They shall not dwell in thy land.
Lessons
1. God is the sovereign boundmaker to all nations on the earth.
2. Among all God hath promised to set the bounds of His Church on earth.
3. God’s suppression of His adversaries is a token of His settling His Church’s habitation (Exodus 23:31).
4. No covenant with idolatrous adversaries must be made by the Church against God’s will.
5. No covenant can be made with idolaters, but it will be with their idols, viz., devils (Exodus 23:32).
6. Converse with idolaters is very dangerous to make men such sinners against God.
7. Such sinning with idolaters is a snare, which will keep souls to destruction.
8. All such sins must be avoided, that God’s promise of good may be obtained (Exodus 23:33). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Associating with the ungodly
Those who willingly associate with the sinful are like the river Thames, which is a sweet and pretty river enough near its source; but in the great metropolis it has kept company with drains and sewers under the belief that its current was too powerful and too pure to be injured by them. It was meant that the river should purify the sewer; but, instead of that, the sewer has corrupted the river. (Union Magazine.)
The snare of worldliness
Serious people often complain of the snares they meet with from worldly people, and yet they must mix with them to get a livelihood. I advise them, if they can, to do their business with the world as they do it in the rain. If their business calls them abroad, they will not leave it undone for fear of being a little wet; but then, when it is done, they presently seek shelter, and will not stand in the rain for pleasure. So, providential and necessary calls of duty, that lead us into the world, will not hurt us, if we find the spirit of the world unpleasant, and are glad to retire from it, and keep out of it, as much as our relative duties will permit. That which is our cross is not so likely to be our snare; but if that spirit which we should always watch and pray against, infects and assimilates our minds to itself, then we are sure to suffer loss, and act below the dignity of our profession. (Newton’s Letters to a Nobleman.).