It Didn’t Seem That Important

 God had specifically commanded the Israelites they were to drive the former occupants completely out from among them so that they would not begin to adopt those groups customs and religion, and not to make any treaties with them.  Wanting to get about living a normal life, Israel did not drive them completely out, choosing instead to negotiate treaties with them, as Judges 1:28- 33 describes.  “And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.  Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.  Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.  Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.  Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.”

 

God was not pleased with their disobedience and warned them that because they had disobeyed him, he would no longer drive out their enemies before them like he had done at first.  Instead they would have to physically defeat their enemies in the future. As the angel told them in Judges 2:1-3.  “And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”

 

The angel warned them that the presence of the former inhabitants would be a constant source of conflict, and that their worship of other Gods would be a constant source of temptation to turn away from God.  The people were quite upset at learning God would no longer drive out their eemies the way he had, as Judges 2:4-6 tells us.  “And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.  And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.  And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.”

 

It was probably at this point Joshua called the people together, insisting the commit to following only God, as was described in Joshua 23-24.  As a result of Joshua’s efforts to get such a commitment, Judges 2:7 tells us, “And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.”

 

The people who had grown up under Moses’ leadership and remembered what God had done for them stayed faithful to God.  Unfortunately, the younger generation did not have those memories, and began to copy the lifestyles of the former occupants of the land, as Judges 2:11-13 tells us.  “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.  And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”

 

I’m sure the command to completely drive out the former occupants seemed a little harsh and excessive in light of the treaties, but failure to obey it led the next generation into sin.  I have no idea how many dedicated Christians have exposed their children and grandchildren to temptation and sin because they didn’t realize how important some seemingly minor command from God was.  Israel’s failure to follow God’s command completely would have serious consequences for their children and grandchildren, as Judges 2:14-15 describes.  “And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.  Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.”

 

We need to realize God always has a reason for his commands, and obey him implicitly, even when the commands seem pointless or excessive.