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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Four Warnings From the Joshua Era, continued
When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath. (Joshua 7:21—NIV)
Covetousness Leading to Disobedience.
We all know the story of Achan. During the siege of Jericho he took and hid items that were devoted to the Lord. This means they were to be placed in the treasury maintained by the priests and used for the Lord's service.
"I coveted them and took them." Covetousness leading to disobedience.
We are entering an era of intense spiritual conflict. Satan will employ every means of war known to him.
Since Satan's power was broken at the cross he is required to work by lies and deceptions. He attacks our mind. He holds up items before us, items of relationships, of things, of circumstances. These attractions may be lawful under ordinary circumstances, just as taking plunder in time of war is lawful under ordinary circumstances.
But the saints have been directed to consecrate themselves to the purpose of God. We are not serving under ordinary circumstances. That which would have been accepted at other times no longer is permitted.
We must redeem the time. How many Christians in America are wasting time on the media, on entertainment, on buying and selling? If we were not in the climax of the ages these activities might be acceptable.
Today is an extraordinary period in the Kingdom of God. In order to go past Pentecost and enter the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, to have the Throne of God established in our inward nature, to have the fountain of the water of life installed in us, requires the total dedication of all we are and possess.
The believer who fools around, wasting his time on nonessentials, will one day cry out in the agony of Esau because of an inheritance irrevocably lost. There will be no place of repentance found. Grace will not operate then. Think about the foolish virgins, about the person who buried his talent. No, grace will not operate then.
"And the door was shut"—five of the most dreadful words found in the Scriptures.
Satan tantalizes our mind with wealth, or the delights of the flesh, or personal ambition, or the development of a talent, or a desire for prestige and importance, or with an excessive feeling of need for material security, or with material comforts and adornments, or with the exploding technological advancements. These may not be wrong in themselves. But when we are called to be a soldier of Jesus Christ they can become unlawful.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (II Timothy 2:4—NIV)
Satan gets our mind working on something. The first thing you know we find ourselves disobeying God.
This is why it is so utterly important to pray, read the Word, and assemble with fervent saints—all on a consistent basis. Satan is trying to conform you to his image by renewing your mind in the things of the world. He is attempting to get you to covet!
To be continued.