Israelite Mapquest

Israelite Mapquest

Numbers 33

This chapter contains a rehashing of the travel plans of the wanderings from the day they left captivity until right before they got the promised land.  Moses references a few pertinent highlights- the Egyptians burying their firstborn as they march out of town, no water at Rephidim, the death of Aaron at Mount Hor, and finally the arrival at Moab.  

At this point God tells Moses that they are to drive out ALL of the residents and destroy all the idols and high places.  I'm assuming high places are worship centers or display venues for the idols.  They are to distribute the land by lot.  No whining, fate determines which piece of land your clan gets.  The size of the land though is determined by the size of the group who is to live there.  

God warns that if they don't drive everybody out, those who remain will be "barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides".  And that He will do to the Israelites what He planned on doing to the Canaanite stragglers.

This is a harsh warning.  Mess up here and you will become My enemy.  Perhaps the subtext here is that the only way you can mess up is to no follow through, to not accept My will as your own, to not do what I say.  It's not a question of success, but instead of willingness to see this through to the end.  And perhaps that's what God asks of us.  Not unfailing success, but a submission of our own will to His.

The actual act, though, is a bit disconcerting.  Here God commands a lack of mercy to be the shield the Israelites are to stand behind.  No one remains.  I guess at least He's demanding evacuation and not extermination.

Regardless, here we see God about to follow through on His promise- something we should take as evidence that promises to us will also one day be delivered.