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346
The Beginning of the End
Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the Western
Sea, shall be your territory.” (
Deuteronomy 11:23, 24
).
But they chose ease and self-indulgence. They let their oppor-
tunities slip away for completing the conquest of the land, and for
many generations they were harassed by the survivors of these idol-
[274]
atrous peoples, who were like “irritants” in their eyes and “thorns”
in their sides (
Numbers 33:55
).
The Israelites “mingled with the Gentiles and learned their
works.” They intermarried with the Canaanites, and idolatry spread
like a plague throughout the land. “They even sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons. ... And the land was polluted with
blood.” “Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His
people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance.” (
Psalm 106:35-
40
).
Until the generation who had received instruction from Joshua
died out, idolatry made little progress, but the parents prepared
the way for the apostasy of their children. The simple habits of the
Hebrews had strengthened them with physical health, but association
with the heathen led to indulgence of appetite and passion, which
gradually weakened the mental and moral powers. By their sins
the Israelites were separated from God, and they could no longer
overcome their enemies. So they came to be dominated by the very
nations that they could have conquered.
“They forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought
them out of the land of Egypt.” “They provoked Him to anger with
their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their carved
images.” Therefore the Lord “forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the
tent He had placed among men, and delivered His strength into
captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hand.” (
Judges 2:12
;
Psalm
78:58, 60, 61
).
Yet God did not completely forsake His people. There was al-
ways a remnant who were true to Jehovah, and from time to time the
Lord brought up faithful and courageous men to put down idolatry
and deliver the Israelites from their enemies. But when the deliverer
died and the people were released from his authority, they would
gradually return to their idols. This is the reason for Israel’s story of
backsliding and correction, of confession and deliverance, repeating
itself again and again.