Sunday, March 27, 2016

Failure To Eradicate - Was It Sin?

But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day. [Joshua 15.63]

In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim. They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day. [Joshua 16.9-10]

But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land. [Joshua 17.12-13]

I don't know what happened, but Israel did not fully occupy Canaan as they were told. They went from wiping out everyone to realizing a limit to their strength. They did overcome long lists of cities and territories, but did they just become complacent?

Here's another question: Was it sin that Israel did not eradicate the three groups listed above?

Father, help me to consider the accounts above where Israel did not conquer certain areas as they were told they would and remember them as their history unfolds.

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