it is, confessing it, and repenting of it, merely seek to put it in a corner and try to "control" it? My pastor has commented on the fact that so many of the people who seek him out for counseling merely want to manage their sin, instead of turn from it and forsake it.
Oh, how I do this in my own life! For example, when my desire for more "stuff" rears its ugly head, I do not bow my knees and confess my sin of greed and discontentment to God. Instead, I implement a monthly spending allowance to better "manage" my desire to shop and spend only on myself, for my personal pleasure or gain.
I see this truth in living color as I am reading about the Israelites, placing their enemies under forced labor, instead of annihilating them, or driving them out, like God commanded. By tolerating these sinful people in their midst, they were tempted into idol worship which led to their eventual demise as a nation--the demolition of their Temple and their being taken away into a foreign land as exiles (see 1 and 2 Kings).
So how about you, dear friend?
Like me, are you tempted to merely "control" or "manage" the sin in your life (as if this were truly possible!)?
Or are you ready to do combat with it, putting it to death with the authority we have in Christ, as God commands us?
Will you join me in praying and considering this truth for our lives this week?
If you are interested in learning more about our propensity to try to "train our dragons" rather than slay them, I'd encourage you to read this post by the folks at Desiring God, and this one from the archives, as well! May the Lord show us all His truth for our lives and our hearts as we humbly look at them in a fresh way today!
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