Numbers 33 God desires a holy people. As Israel’s people near the end of their wilderness wandering, Moses takes them aside to remind them to purge the land of the idolaters and their idols. “Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, and demolish their high places.”[Num 33:52]Then God gave them a warning: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.” Further: if you do not do what I intended to do to them, I will do it to you. [Num 33:55,56]
Yes, when we do not purge the idols in our lives, they become irritants, a constant reminder of our unwillingness to get rid of sin. Paul reminded the Ephesians to imitate God, not the other way around. We must be holy people because God is holy. Psalm 1 reminds us of how to test ourselves. Do we walk in the ways of the ungodly? Do we stand in the way of sinners? Do we sit in the seat of the scoffers? Practically, what does that mean? We must choose our associations, the places we visit, and our companions.
What choices are before us today?
In the opening verses of Job, we find the villain Satan in the presence of God as the accuser of the brethren who has been on the prowl looking for someone to devour. [1Pe 5:8]