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The Wrong Kind of Compromise
And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
( Joshua 16:10 )
Throughout the story of Israel’s conquering of Canaan, we read of the enemy that was subdued but not removed. The Ephraimites even found value in keeping the Canaanites, as they proved profitable as laborers. For every Canaanite kept, one less Ephraimite had to get his hands dirty. It was a win-win. The problem is that the day came when the Ephraimites no longer remained subdued. They stood their ground and refused to be pushed around anymore. Eventually, they realized they had the power to be in control, and the Ephraimites either served the Canaanites or moved out of their way.
There are some compromises that are wonderful things. My wife doesn't love cooking, but I love eating out, so we can often strike up a great compromise when it comes to dinner. But there are other times that compromise can be very destructive. When sin is involved, compromise is always the wrong solution. The Canaanites were a picture of sin. Compromising with the command to eliminate them from the land was not an option God gave the Ephraimites. While it seemed to work well at first, it quickly turned horrible.
One may say, “Well, I have a very short temper, but it’s okay, because that temper gets me my way.” So you compromise with something God calls flesh, and you use it to your advantage. That works great until nobody wants to work with you. It works great until you try to tell that coworker about Jesus, and they look at you as though you were speaking a foreign language. Compromise with any sin, no matter how advantageous it may seem, is never an option. God says to eradicate it, and that is the only acceptable solution to the problem of sin.
-Pastor Jimmy Morales
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