God Proves His People

Judges 3:1-4 KJV

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

The Expository Bible Commentary has this to say, "It is emphatically affirmed that God fulfilled His design for Israel by leaving around it in Canaan a circle of vigorous tribes very unlike each other, but alike in this, that each presented to the Hebrews a civilization from which something might be learned but much had to be dreaded ... not by undivided possession of the Promised Land, not by swift and fierce clearing away of opponents, was Israel to reach its glory and become Jehovah’s witness, but in the way of patient fidelity amidst temptations, by long struggle and arduous discipline."

God proves His people.

It may be the most difficult aspect of faith for us to make sense of.

• In our minds it ought to be that God makes the road to faith the most obvious and easy one
• It seems to us that if a person claims to seek the Lord, God would help him on his quest

We tell the searching soul "Take the first step toward God and He will carry you the rest of the way." But very often the truth is that we find, as Jesus said, the way is strait and narrow. It is strewn with obstacles and trials all intended to weed out the faint of heart and strengthen the child of God. He does not tolerate a Christian who is not experienced in warfare. 

• It is hard
• It incurs casualties but
• It is the truth of the Bible