Mounts Lebanon & Baal

Judges 3:1-6

3 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan ² (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³ namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

⁵ Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁶ And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

 

The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Judges 3:1-6

 

      the identification of the remaining nations (3:1–6)

3:1–2. The list of remaining nations is prefaced with two of the reasons the Lord allowed them to remain in the land—to test the Israelites (previously indicated in 2:22; cf. 3:4), and to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience, that is, experience in the kind of “holy warfare” conducted during Joshua’s Conquest of the land. Thus “warfare” is probably not just “how to fight” but how to fight successfully, depending on the Lord to give the victory.

3:3. This list and the list in verse 5 both mention the Canaanites and the Hivites. The Canaanites are those peoples mentioned in 1:27–33. The Hivites are thought to be the Horites who were previously associated with the Upper Mesopotamian kingdom of Mittanni. The Horites who were best known in Joshua’s time were the Gibeonites, the occupants of a confederacy of city-states including Gibeon (Josh. 9:7, 17). The Hivite people listed here lived in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath (probably modern Lebweh in the Beqaa Valley 14 miles northeast of Baalbek). The Philistines, organized as a pentapolis (a confederacy of five cities), inhabited the southern coastal cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza. Because of the prominence of the city of Sidon at this time, the Canaanite people known as the Phoenicians were also called the Sidonians.

3:4. This is the third time the Lord’s purpose, to test the Israelites, is mentioned (cf. 2:22; 3:1).

3:5–6. The Israelites descended three steps in their cultural accommodation to paganism: (a) they lived among the Canaanites, (b) they intermarried with them, and (c) they served their gods. Each step is a natural one leading on to the next. The resulting departure from the Lord has already been described several times in connection with their oppression by foreign raiders (2:11–19). (On the Canaanites and Hivites, see comments on 3:3; on the Hittites, see comments on 1:26; on the Amorites, see comments on 1:3; on the Perizzites, see comments on 1:4; and on the Jebusites, see comments on 1:21.)

 

 

God in all His holiness is only your creator until you accept Him. After you accept Him, He becomes your God, your Father, your creator. He will cleanse you of your sins and accept you into the kingdom of His heaven and hear your prayers.

Love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. Also, love your neighbor as you love yourself.

God is testing us every day and has given us the right to make our own choices. Do you know which ones are the right choices in God’s mind?

Fear God, love God, honor God, and trust God with all your heart, mind and soul and you will receive and experience the joy of the promises of God’s blessings in His time. And always remember to ask the Father for His help and guidance in all things.

 

Prayer:   Father, blessed is your Holy name. We are grateful for Your Son our risen Christ and Your Spirit. We praise You for the opportunity to glorify Your Son and live with Him forever. We also praise you for the opportunity to be able to choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to be elect children of Yours. We praise you for the laws You have set down to teach us, to keep our lives in harmony, to learn how to treat others and how to live within your boundaries. Please bless those who have read this article for they too are seeking Your righteous truth, love, wisdom and understanding.

Father, I pray these brothers and sisters have or will come to realize that Your existence is a treasure of grace and love that You have for all Your elect children.

May God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Christianity be our guiding lights for eternity. Let it be Your will Lord not mine. Please come Lord Jesus.

I pray in Jesus sweet name and to His glory through the power of The Holy Spirit,

Amen.