Faith Cross Pastor/Line Supervisor at a car parts factory

In Deut 7, God told Israel to totally wipe these nations out so their children would not marry into those nations, or bring members into Israel, with their foreign gods, affecting the nation from serving Jehovah. 

1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess and has plucked away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you,
2 And when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you smite them, then you must utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, or show mercy to them.
3 You shall not make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son nor shall you take his daughter for your son,
4 For they will turn away your sons from following Me, that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and He will destroy you quickly.
5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and hew down their Asherim [symbols of the goddess Asherah] and burn their graven images with fire.

These following thoughts are taken from a book "Altars of the Heart" by Thom Gardner. Healing Wounded Emotions in the Presence of God"

Israel was instructed to: Tear down the Altars, Smash their Sacred Pillars, Hew Down their Asherim, and Burn their Graven Images with Fire

These nations all represented an aspect that effects our souls, and God wanted His people to be free of their influences.

The word Hittite comes from the Hebrew word chatath which is a word for fear. This is fear in the sense of being broken or shattered by impending terror, and means “to tremble, dismayed and discouraged”. The Hittites were a fearsome and warlike people known for their brutality to those they conquered. 

The words Girgashites and Gergasenes, from the Hebrew root word Ger, which means sojourner or stranger. Many people live their lives under this influence, like those who hang out on the periphery of the camp of Israel as outsiders. They are the rejected.

Worthlessness is the influence of the Amorites. The root of the word Amorite comes from the word that means to speak or declare something. 
The Amorites were the only nation that Israel totally abolished. Have you ever met a Jewish person who felt worthless? NO! Despite the fact that the world has been against them, they know who they are!

The influence of the Canaanites is shame, causing feelings of guilt self-consciousness, fear and separation, covering up and Hiding: The Truth about Shame: When we feel shame, Christ covers us with His robes of Righteousness Heb 4:13, 12:2Gen 3:9, 1 John 4:16-19, Rom 8:35, 

God Already Knows we are trying to hide Gen 3:6-8 and calls us to Himself. God is not separated from us by our nakedness. Christ took our nakedness to the cross

The Influence of the Perizzites: Insecurity.The Influencing Lie of Insecurity is Fear, Anxiety, feelings of Threat, lack of control, Volatility, Impulsive:
Defensiveness, Distrust, powerless, helpless,Solitary, Me against the world: However,the Truth about Insecurity is that when we feel insecure, Christ surrounds us 2 Samuel 9:6-13. There is no fear in God, we live at God’s table, and the Lord surrounds us

The Influence of the Hivites is Defilement. 2 Samuel 13:6-20
The Influencing Lie of Defilement is feelings of Betrayal, Confusion, Violation, feeling damaged, disgraced, degraded, shame, Spoiled Goods:
The Truth about Defilement is that when we feel defiled, Christ restores us 
It is not your fault, God was with you, Life is not over.

The Influence of the Jebusites is Hopelessness which causes feelings of being Cursed, Doomed,Defeated,Indifferent, Resigned, Pessimistic, Negative,Disappointed, Empty,Depressed:
The Truth about Hopelessness is that when we feel hopeless, Christ becomes our living hope. John 20: 11-18 Our hope is alive, our hope is in Jesus Christ

April 27 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Billy P Eldred

God's creation, created with a free will, created for His purpose to accomplish His will had strayed (just as He knew it would) into sinful rebellion. He chose a people for Himself through whom He could lead the world back to His plan of redemption through Christ. To do this He needed a pocket cut off from the influence of the rebelled world to begin the process. He had already wiped everything out and started over which showed the world we would not do it on our own. 

By declaring Israel as His people, by helping them defeat their enemies, He was also showing their enemies who He was. GOD. I believe His ultimate goal was to bring mankind, or at least a portion of mankind to a point where He could redeem us into the fellowship He desires with us WITHOUT the rebellion. 

Of course this is just my opinion. He is God and I am not and He does not have to explain His ways to me, though in part I believe that is why He gave us the Bible. He did not create us for nothing. He wants us to worship Him and desire His ways.

April 27 2015 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report