Where'd It All Go?

I've often asked myself what happened to Israel after they got into the Promised Land. I mean, they had it all - a powerful God fighting on their behalf who was giving them a land of their own.

But not too many years after they arrived, Israel was in sad shape and, other than during David's and some of Solomon's reign, they never seemed to really have it together.

Judges gives us some clues.

After the death of Joshua the people of Judah were successful in battle after inquiring of the Lord. But in chapter 1, verse 19 it says "And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron."

Next, Benjamin "did not drive out the Jebusites." Manasseh did not drive out the Canaanites and they "persisted in dwelling in the land." Zebulun put the Canaanites to forced labor instead of destroying them as God commanded. The Asherites "lived among the Canaanites." The people of Dan were forced live in the hills because the Canaanites were too strong.

As believers in Jesus Christ we are in the process of being transformed into the image of God. In that process we have an enemy too: the flesh. The flesh are those habit patterns we learned that are contrary to the character of God.

In our quest to destroy the flesh by the power of the Spirit we can make errors just like the children of Israel. Don't let the tough "iron chariots" stop you - those habits that are hard fought to stay around. Don't make deals with the flesh, don't let yourself be swept up again by living among the flesh (don't let those temptations overcome you by being surrounded by them) and don't let the flesh change your ability to serve God by being driven away from fellowship or worship.

With Israel, one defeat cascaded upon another. Never in that first chapter do we see a tribe seek the Lord like Judah did at the beginning. Seek the Lord constantly and don't let the flesh have a foothold!

Pastor Tom