Judges 1:27-28 Drive Them Out!

 27At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 28When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

“The story as here given reveals that whereas the work began in earnest, it gradually weakened. The Lord was with Judah and victories resulted. The Lord was with Joseph and Beth-el was taken. Manasseh and Ephraim and all the rest weakened in the work and Canaanites were left in possession.” (Morgan)

“Did not completely drive them out: In the same way, when someone first begins their Christian life, they may not be strong enough in the LORD to deal with all the things they see that need changing; yet as they grow in the LORD, they must not slack in dealing with those areas. We never are to make a peace treaty with our sins; instead, be determined to drive them out.” (Guzik)

“The one point that Israel should have borne in mind was that they had no right there. The land was not theirs, it had become Israel’s. And moreover, God was prepared to drive them out; so that his people would have no fighting to do, but only to chase a flying foe.” (Meyer)

Drive Them Out!

Morgan, Guzik and Meyer hit the nail on the head! We never are to make a peace treaty with our sins! I’m reminded what Paul said:

Romans 7:18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. 20And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. 23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Do you understand what Paul said? Our sinful nature is always there in our body battling with our spiritual nature in Christ.

We cannot and should not make a peace treaty with our sins! We must strive to be strong and drive them out.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us be strong today and drive them out. Please give us the heart ❤️ and love 💕 of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.