Israelite Problems, Judges

This post focuses on continuing Israelite Problems.

Israelite Problems discusses the attitude of the Israelites after conquering most of Canaan. Under the leadership of Joshua and with the blessings of God, the nation of Israel fought and won possession of most of Canaan. Then, Joshua died without removing the last vestige of the idol-worshipping nations.

Thereafter, a problem presented itself, Joshua 2:10-12. “And there arose another generation…who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel…they abandoned the LORD,”

This problem was caused by the parents not teaching their children to worship and obey God. Instead, their children, as adults, turned to worshipping idols.

This failure to completely destroy the native idol-worshipping people happened again and again from one end of Canaan to the other. But the Israelites thought they had a solution, Judges 1:28. “When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.”

God had instructed them as to how to deal with the natives, Deuteronomy 7:1-4. “When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you…Hittites… Girgashites… Amorites… Canaanites… Perizzites…Hivites…Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, and … your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you,”

But Israel did not destroy them completely. Instead, they instituted their idea how to solve the problem, a solution that provided them slaves to serve them but also idol-worshipping mates for themselves and their children.

Let these problems inspire us to stay true to God and teach our children to worship God.

So, what did we learn?

1.The Israelites lived among the residual idol-worshipping nations.

2.The Israelites learned to worship idols from these residual idol-worshippers.

3.We must teach our children to worship and serve God.

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#worshippingIdols #FailureTeachChildren