APRIL 23 "FIGHT NOW OR PAY LATER"

     I'm not sure which 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh this is that "did not drive out the people of Beth Shan.....for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land".    God's response, "You have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you".  Who was it that thought we will just stay here, and not cross the other side of the Jordan?   1 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4 the land the LORD subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”  Numbers 32:1
     Now if you read on, you'll find out that the tribe of Manasseh is involved in this too.  "don't make us cross the Jordan", of course not, don't fight, don't make us fight, we just want to settle for mediocrity, we just want to settle for what we don't have to fight for, so is it any surprise that when they do have to fight, they don't. They leave the Canaanites there. God says in verse 3 "therefore I will not drive them out" in other words, had they fought, wholeheartedly, God would have taken care of them. Manasseh's excuse is.."they were determined to stay"  Really?! No duh!  Your sin is determined to stay too, the enemy of our soul (never mind our land) is determined to stay too, I guess that's why so many Christians live victory less lives today. It's so much easier just to let things remain  as they are rather than fight.  God's prophecy here is in verse 3 "they will be a thorn in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you".
Their response was probably, "yeah, yeah, we'll deal with it".  And that they would and that you are. Let's not be like Manasseh, fight for your finances, your marriage, fight against your flesh and remind God that you don't want to be like Manasseh and that you believe that if you fight, he will drive out the enemy on your behalf! The truth is, "fight now or pay later!"

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