Joshua 23:1-16 I once had a history professor whose favorite saying was, "the only thing people learn from history is that people don't learn from history." We seldom stop to consider, why didn't those choices, that course of action, that life-style, that attitude, etc. work for them? Why did they always seem to be doomed to failure? Somehow, we feel that we are a special case, or that we are immune, or worse yet, that God wouldn't let that happen to me. The rule is easily forgotten, "If we keep doing the same thing in the same way, we will continue to get the same results." Joshua's farewell speech to Israel contained some warnings that are appropriate for us today. Israel, under Joshua's leadership had cleared much of the land of their enemies. There was still much land that needed to be claimed as Israel grew in population and strength. They are sternly warned to love the Lord their God and not to make friends of any of the survivors. Don't associate with them, don't intermarry with them, don't invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. Joshua 23:13 "...then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead they will become traps and snares for you... until you perish from this good land that the Lord your God has given you." Many had left Egypt as children or been born on the way and there was still a lot of Egypt in them. They didn't learn from history. They soon began to do exactly what they were warned not to do. We've been delivered out of the world through faith in Jesus, but there is still a lot of the world left in us. Don't associate with it, don't savor it, don't let it control your thoughts, your speech, your actions, your life style, what you wear. It is the enemy - it will kill you. "Resist the enemy, and he will flee from you, draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:7,8.

Don't Recycle the Garbage