Attack with Vengeance

Verse of the day: Numbers 25:16-18 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 17 “Harass the Midianites, and attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Prior to giving Moses this command, the Lord disciplined Israel for their sinful behavior and idolatry. When Phinehas killed Zimri and Cozbi, God stayed his hand against them and restored them (v. 6-9). What a wonderful picture of God’s forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace toward His people. We know from 1 John 1:8-9 that this is the same forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace God shows toward us today when we truly repent and confess our sins. In these verses we see God’s punishment for those who caused the Israelites to sin against Him. God showed no mercy toward those who oppressed God’s people and led them down the path to sin. This is the same approach we must take in our battle with temptation and sin. Just as God commanded Moses to be brutally aggressive toward the Midianites for their role in Israel’s sin, and just as He commanded the annihilation of the Amalekites for attacking Israel when they came out of Egypt (Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:17-19), we too are to be this aggressive in opposing temptation, sin, and those who would lead us down the path of sin. We must be aggressive in setting boundaries to separate ourselves from the things of this world that draw us away from God, and toward sinful behavior and living. 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 tell us, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” Therefore, we must aggressively set boundaries and reinforce what company we keep, or not keep. This does not mean that we cannot have friends and acquaintances that are unsaved; it simply means that our most intimate relationships should not be with unsaved people. There may even be times when we have to break fellowship with those who call themselves Christians, but live like the world. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 gives us this guidance, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.” Jesus described the aggressiveness with which we are to combat the sin of adultery in our hearts in Matthew 5:29-30, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” It is with this kind of aggression that we are to attack temptation and sin in our lives. Because the battle is spiritual, the Apostle Paul instructed us this way in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” The reality of our battle with temptation and sin is that we must not be nonchalant about it. A quick thirty second prayer and a skimming of God’s Word is not enough to keep us from stumbling and falling to sin, or escaping and having victory over the enemies’ attacks, and the flesh’s desires. We must pray fervently, study the Word of God diligently (and apply it), and set real boundaries in our lives as to the company we regularly keep and the activities we choose to get involved with. Know when to stand and fight, and like Joseph, know when it is time to run (Genesis 39). Let us truly live out our Christianity in the way we have been instructed in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).