Exodus 34:10-16 (ESV)

And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

“Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

The psychological details here are fascinating. God says, “Behold, I am making a covenant.” As part of the covenant, He will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. But the Israelites must keep their side of the bargain too. So, what exactly is their side of the bargain?

The LORD says, “Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.” The words, “Take care,” indicate that there’s some kind of hazard or slippery slope involved. God confirms this by ending with, “lest it become a snare in your midst.”

Between these bookends, God warns them not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. This is the slippery slope God tells them to take care to avoid. This is the snare.

Notice the specifics of how they are to avoid this slippery slope. They are to, tear down their altars and break their pillars. All the “other gods” must go. And notice the ending – “lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land.” If they let people keep their false gods, it sets up the snare.

Then He explains the psychology of how this snare works. “When they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.”

It’s a three-step process. First you eat with them; then your sons marry their daughters; then your sons are led astray. That’s the slippery slope in detail. It’s a classic case of how people slowly fall away.

“Lead us not into temptation,” is part of the Lord’s Prayer – but do we pay attention to what we’re asking? This petition made it into the Lord’s Prayer because it is one of the top things to pray for. We deceive ourselves if we are not attentive to spiritual dangers.

Being attentive means praying. Ask God to help you avoid temptation. Don’t just pray about the temptations you’re aware of; ask the LORD to open your eyes to the ones you aren’t.

The weekly study guides, which include all six devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

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