You must purge the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:21)
The LORD hovered over the camp of the children of Israel as they traveled through the desert those forty years. The law was given and presented to God’s people by Moses.
As we see from the verse above, there was an emphasis to purge the evil among them. It would defile them – make them unclean – and unfit for God’s holy presence. Evil was delineated in the law, and specific situations were given as examples. Evil - was then and is still - the major factor in keeping us from God. God cannot tolerate evil. And it is our sin that separates us from God.
So, routinely, the Israelites were told to purge the evil. It meant put it to death. Bury it. Stone it. Kill it. Sometimes that meant the lives of those committing the sin. Sometimes it meant the lives of those surrounding and threatening them. The bottom line, however, was that the LORD did not want his people defiled. Worshipping other gods. And these were the practices of the pagan nations around God’s people.
There were rules and regulations they were to live by – the Law. Sin they were to avoid. Things that were forbidden. Situations that were intolerable. Practices they were not to engage and indulge in. It was that simple.
Yet, every time we turn around, the children of Israel were giving themselves over to pagan practices, indulging in revelry, sinning against God, and worshipping idols. God would get angry, discipline his people, and they would return.
Aren’t we much the same? Think about your life. Think about modern day America. That would be an affirmative.
So, what are we to do about it? Well, the lesson for today is pretty straightforward: purge the evil among us. That means, in short, to examine your life in light of God’s Word, and decide if you are doing the right things or not. There is a lot of junk this world offers, a lot of junk this world passes off as the real thing. But it’s not.
So, in a word, take stock. Look at yourself soberly. And determine where you are and where the path you are on is going. If you are about to crash, you may want to examine your life, get on your knees, and make some changes.
Before the train runs off the track. Before the ravages of sin control you with addiction. Before it’s too late.
Purge the evil among you. Within you. Around you. And seek God’ s forgiveness and His plan for your life. After all, He came to seek and save that which is lost. He’ll help you find your way back … to life.
LORD, each one of us gets off track from time to time. May we take stock of our lives. May we find forgiveness and the way back to You.
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