Keeping our Hearts Clean and Holy
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 23:9-14 (NASB)
9 “When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.
10 “If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp. 11 But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp.
12 “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, 13 and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement. 14 Since the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.
SUMMARY
Moses gives instructions on keeping the camp clean while Israelites are out as an army against their enemies. Moses instructs Israelites on what to do when a man has a nocturnal emission. He instructs them to have a place outside the camp to rid oneself of excrements and to bury them. Moses gives the reason to keep the camp clean, is to keep it holy so God may remain and walk in the midst and defeat their enemies.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Reading this passage, I meditated on the reason why it was important to keep the camp clean at all times. In verse 14, it says “Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore you camp must be holy.” Being holy is part of fighting the battle against our enemies, because being holy invites the presence of the Lord. God can only be in our midst when we are holy.
I have been meditating on what makes us holy, and found this passage from 2 Corinthians 6:16-17.
“Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.”
In this passage Paul exhorts Corinthian church to be separate from unbelievers to cease taking part in the unholy practices of the world. The church of Corinth was surrounded by the pagan influences of the world including sexual immorality. Through this passage, I learned what not to do to stay holy.
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10)
This passage shows us what we have to do to be holy. In order to be holy, we have to be filled with knowledge of God and when we are filled with knowledge of God and His will, we will bear the fruit in every good work.
APPLICATION
My battle for holiness is an everyday struggle. I am always so tempted to give in to the pleasures of the world. I have been fasting from meat, sweets, and wine for the past few weeks in order to pray for the upcoming election. It has been so hard, and I have to admit that I compromised a little here and there. I am supposed to be filled with the knowledge of God, but sometimes I am filled with my own understanding or worldly thoughts and I am not filled with love as much as I should be. I sometimes think the worst of people instead of being merciful and loving. I sometimes wonder if I have become like Pharisees. “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.” (Luke 11: 39-41) I have been meaning to give to several charities but have been slow to give. Meanwhile we are spending ridiculous amounts of money on patio furniture and landscape designers. I cannot delay giving to these charities. I will send them money right away.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I fall short of your glory every day while I do read the bible and meditate on the Word day and night. I am slow to respond when You show me where help is needed. I confess I have been self-serving in the way I spend my money or time. I want to be aware of the needs around me. Thank You for reminding me of what a miserable and awful state I had been in the past. You are showing me people who are suffering the way I used to suffer and calling me to be there for them. Help me to be there for them. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may bear good fruit.
Thank you.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
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