“55. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 56. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.”
Amos 3:3 tells us: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” The answer is simply no. Do you get along well with those who disagree with you? Its hard to! Many times, almost impossible. In this context of scripture the children of Israel are going to be marching into the promise land and driving out all the wicked inhabitants. God gives very clear instructions that they must not allow any of these wicked people remain within their soon to be nation. Human nature says that if we hang around our sinful friends enough we can be an influence on them, but in reality, the believer is the one who begins to feel pain as their life is slowly turned into a world of iniquity. Don’t forget that Jesus sat and ate with publicans and sinners. We must tell this world about Jesus! Many more times in the Bible God gives us clear commands that we are not to walk with the sinful crowd. Sinful, meaning those that are unsaved or even those that are saved but live a backslidden life. Have you ever been poked in the eye? Have you ever walked through a brier patch trying to bust out a rabbit or track a wounded deer? Even in turkey hunting there are multiflora roses that latch on to you before you get set on that gobbling bird! Getting poked in the eye feels terrible and thorns tend to leave some pain and marks for a few days. Does it kill you? “No”, but it is painful. God tells Israel they must not allow these sinful people to remain among their nation. If they refuse to follow instructions they will bring some great pain to their life. The word vex means to irritate; to make angry by little provocation. God even goes on to say if you disobey Me, I will bring into your life what I was planning to do to the sinful God rejecting nations. Sometimes it seems easier to go with the flow, but remember the pain and suffering of poked out eyes and thorns in the side!
Memory Verse Week 2/19/18
Hebrews 11:24-25
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”
