• Manifesting Loyalty Toward Jehovah and His Word
    The Watchtower—1970 | February 1

    • LEARNING FROM GOD’S JUDICIAL DECISIONS

      11. When the matter is properly viewed, how may one benefit from a study of Jehovah’s judgment against the Canaanites?

      11 As an example, consider what there is to be learned from Jehovah’s judicial decision concerning the destruction of the Canaanites. The instruction contained there can broaden a person’s outlook, strengthen his faith and give him an appreciation of his responsibilities that he may not have had before. Together, let us review that Bible account.

      12. Before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, what instructions did Moses give them?

      12 Jehovah had brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and now they were encamped on the border of the new land to which he had led them. His prophet Moses spoke to the people, saying: “When Jehovah your God at last brings you into the land to which you are going so as to take possession of it, he must also clear away populous nations from before you, . . . seven nations more populous and mighty than you are. And Jehovah your God will certainly abandon them to you, and you must defeat them. You should without fail devote them to destruction. You must conclude no covenant with them nor show them any favor.” (Deut. 7:1, 2) But why?

      13. What does Jehovah’s giving the land to Israel show as to His truthfulness?

      13 Moses explained: “Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you . . . in order to carry out the word that Jehovah swore to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deut. 9:5) Over four hundred years earlier Jehovah had made a formal covenant with his faithful servant Abraham, promising this very land to him and to his offspring, and he had renewed that promise to Isaac and Jacob. Now the time had come for the fulfillment of the promise. Jehovah had not forgotten. He did not change his mind because the Canaanites were in the land. God does not lie. (Gen. 15:5-21; Titus 1:2) He does not promise a certain reward and then give something else. His word is trustworthy, and for that we can be grateful.​—Hab. 2:3.

      14. Did the driving away of the Canaanites result in suffering for innocent people?

      14 But did this action bring undeserved suffering to innocent people, the ones then inhabiting the land? Not at all! As Moses said to Israel: “It is for the wickedness of these nations that Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.” (Deut. 9:5) The Bible, and archaeology as well, shows that they were exceedingly depraved. They practiced adultery, sodomy and bestiality, and they carried on the worship of the idol-god Molech with its rites of child sacrifice. (Lev. 18:3, 20-25) About these people, Professor Merrill Unger observes: “The brutality, lust and abandon of Canaanite mythology is far worse than elsewhere in the Near East at the time. And the astounding characteristic of Canaanite deities, that they had no moral character whatever, must have brought out the worst traits in their devotees and entailed many of the most demoralizing practices of the time, such as sacred prostitution, child sacrifice and snake worship. . . . The character of Canaanite religion as portrayed in the Ugaritic literature furnishes ample background to illustrate the accuracy of . . . Biblical statements in their characterization of the utter moral and religious degeneracy of the inhabitants of Canaan.”

      15. In reviewing Jehovah’s judgment against the depraved Canaanites, how do we find both his attitude toward wickedness and his long-suffering with humans reassuring?

      15 What do we learn from this? One thing is plain: that while Jehovah is a lover of righteousness, he also hates wickedness. (Ps. 45:7) Also, what took place makes clear that Jehovah does not hastily destroy imperfect people at the first sign of transgression on their part. As shown at Genesis 15:16, God had taken note of the iniquity of the Amorite inhabitants of Canaan over four hundred years earlier, but he did not then destroy them. He manifested extraordinary long-suffering. And even when the time for the execution of judgment against the Canaanites was impending, Jehovah allowed Rahab of Jericho and the inhabitants of Gibeon and its neighboring cities to be spared because they showed faith in Jehovah, and threw in their lot with Israel. This reassures us. It gives us sound reason for believing that Jehovah will not forever tolerate wickedness, but, nevertheless, that he is long-suffering and compassionate toward his creatures.​—Ezek. 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:15.

      16. What became of the Canaanite children, and, to benefit from the principle there demonstrated, what pitfall must we avoid?

      16 There is also something to be learned from what happened to the children of the Canaanites. They were not spared when their wicked parents were executed.