Judges 3:1-6

Judges 3:1-6

OK, which is it to be? Did the Lord leave these nations to test Israel, v. 1? Or 1:27-36, were the nations too strong, or did Israel just give up on driving them out?

Of course, the answer is both!

In this passage we are suddenly dropped right into the midst of the mystery of God's providence. It is easy for us to explain the presence of the foreign nations in the midst of Israel in terms of human failure and disobedience, and that is true, Israel did fail and was disobedient.
But that is not the whole story.
God has purposes to achieve which require him to maintain the presence of foreign nations in Israel. The testing spoken of is that trial of faith, as though by fire. Will the people remain faithful to the Lord? God also has a purpose of teaching the people war.
We know these things are God's purpose because the Scripture reveals it to us.
But, can we understand it? No, I don't think we can.

There is much of God we can't and won't understand. We want to ask why did God chose to test and train his people this way? But we will never be told. Without this information the passage seems arbitrary, or unfair. Our response to the mystery of providence must be worship, submission, dependence. We will never understand God's ways, it is wicked presumption to pry into them. It is best to bow before such passages and recognise the sovereign grace of God revealed in them.