Judges 3: The Enemy That Remains

"Now these are the nations which the Lord left that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan. (This was only that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it, namely 5 lords of the Philistines, all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from beyond Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. Thus, the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods." Judges 3:1-6

A. The pagan nations remaining in the territory of Israel.

1. (Judges 3:1-2) Why did God allow these nations to continue in Israel’s territory?

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),

a. These are the nations which the LORD left: God left these Canaanite nations behind because Israel was not faithful in driving them out. One might rightly say that it was a combination of both their choice and God’s will.

b. That He might test Israel by them: It was within the power of God to eliminate those pagan nations without any help from Israel. God allowed the troublesome peoples to remain for a reason. The word test here is used in the sense of “proving.” These nations would remain because God wanted to prove the faithfulness of Israel to Himself and to improve their reliance on Him.

i. God doesn’t just instantly change every area of our lives so that our relationship with Him can be proved and improved; so that we will live a life of true partnership with God.

c. So that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war: This was another reason why God allowed the Canaanites to remain where Israel did not drive them out. God wanted His people to be warriors, and the presence of these dangerous neighbors would make it necessary for future generations to know war.

i. “Israel was to be in a hostile environment for a major part of her history, due either to the pressures of the petty kingdoms which surrounded her or, at a later stage, due to her strategic position between the successive world powers of Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, and Greece on the one hand and Egypt on the other hand. Military prowess was a necessary accomplishment, humanly speaking, if she was to survive.” (Cundall)

ii. No one likes the struggle against sin, but the battle is good for us. The symbol of Christianity is a cross, not a feather bed.

Did you know that if you help a hatchling come out of its shell it will die? This is a general fact of nature. We struggle, and that struggle makes us stronger. Each of us is born with a natural bent toward sin, thanks to our first parents and their disobedience. As we grow and learn of God. As we learn of His great love and how He made a Way for us to overcome this "body of death," we struggle. We struggle with things that are common to mankind: the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. We all have our own "giants that we must overcome. We are in a battle for our very souls every single day of this life, whether we realize it or not. We are influenced by a culture that has grown more and more demonically inspired and influenced. Nowadays, things long seen as wrong have been called right; those things that have been of old are called good. People create their own truth, and we are considered intolerant, racist, or bigoted if we don't "go along" with the madness of the day. The truth is there are such things as world views, how we view the world around us. Most of the world doesn't share the same worldview as a Christ follower. We judge things through the lens of Scripture; they judge things by "what feels right."

This isn't a new fight. We read about it throughout the Bible. The reason God insisted on Israel annihilating the Canaanites in the beginning was because he didn't want them to intermingle with them. He didn't want them to serve any other entities besides Him. He wanted a people sanctified unto Himself, and He still does.

In Judges 3, we will learn:

1. Why do we have to struggle against the giants in our own lives?

2. We will understand how intermingling with the world can cause separation from God.

2. (Judges 3:3-4) The pagan nations are specifically listed.

Namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

a. Namely: God named each of the pagan peoples that stubbornly stayed in the land. After the same pattern, some could today make a specific list of “pagan territory” in the life of the believer. Such a list may indeed be helpful in the way that it causes one to identify their enemy.

b. That He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey: The reason that God didn’t just eliminate these nations is again stated. It was to prove Israel’s commitment to God and His word. If they were obedient to the word of God, the other nations would not hinder them, and they would grow strong enough to drive them out completely.

In the same manner, we can learn to drive the enemy out of territories in which have let him reside in our own lives. Remember, we have no place with the devil. Not as a child of the Living God. We shouldn't even give the appearance of tolerating let alone participating in something He would not condone. Identifying our shortcomings or identifying things we still associate with, agree, with, or do (i.e. use of profanity, social drinking, tolerance of political legislations that God would call an abomination, fornication, adulteries ((begins with a dm or a private message that you hide from your spouse)), idolatries ((cell phone/ social media addiction)), etc. And remove those temptations from our lives so that we can remain strong in the Lord, vigilant to do His work in our time here. We must remember to "crucify our flesh daily."

3. Consequences of having them around (Judges 3:5-6)

   "Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters as wives; and gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods."

Upon researching for this chapter, I came across 33 places in the Bible that discuss the reasons for not marrying people of a differing religious background. I'll list a couple:

1. "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"-2 Cor. 6:14

2. "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” -1 Cor. 15:33

3. "After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, for they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and their sons so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness, the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, ..." -Ezra 9:1-15

   
   

   The last line of this passage says, "And they served their gods."

   
   

   When you co-mingle with people who have a different worldview, you are more often than not tempted to do the things that they approve of instead of the other way around. Remember, you can't change anyone; it is only God who can remake and change the heart. Always seek God first. In every decision and circumstance. Wait for His answer. His word speaks plainly what He has in mind for you as His beloved child. Don't settle for less than God's best for you.

   
   

   Look at the state of the world today. We have been falling into Babylon for many years as a nation. The gods that once ruled the world have made their presence known. It's unmistakeable. The parallels from the time of the judges to our own is uncanny. In our next series, beginning in December, I will attempt to show you how so. By looking inwardly, retrospectively, into the present day I will attempt to correlate how all these scriptures will culminate to the end of the end of days. Look up church! Keep fighting the good fight, Christian soldier.