In Greek mythology, a Titan was born who was given the duty of holding the celestial sphere on his shoulders for all time. That was his punishment as the loser in a war against the Olympians. All the heavens—the stars, the planets, and the sky—were to be his burden for all time.
Atlas was trapped forever, ensnared in his defeat, and crushed by the weight of many stones.
Israel faced the same fate in Psalm 106:34-36. The nations Israel had refused to destroy became the stones that crushed her. Over time, Israel mingled with the heathen nations around her. She allowed them to infiltrate her, and soon she began to serve their idols.
Israel became ensnared by that which she had not destroyed.
How is that like us? We are victors when we come to Christ, for his death on the cross washes our sins away. However, if we do not destroy every vestige of sin in our lives, how can we remain victorious? Old habits, friends who might lead us astray, even our favorite television shows can become a trap pulling us back into the world. We become an Atlas, burdened with our sinful past, trying to walk our Christian walk with the weight of many stones upon our shoulders.
It is something we cannot survive. We will become ensnared just as Israel fell into the sin of serving that which she had not destroyed. It is for good reason that Ephesians 4:22 tells us to put off the old man, for if we do not, the weight of our former life will eventually crush our Christian walk.
God makes us new, and he wants us to remain without spot or wrinkle that we might worship him.
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Code: FGO.I.05.13.vp