Judges 18:7 KJV
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
The people of Laish were Canaanites and marked for conquering by the Lord so it is acceptable within the context of God's plan for the Promised Land that the Danites would take them in this fashion.
What I found instructive for my own life though was to see what made them a target at this point. The Danites had sent out men to spy out the land and find the most desirable city to take. They selected this one for the reasons listed in verse 7. I see in the list four areas that make us vulnerable of conquest if not cared for;
They dwelt carelessly
Too many in our world live without a care concerning potential threats, especially the threat of eternal damnation. The lost man lives oblivious to the fact that he is racing headlong to hell. Sometimes a Christian will get so caught in the present world that he loses sight of the fact that he has not laid up treasures in heaven.
Then to a Christian can live carelessly concerning Satan, forgetting him as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour.
We are told to be sober and vigilant if we would guard against conquest.
They had no magistrate
We all must have leadership in our lives. Without it we are like sheep having no shepherd and like the Jews of the days of Judges; when there was no leadership every man did what was right in his own eyes.
In our day God has provided us with spiritual leadership through our church and its pastor. What a mistake it is to suppose we do not need to heed the leadership
They had no accountability
There was no one to "put them to shame." No discipline. Without discipline the best of intentions will go unfulfilled.
They had no support
Since they were so far from the Zidonians and since they would not do business with any others, they were left there alone. No human being can do well without a strong network of support. Let our excuses be thrown aside, we must get ourselves to the house of God where we can meet Christians who are strong in the faith and be lifted up in the things of the Lord.
But we must not neglect our need of a strong community of Christians around us.
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
The people of Laish were Canaanites and marked for conquering by the Lord so it is acceptable within the context of God's plan for the Promised Land that the Danites would take them in this fashion.
What I found instructive for my own life though was to see what made them a target at this point. The Danites had sent out men to spy out the land and find the most desirable city to take. They selected this one for the reasons listed in verse 7. I see in the list four areas that make us vulnerable of conquest if not cared for;
They dwelt carelessly
Too many in our world live without a care concerning potential threats, especially the threat of eternal damnation. The lost man lives oblivious to the fact that he is racing headlong to hell. Sometimes a Christian will get so caught in the present world that he loses sight of the fact that he has not laid up treasures in heaven.
Then to a Christian can live carelessly concerning Satan, forgetting him as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour.
We are told to be sober and vigilant if we would guard against conquest.
They had no magistrate
We all must have leadership in our lives. Without it we are like sheep having no shepherd and like the Jews of the days of Judges; when there was no leadership every man did what was right in his own eyes.
In our day God has provided us with spiritual leadership through our church and its pastor. What a mistake it is to suppose we do not need to heed the leadership
They had no accountability
There was no one to "put them to shame." No discipline. Without discipline the best of intentions will go unfulfilled.
They had no support
Since they were so far from the Zidonians and since they would not do business with any others, they were left there alone. No human being can do well without a strong network of support. Let our excuses be thrown aside, we must get ourselves to the house of God where we can meet Christians who are strong in the faith and be lifted up in the things of the Lord.
- We are busy with life
- We do require times of rest and peace
But we must not neglect our need of a strong community of Christians around us.
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