The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Sons of the Kingdom, #13

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 13:14)

In the beginning Satan had in mind to supplant God. Satan puts in the mind and heart of the wicked to supplant God's chosen leaders. The wicked do not hear from God as do God's leaders. They see no wrong in themselves, only in others, just as Korah chose to accuse Moses and Aaron. They are totally without understanding—they cannot see what is in front of them. They cannot think clearly. They are proud and arrogant, seeking to supplant, seeking to be preeminent.

These are the tares, the wicked, the destroyers of the work of God. They have been active from the beginning. Their destiny is to worship God at the feet of the true saints, and then to be destroyed in the flames unless they repent.

They shall never inherit the Kingdom of God. One such individual if permitted in the Kingdom would destroy everything of value. Why? Because he would be seeking to do what he thought was right without hearing from God. He soon would gain a large following, and would finally attack the true leaders that God had chosen.

One such tare would wreck Paradise for himself and everyone else!

Joshua and the Gibeonites. Joshua had a nearly perfect record of serving the Lord. Joshua only erred once, and that was because he did not ask the Lord for advice.

Because they feared the Israelites the Gibeonites pretended that they lived at a great distance. Joshua listened to all their lies.

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. (Joshua 9:15)

Joshua had become overconfident. He took for granted that the Gibeonites were telling the truth. Being a man of war he should have known that his enemies would attempt to deceive him. We who are in a warfare against the lords of darkness must learn to take nothing for granted; not to trust in appearances; not to make assumptions; not to depend on our reasoning or our feelings. We always are to seek the Lord in every situation. If we do not we will be tricked by the enemy.

The Gibeonites brought trouble to Israel for many years to come.

To be continued.