Nothing is sacred

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don't know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it "really" means.. Let's see where this takes us! 

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Numbers 33

The journey from Egypt included more places than the stories of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers suggest. Most of the forty years, then, were probably uneventful

The LORD's command for the invasion of Canaan is two-fold:

1. Drive out the inhabitants.

2. Destroy their "cast images" and "high places," presumably idols and their places of worship.

The plan, apparently, is to establish a land where the First and Second Commandments could be obeyed without the presence of other deities and the cultural influence of other nations. Thus the faithful Abrahamic descendants of Shem (representing Spirit) would prevail over the Canaanite descendants of Ham (the flesh, or slave to the material world).

The LORD's obsession with driving out idols is a metaphor for our own spirit or "higher self" recognizing that there is nothing sacred in the material world. The Canaanite represents our attachments. When we seek our happiness in the world instead of in God/Source/Spirit/the LORD, we're letting the Canaanite get the upper hand and must "drive him out."

If we don't, we will find nothing but trouble, because the things of the world will never satisfy us and we'll just create problems when we believe they do.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)