Transcendence 4

Eight: Disobedience and Defeat

During this time Moses' father in law's descendants were moving into the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.

Next the men of Judah went with the Simeonites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, ultimately destroying their city. They also took the city of Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron each with it's territory. The Lord was with the men of Judah as they took the cities, but they failed to drive the people from the plains because those people had iron chariots. (The Israelites had never developed the sophistication to use chariots, the equivalent of tanks in today's world.) 

As the Lord had promised, Caleb drove all the people out of Hebron and overtook it. The Benjamites (descendants of Benjamin) were fighting their own battle in another territory, but they failed to dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem. As those other battles were going on the house of Joseph's descendants attacked Bethel and the Lord was with them. One particular man in that country had shown them the way into the city so that man and his family's lives were spared. (That man later went into the land of the Hittites where he built a city and called it Luz.)

Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or several other settlements for the Canaanites who were settled there were determined to continue to live in that land. Though the tribe of Manasseh pressed them into forced labor they never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim from Gezer. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, but also subjected them to forced labor. The clan of Asher failed to drive all of the Canaanites out of the land they inherited, Neither did Naphtali. Some of the Amorites were also determined to stay put though they were confined to the hill country. Later they too were pressed into forced labor.

God was not happy that they had not obeyed his commands to drive out ALL of the inhabitants. He was very stern about this. It seems the Israelites were getting lazy, or they were scared, or they really liked relying on the forced labor, either way, they had not obeyed. Not only that, but they had not broken down the altars previously built by those people. An angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the promised land. I swore never to break my covenant with you if you do not make a covenant with the people of this land. I told you to break down their altars. Yet you have disobeyed me. Now I will not drive them out before you, they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

When the angel spoke these things the Israelites saw their sins and wept aloud. They offered sacrifices to the Lord, they wanted forgiveness.

Lots of time went by. The Israelites had built cities, and claimed the land they were living in. Generations were dying off, and new ones who never knew of the hardships of the desert and of the times of slavery in Egypt were emerging. Their way of life, living in the prosperity of the land had been easy, with forced labor all around. Their life was filled with security, lots of land, plenty of food, and none of the hardships their ancestors had known. They grew up without being accustomed to how life could be without the protective hand of God. They weren't fearful. Sadly, it was this generation who were the ones making decisions. They always thought everything would be okay, it always had been. 

It happened a little bit at a time over lots of years, just as Moses warned it would. God's law was less important. The Israelites began to merge with their neighbors, forgetting what God had done for their forefathers, forgetting that God specifically told them not to. When their actions didn't seem to bring about anything bad they began to follow and worship various gods of the people around them. They forsook God! What they started doing was considered evil in the eyes of the Lord. Their disobedience, and sinning provoked the Lord to anger!

(Israel's neighbors worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth, male and female gods of fertility. Followers practiced ritual sex, believing that sex with sacred prostitutes led to great producing of crops and it led to many offspring. Sometimes they also sacrificed children to these gods. The Israelites were more and more attracted to these gods as they merged their lives with the surrounding people. )

In His anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Anytime Israel went out to fight the hand of the Lord was against them. They were defeated at every turn. God kept his promises, doing  just as he had sworn he would if they disobeyed!

It didn't take too much time until the Israelites were in great distress. 

(Life Question: Do you follow God's commands even in times of plenty, in times of good health, and prosperity? Isn't it amazing how the raising of generations in different circumstances, either in a life of plenty or a life of need, makes such a difference in how people react to God and His commands. The Israelite people had became so comfortable they didn't see the harm in dabbing outside the law, and the price was destruction. God will never continue to put up with disobedience. It may work out for a time, but always God will avenge His name. He is in control and to know him is to fear Him. He is capable of everything good and bad. The devil can bring about bad things but God can turn it all around to make good of it if you believe and live for Him. However if you choose not live for Him the work of the devil can destroy your life! )