Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20020612.htm

NUMBERS: OF SPIRITUAL CASUALTIES AND VICTORS
Part XXXVII: Blessing In Practicing Biblical Separation
(Numbers 33:50-56)
  1. Introduction
    1. God wants us believers to be holy, or separate from sin as He is separate from sin, 1 Peter 1:14-16.
    2. However, a Christian who seeks to practice separation can at times be charged as being an "isolationist," one who just thinks he's intrinsically "better than anybody else."
    3. Hence, a lesson on Biblical holiness, or Biblical separation is necessary to distinguish between GODLY separation and ungodly isolationism, and Numbers 33:50-56 gives us insight into Biblical separation:
  2. Blessing In Practicing Biblical Separation, Numbers 33:50-56.
    1. While they were poised at the Jordan to enter Canaan, God gave instructions to Israel through Moses on what Israel was to do about associating with the Canaanites once they crossed the Jordan, Num. 33:50-50.
    2. The Lord thus commanded Israel to have absolutely no fellowship with these Canaanites because of their UNSCRIPTURALLY idolatrous beliefs and practices, Numbers 33:51-54:
      1. Israel was to drive out all the land's inhabitants, destroying all of their idols, graven images and false worship high places, Numbers 33:51-52. Thus Israel's DISassociation with these Canaanites was to be CAUSED by a desire to be SEPARATE from their IDOLATRY, for fellowship with GOD meant a SEPARATION from fellowship with IDOLS in accord with SCRIPTURE, Ex. 20:3-6!
      2. In addition, they were to dispossess the land from the Canaanites and divide it among themselves as God's gift to them, Num. 33:53-54a. The land was to be divided according to the number of people in each tribe, those with greater populations getting greater parcels of land, 33:54b. The point was clear: NO CANAANITE was to be given ROOM in the LAND due to their IDOLATROUS influence!
    3. Following this command, God WARNED Israel what would happen if the nation did NOT SEPARATE from the idolatrous Canaanites this way, Numbers 33:55-56:
      1. God warned Israel that were she not to eradicate the Canaanites from the land, those they allowed to remain in the land would come to cause them great pain, Numbers 33:55.
      2. Just how the Canaanites would trouble them is implied by God's warning He would drive Israel out of the land as He had driven out the Canaanites before Israel in Numbers 33:56. We get a clear picture of this disturbing process by viewing Israel's actual historical failure to drive out the Canaanites:
        1. When Israel in time failed to drive out the Canaanites, the Canaanites became an idolatrous influence unto Israel so that Israel adopted the evil worship of these pagans, cf. 2 Chronicles 36:14.
        2. In doing so, Israel incurred the wrath of God for her own idolatry, so God eventually brought the Babylonians upon Israel to drive them out of the land for similar idolatrous sins, 2 Chron. 36:15-21.
        3. Hence, by Israel's leaving the Canaanites in the land, they became snares unto them in influencing them unto sins that God had to judge to Israel's loss of blessing and grief!
      3. For this reason, God warned Israel to separate FROM the idolatrous Canaanites lest they adopt their ERROR to their harm by way of God's discipline on themselves!
Lesson: Israel was REQUIRED by GOD to SEPARATE from the Canaanites NOT because Israel was somehow INTRINSICALLY BETTER THAN the CANAANITES, for Israel was just as vulnerable to the SIN of the Canaanites as the CANAANITES were! Rather, it was BECAUSE Israel was NO better than the Canaanites, and was thus VULNERABLE to adopting their IDOLATRY, SEPARATION from the Canaanites was Israel's divine RESPONSIBILITY for her OWN fellowship with GOD!

Application: (1) NO believer is to view himself as INTRINSICALLY BETTER than anybody else so as to hold himself ALOOF from others. That is ISOLATIONISM that God NEVER condones, cf. 1 Cor. 5:9-10. (2) Rather, if a godless party's INFLUENCE can THREATEN to SPOIL the BELIEVER'S walk with his HOLY God, for his OWN sake, the BELIEVER must SEPARATE from the UNGODLY as a means of HIMSELF STAYING SEPARATE from SIN! (1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Cor. 6:14-18).