Week 12 Judges 3
This paragraph spells out what Israel did once they had been in the Promised Land for a while:
1. Israel lived among the Canaanites
2. They intermarried with them
3. They served their gods.
I checked a cross-reference back to Deuteronomy 7:1-5. Moses had told the people three specific things:
1. When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you…make no treaties with them
2. You must not intermarry with them
3. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.
On the face of it that’s pretty clear:
Don’t make treaties
Don’t intermarry
Don’t use the idols
(It would have been bad enough if Israel had – let’s say –
Stopped making animal sacrifices
Quit observing the annual festivals
Said that the Levites could have a big tribal land grant.
Even though those are misdemeanors at least they’re not specifically prohibited misdemeanors.)
The Lord told Moses three specific things Israel was not supposed to do in the Promised Land and so then Israel did exactly each one of those three not-to-do things. Point-for-point.
No treaties? Let’s make treaties
No intermarriage? Let’s intermarry
No idols? Let’s use these idols.
It’s a bit perplexing and concerning to see how it played out. I don’t necessarily think it was a deliberate thing (the Lord said Up so let’s do Down). But the fact is that the vote was Down (which shows some eerily accurate foresight-ability on Moses’ part).
Note: quotes from Judges 3:5-7 Deuteronomy 7:1-5 (NLT)