Exodus 23 "Little by Little"

Exodus 23:30 "By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. v29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee."

I heard once that someone prayed 'Give me patience, Lord, and hurry.'

God does things in his time and in his way. We may not always know the reason as the Israelites did but we can rest assure there is a good one.

Psalm 145:17 "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

Exodus 23 contains further instructions for Israel as they ready for their entry into Canaan. I think of parents talking to their new adult child as they go out into the world. 'Now don't forget this...don't forget that...remember to so-and-so...'

He tells them to not follow the crowd to do evil v2. There is further talk about how to treat neighbors and their property. Verse 10-11 talks about letting the land rest after six years for a whole year then ties it in with resting on the seventh day of the week v12. He further talks about the feast they would keep.

In verse 20-23 God tells them of the angel that was to guide and protect them and how they should have respect for him. Then, v24-25 He talks of worshipping only the Lord God.

v8 "And thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous." We know that to be a true statement. If you have two friends, one gives you a gift and the other does not, who would you be the quickest to do a favor for? Politicians and lobbyist have used the gift to subvert our government and it is true to the highest and lowest levels.

Proverbs 3:27 "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

Proverbs 3:1-3 "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days and long life and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart."