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Judges 2
[Judges 2:1] 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 <<AN ANGEL>> Angel in Hebrew is "Malach" meaning literally messenger but usually employed for special purposes. The term could be used for both heavenly messengers (angels in our sense) and earthly ones. The Midrash (VaYikra Raba 1,1) says that in this case the messenger was a prophet and not a spiritual non-human entity. [Judges 2:2] 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? They were supposed to destroy all traces of idolatry. [Judges 2:3] 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 They had been warned (Numbers 23:55) that if they did not drive out the Canaanites this was what would happen. So to, the Arabs in Israel in many ways are as bad as the Canaanites once were and to a degree are their physical descendants. The same principle applies now as it did done. If we do not send them away harm will come unto us. Heathens oppose Israelites since they exist on a lower plane. The gods of the heathen are not just the objects of false belief but also the agents of harm to especially when we live near them. This is what the Bible says. [Judges 2:4] 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. [Judges 2:5] AND THEY CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE BOCHIM: AND THEY SACRIFICED THERE UNTO THE LORD:. <<THEY CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE BOCHIM>>: "Bochim" means "Weeping". In similar cases the name for the place may have existed earlier and even originally had a different meaning only after this event the meaning became more pertinent and actual. [Judges 2:6] AND WHEN JOSHUA HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT EVERY MAN UNTO HIS INHERITANCE TO POSSESS THE LAND. Every man was given his own plot of land as an inheritance. [Judges 2:7] 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. [Judges 2:8] AND JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, DIED, BEING AN HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS OLD. [Judges 2:9] AND THEY BURIED HIM IN THE BORDER OF HIS INHERITANCE IN TIMNATHHERES, IN THE MOUNT OF EPHRAIM, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HILL GAASH. [Judges 2:10] AND ALSO ALL THAT GENERATION WERE GATHERED UNTO THEIR FATHERS: AND THERE AROSE ANOTHER GENERATION AFTER THEM, WHICH KNEW NOT THE LORD, NOR YET THE WORKS WHICH HE HAD DONE FOR ISRAEL. [Judges 2:11] AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND SERVED BAALIM: [Judges 2:12] 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. [Judges 2:13] AND THEY FORSOOK THE LORD, AND SERVED BAAL AND ASHTAROTH. [Judges 2:14] 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. [Judges 2:15] 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. [Judges 2:16] NEVERTHELESS THE LORD RAISED UP JUDGES, WHICH DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THOSE THAT, SPOILED THEM [Judges 2:17] AND YET THEY WOULD NOT HEARKEN UNTO THEIR JUDGES, BUT THEY WENT A WHORING AFTER OTHER GODS, AND BOWED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM: THEY TURNED QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY WHICH THEIR FATHERS WALKED IN, OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD; BUT THEY DID NOT SO [Judges 2:18] AND WHEN THE LORD RAISED THEM UP JUDGES, THEN THE LORD WAS WITH THE JUDGES, AND DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THEIR ENEMIES ALL THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES: FOR IT REPENTED THE LORD BECAUSE OF THEIR GROANINGS BY REASON OF THEM THAT OPPRESSED THEM AND VEXED THEM [Judges 2:19] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE JUDGE WAS DEAD, THAT THEY RETURNED, AND CORRUPTED THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEIR FATHERS, IN FOLLOWING OTHER GODS TO SERVE THEM, AND TO BOW DOWN UNTO THEM; THEY CEASED NOT FROM THEIR OWN DOINGS, NOR FROM THEIR STUBBORN WAY [Judges 2:20] AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS HOT AGAINST ISRAEL; AND HE SAID, BECAUSE THAT THIS PEOPLE HATH TRANSGRESSED MY COVENANT WHICH I COMMANDED THEIR FATHERS, AND HAVE NOT HEARKENED UNTO MY VOICE [Judges 2:21] I ALSO WILL NOT HENCEFORTH DRIVE OUT ANY FROM BEFORE THEM OF THE NATIONS WHICH JOSHUA LEFT WHEN HE DIED: [Judges 2:22] THAT THROUGH THEM I MAY PROVE ISRAEL, WHETHER THEY WILL KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD TO WALK THEREIN, AS THEIR FATHERS DID KEEP IT, OR NOT. We find three reasons are given as to why some of the Canaanites were allowed by the Almighty to remain in the Land and it would appear that each one is correct in its own way: * To test Israel as to whether they would remain faithful to the God of Israel (Judges 2:22). * To teach them warfare so that they might defeat greater enemies and conquer other peoples and perhaps civilize them (Judges 3:2). * In order that the land remain settled and cultivated until the Israelites would increase and multiply and be ready to take everything over from the previous inhabitants (Exodus 23:30, Deuteronomy 7:22 ). EXCLUSIVE OFFER: May last For a Limited Time Only Spreading the Brit-Am message is our task. We do this full time and God willing will continue to do so as long as necessary. Your purchases and offerings enable us to work for our peoples so please consider taking advantage of the following offer (which is well worth it price-wise) and also if possible sending us a contribution. 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