Let us now go on to consider 34:23 and 24: “Three times in the year every male shall appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel. For I will dispossess the nations from before you and enlarge your borders, and no one shall covet your land when you go up to appear before Jehovah your God three times in the year.” In these verses we have a very crucial matter indicated by the word “for” at the beginning of verse 24. This word indicates the reason we need to enjoy the Lord as the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and the feast of ingathering. According to verses 23 and 24, every male was to appear before the Lord three times a year, for the Lord would dispossess the nations and enlarge the borders for the children of Israel. The nations had been possessing the land. But the Lord promised that He would dispossess them, that He would drive them away. Furthermore, the Lord promised to enlarge the borders for the children of Israel. This signifies the enlargement of our capacity to enjoy Christ.
Perhaps some of the children of Israel said to themselves, “If we spend seven days at the feast of unleavened bread, none of the males will be available to stand guard against the enemy. Suppose the Philistines attack our land during the feast? How would we be able to defend ourselves?” Here the Lord seems to be saying, “You may all be at peace. If you go up to feast with Me three times a year, this feasting will keep away the covetous enemy from your land.”
The principle here is very significant. The Lord’s word about dispossessing the nations and enlarging the borders indicates that if we do not care for the enjoyment of the Lord, the enemies will come to attack us. For example, if you do not enjoy the Lord daily, you may be attacked and overcome by your temper. Furthermore, many other things will come in to take you over. However, if you take care of the enjoyment of the Lord, this enjoyment will keep the evil ones away from you.
I would call your attention to the word “covet” in verse 24. Many negative things covet us and desire to take us over. However, because of our lack of understanding, we may still expect the enemies to be kept away from us even when we do not enjoy the Lord. But from experience we know that if we do not enjoy the Lord, many “germs” will attack us. We may use our physical body as an illustration. If you want to have a healthy body, you need to eat properly and have a sound diet. If you eat healthy food, many “bugs” will be killed, and many germs will be kept away from you. This is an illustration of the fact that the best way to fight against the enemy is to enjoy the Lord.
I can testify that the enjoying of the Lord is the real fighting against the enemy. We fight by feasting. Every day I fight against disease germs by eating healthy food. I do not know how many germs have been defeated through my daily diet of healthy food. In the same principle, we need to enjoy the Lord daily by feasting with Him. If we care for the enjoyment of the Lord, the enemies will be kept away from us. This is marvelous!
We should not fear that the enemy will come in to attack us while we are taking the time to enjoy the Lord. According to the Lord’s promise in 34:23 and 24, we may be at peace. If we take care of feasting with the Lord, He will take care of the covetous enemy. Actually, our enjoyment of the Lord will keep the enemy away.
The Lord has promised to dispossess the nations, enlarge the borders of the good land, and keep away the coveting enemies from the good land. This means that He will demolish all our preoccupations and usurpations, enlarge the borders of Christ, and guard the enjoyment of Christ.