The land belonged now to Israel, but instead of removing everything (and everyone) that was vile to their God, Israel chose to "live among" the pagan worshipers. God had committed to the removal of the Canaanites, but Israel chose to keep them around. So God punished them by allowing the Canaanites to stay. They became thorns to Israel, the source of their destruction. What are your pagan strongholds? What sins have you left "living among" you?
Israel stumbled yet again. Israel had been given a promise from God that He would drive out every enemy before them. They promised to obey His every command so that they might experience His victories. But Israel didn't keep its end of the bargain. When they walked away from God, He gave them exactly what they wanted. He chose not to drive out the Canaanites since Israel would not join Him in the battle to drive them out. The pagan people, with all of their idol worship, led Israel even farther away from God. His beloved Israel, called to be set apart and pure, intermarried with the impure and became pagan in their belief, joining Canaanite gods to THE God. The result of Israel's defiance and idol worship was that they would not become who God designed them to be. His allowance of Canaanites in the Promised Land would forever be a test to Israel. Would they follow and obey Him, or follow their pagan neighbors and the gods of their flesh?
But have you noticed that we are not much different? We have the same God, and we behave toward Him in exactly the same way. God's word to us is full of His promises that He is waiting to fulfill in our lives, but we experience few victories over our sins because we are unwilling to "put them out of our midst." So those sins and idols become thorns to us, taking us away from God.
God is not obliged to wave a wand and remove our sins, those things we worship rather than Him. But the funny thing is this: He is willing to destroy every one of them in us! Most of us ignore His willingness to drive out our sin. Until we are willing to surrender them to Him, putting into His hand those sinful, pagan things that have become apart of our lives, we will not know the victorious life He has planned for us.
The Israelite men desired and lusted after the Canaanite women. They wanted what they wanted! And we behave the same way when it comes to wanting what is in opposition to God and His will for us! We have a choice set before us several times a day: Will we remain pure and set apart from the world or will we partake and join with the world in all kinds of sin. How long will we try to join the two together? When will we understand that holiness can never be joined to unholiness?
Our defiance and disobedience keeps us from becoming everything that God designed us to be. Will you settle for less by keeping your sins among you, or will you strive, by the Spirit and surrender and obedience, toward a deeper, more vibrant and victorious life? You are choosing between the thorns and the beautiful, fragrant rose bud. We shouldn't have to think very hard!
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