3 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
The enemy nations were still in the land because the Israelites did not obey God and drive them out completely. Since they did not obey, God would allow the enemy nations to remain to give Israel the opportunity to exercise faith and obedience. It was the job of the new generation of Israelites to complete the conquest. There were many obstacles to overcome. How would they handle these obstacles? Has God allowed obstacles in your life? There may be hostile people in your life. There may be difficult situations. There may be baffling problems. Work your way through these obstacles by keeping your eyes on Jesus, obey God, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. You will overcome obstacles with God.
