Learning From the Past

Joshua 22:17

“Was not the sin of Peor enough for us?…”

Everyone has a past.  This is one aspect of life we all cannot run from.  Some of us has unspeakable past memories that are never talked about, and others love to tell those past stories because they are filled with joy and life. 

The sin of Peor refers to a passage in Numbers 25 when the Israelites had captured the Moabites and proceeded to give in to worshiping the Moabite gods and doing detestable things that are against God’s laws.  They even brought a Moabite women to the priest at the tabernacle.  24,000 Israelites died that day before Eleazar stops the plague.  To say it lightly, God was not happy. 

The Israelites had been living this sin down now for many years and repeating it was not going to happen.  When the tribes of Israel went to settle the land east of Jordan river, they built a large alter, a replica of the tabernacle on the eastern side of Jordan.  A war was about to break out because the clans on the west side were not about let anyone worship any other gods because of what happened at Peor.  The alter ended up being a reminder of what God has done rather than an alter to worship other gods on; all was OK after that. 

You might be walking along remembering something that you did in the past that ticked off your authority figures, for you it might be your boss or your parents or a teacher, for the Israelites it was God himself.  If you read the entire story here in Joshua 22, the Israelites were not about to let that happen again, they were ready to go to war with their own countryman to stop it from happening. 

We all answer to a higher authority whether we know it or not.  God is the final authority on this earth. The god you put before the Lord will ultimately end up driving you to a plague in your life just like it did for the Israelites at Peor. 

Maybe you see people in your life right now warning you that your path is not the right one.  Psalm 23:2 says “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,”  The Holy Spirit is the one leading into green pastures and beside quiet waters.  Today, take some time to reflect on your path this very day.  Is anyone around warning you?  Satan will never warn you, he always says there is nothing wrong. Don’t listen because Satan is seeking to devour you. The Holy Spirit never quits guiding you, it is you who quit listening.  

Prayer: Father, help us to heed the direction and guidance of Godly friends. I know we brush off the guidance sometimes not knowing the consequences of our actions until it is too late. I pray that we listen to the Holy Spirit all the time and turn from the sin in our lives. I also pray that we lovingly guide others away from sin and point them to Christ as we disciple everyone we can. In Jesus name, amen.