Judges 2:1-5
‘Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” Now when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the LORD.”
God brought them into the land. They were to drive out all the inhabitants. However many of the tribes didn’t do that. So the Lord gave them this message. He wouldn’t drive them out for them. He also says that they will be as thorns in their sides and their gods will be a snare to them.
How will this happen? It’s like marrying an unbeliever. That one will have different goals. That one will water down our faith. Service to God will be half hearted.
God’s blessings will be muted. Principles are compromised, so there will be reaping of negative consequences.
The second problem was that the foreign gods will bring a snare. That might be to the individual. If not, then maybe to their children. The idols are present so the young people see them and may become interested in them. They become an option. Some will fall away due to that influence.
Genesis 27:46 is an example of what it’s like to tolerate these things. ‘Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”’ What they did was to send Jacob back to her relatives to find a wife.
We aren’t to be unequally yoked to an unbeliever. This is certainly referring to marriage, but also to other arrangements. Israel allowed them to be neighbors.
As we walk with the Lord, we are to be yoked to Him and others of like faith. If we feel our witness get diminished, then we may need to separate.
Paul does give some exceptions in I Corinthians 5:9,10, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world.” We will intersect with unbelievers and to be a witness to them. Just don’t allow the association to get too strong.
Lord, give us wisdom in our relationships. Give us the boldness to share. Also have us distance ourselves from compromising circumstances.
