Exodus 23:23-33 (ESV)

“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

This passage starts and ends with warnings against serving other gods. Good grief, what could possibly possess an Israelite to do something that ridiculous? What’s the temptation here?

The Israelites have seen – and continue to see – signs and wonders that confirm that the LORD is the one true God. They have watched the Egyptian gods get mocked, overwhelmed, and destroyed. Why would they want to worship “gods that are not gods”?

Well, it turns out that the references to other gods not being gods at all will come later in the Bible – specifically 2 Kings 19:18, Jeremiah 16:20, Acts 19:26 and Galatians 4:8. Up to this point the LORD is only described as being dominant. For example:

“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” – Exodus 15:11 (ESV)

“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” – Exodus 18:11 (ESV)

These people grew up in a polytheistic culture and they’re slowly being peeled away from that mindset.

Our secular culture of hedonism and affluence may be even worse. We need a revival. Political attempts to make marginal improvements haven’t worked. We need radical change brought by the Holy Spirit.

We can’t get this done; only God can. We need to pray for this and be patient. It’s a big project.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies