The Israelites certainly knew what it was like to have enemies. In fact, time spent studying their enemies quickly reveals their relationship with God as His chosen people as the primary reason why many groups were opposed to them. In many instances the Israelites had not even come into contact with these groups and had not done anything that could possibly have offended them other than breathe and belong to God.
So, I truly believe that the Israelites could relate to the idea of wanting one’s enemies to be at peace with you. I mean, everywhere they turned they faced one enemy after another, with another enemy always waiting in the wings for their shot at God’s chosen people.
And like us, the Israelites sometimes had an easy go of things when their enemies either forgot about them altogether, became confused and fought each other, or surrendered without even putting up a fight. Noticeably, the Israelites experienced such moments of peace and ease when they were squarely in God’s will, obeying, honoring, and pleasing Him through words, thoughts, and deeds.
Conversely, and not even remotely unlike us, the Israelites experienced times of great turmoil, endless battles, and devastating periods of exile spent in foreign nations. Though not always the case, these situations were oftentimes the direct or indirect result of the Israelites’ choice to go against God, typically when He had already told them what to do and warned them of the impending consequences should they disobey Him. Yet, just like us, they disobeyed Him anyway.
Think about it. If you knew of a surefire way to reduce the levels of stress and turmoil in your life, wouldn’t you do it? Most of us are likely to answer that question with a resounding “yes, sign me up, right now!” That’s because dealing with drama and unnecessary battles at every turn is tiring and can quickly zap the enjoyment out of life. So what do we do? We seek God first, above all else, read His Word and apply it to our lives, and we love our way through this world as we represent Him. King Solomon in Proverbs 16:7 assured that “when the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.” God is always ready to do His part. The question is, are we going to do ours? Be blessed. #sanguinemango
Sanguine Mango 