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Numbers 33 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
At the end of this chapter, there are six verses that give the Israelites specific instructions on how to take the land.
- Cross the Jordan into Canaan and drive out all the inhabitants.
- Destroy their figured stones. These would have been stones carved with pagan religious symbols.
- Destroy all their molten images. These were most likely cast metal images of a pagan idol.
- Demolish all their high places. These were “hill shrines” which were most likely altars and places of worship. The Hebrew word that describes these high places can also be used to describe a place of worship to God, however, in this context, it is referring to pagan worship shrines.
These were the primary commandments of the Lord. It’s interesting to me that the other details of their journey are not mentioned. The major stumbling block for these people would be their love for idols and their willingness to abandon God for these weak stones and images. Do we have the same problem today? In his book, Gods At War, Kyle Idleman writes of our current struggle with the “high places” that cause us to stumble into idolatry.
“Where Is Your Sanctuary? Where do you go when you’re hurting? Let’s say it’s been a terrible day at the office. You come home and go – where? To the refrigerator for comfort food like ice cream? To the phone to vent with your most trusted friend? Do you seek escape in novels or movies or video games or pornography? Where do you look for emotional rescue?
The Bible tells us that God is our refuge and strength, our help in times of trouble – so much so that we will not fear though the mountains fall into the heart of the sea (Ps. 46:1 – 2). That strikes me as a good place to run. But it’s so easy to forget, so easy for us to run in other directions. Where we go says a lot about who we are. The ‘high ground’ we seek reveals the geography of our values.”
Kyle Idleman
The “high ground” we seek reveals the geography of our values. So, where are your values currently? Where are you seeking to find rest and comfort in places or things that will never deliver?