Principle #1 - God Deliver We Smite

Seven Principles of Fathering
Today’s Focus: Principle #1 – God Deliver We Smite
Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:1,2

Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Deuteronomy 7:1,2: When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites and the Amorites, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them.

When we discuss the principles of father we are really discussing the Character of God because He is our Father. So in this series we will examine the character of God and how He fathers us to bring us to maturity.

The first principle God shows us is the principle that He will deliver but we must smite. So many people want God to do absolutely everything and a good father would not do that to their child because it spoils them and does not teach them responsibility. If we as sons of God have been called to steward over the earth then that requires us to be responsible. Now notice in the above scripture the Lord will bring the children of Israel to these seven nations and notice that the Lord tells them that these nations are mightier than them. Now you may wonder why would God do this, bring His children to people stronger than them? If the Lord is going to deliver them to these nations, God would not suffer them to be destroyed but THROUGH HIM, they will be victorious. Now these seven nations carry seven metaphoric designations that we as the Body of Christ must overcome to inherit the Promised Land. Let me show you:
Hittites – Spirit of Terror
Girgashites – Spirit of Earthliness (Void of Faith)
Amorites – Spirit of Self-exaltation
Canaanites – Spirit of Addictions and Perversions
Perizzites – Spirit of Limited Vision
Hivites – Spirit of Pride on Earthly Abundance
Jebusites – Spirit of Legalism

In as much as physical Israel must smite these nations, we must smite these spirits if we desire to possess the Promised Land. Now notice God will deliver but we smite. That means God will deliver these things before us and we are to smite them and utterly destroy them. Fathers as the Father show you these various spirits and things within your household, you are the leader are called to destroy these things. God opens doors for us but we must walk through. Another great example is Jericho. God set the children of Israel up to conquer Jericho but they still had to fight. In many of our very lives, the Lord confronts us with situations that we must face and go through them (overcome). Whether it be an addiction where when you are confronted you are to just say no, you still have to fight, whether it be in just word or word and action. A good father never sets their children up and then come in and bales them out. This does not teach responsibility.

So we see the first principle is for God to deliver and for you to smite. In the next message we will look at the second principle of making no covenants.

Peace, Love and Grace,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.