What happens when you're working on something and you don't do it right the first time? It can be frustrating and can be much more difficult to complete. We may think taking shortcuts on job may save you time, but it can actually take longer than what the job entailed. If we look at the passage in Numbers 33:50-55, God warned the Israelites if they hesitated to drive the wicked out of the land that He promised them, later these people would become an irritation, a great irritation for them. Well, guess what, that is exactly what happened. Here is what happened in Numbers 33:50-55:

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

God told Moses to drive the wicked from the land that God had promised the Israelites. The Israelites did not fully understand fully God's purpose of removing the wicked and so they did not follow God's instructions. This led the Israelites to compromise and corruption. Paul encourages us to live as Christians in the same manner which is throwing away our old way of living and moving ahead into our new life of obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ (see Colossians 3).

We may have hesitation to clear all the wicked people just as the Israelites did and we may sometimes hesitate to clear out all the sin in our lives, either because of being afraid of it as the Israelites feared the giants, or because it may seem harmless and attractive as a sexual sin seemed. We may have so called idols that we don't want to let go of. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

So, if we allow these idols to dominate us, they cause serious problems later. In all areas in our life, we should obey God's WORD without question, because we know He is just, even if we cannot fully understand his overall purposes.