“And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places.”
Numbers 33:50-52
It’s that time of year again! The weather is warming, children are finishing school, and vacations are beginning. For many, this is a season for more time with family, time spent relaxing, and more overall fun. Yet while many people are taking a vacation, the devil is increasing his efforts of trying to pull Christians away from the Lord. During a time when people are more relaxed, the devil is more focused. So how do we remain faithful to Christ this summer? How can we make sure these next few months aren’t wasted but are redeemed as we remain faithful?
—– our verses today describe the land of Canaan as a land full of idolatry. As the children of Israel made their way into Canaan, they faced the city of Jericho. Jericho was a well-fortified and prosperous city. This was a city that even an experienced army would have difficulties defeating, let alone a group of people who had been wandering the desert for years. Nevertheless, God gave the Israelites victory over the city. In our verses, God commands the Israelites to destroy all pagan gods of the city. He didn’t want anything left of them.
Why was God so particular about destroying all graven images? Surely the Israelites could have traded them with neighboring cities and profited from the sale. But God, realizing the Israelites’ weaknesses and the temptation to place other gods before Him, warned the Israelites to destroy all idols.
The Israelites struggled with something we still struggle with today-idolatry. While their gods were graven images, our gods come in the form of pride, materialism, frivolity, or apathy. Our gods are more in self than on the shelf.
Think of this in terms of the summer months. Many people “take a break from God” and make vacation and leisure their god. They travel and enjoy vacations yet forget to travel to God’s house and worship Him each week. There is nothing wrong with vacation, but God wants us to remain faithful to Him even during vacation.
Too often the relaxation mentality permeates our spiritual life as well as our physical life. A break from work doesn’t mean a break from being a Christian. We can be sure that they devil does not take a break from attacking us, so we must be ever vigilant against his attacks-especially his attack of idolatry!
Have you placed God first in your life this summer, or have you been on a “break”? While there are times for break from work, school, and the daily routine, there is never a break from Christianity. Christianity isn’t a routine you perform or a job you accomplish; Christianity is a life you live. Even though you will be tempted to neglect your Bible reading or church attendance, determine to keep God first in your life this summer. The next time you’re packing for a trip, make sure you pack your Bible and be in a church on Sunday and Wednesday.(By Paul Chappell)
