The promised land was gained, deeds of extraordinary valour and military skill and prowess marked its conquest and subdivision; but God's express command was disobeyed; and, in consequence, the tribes, even after they had settled in their respective territories, were continually “doing evil in the sight of the Lord,” and at war, as a chastisement, with their idolatrous neighbours. God had ordained the extermination of the former inhabitants of Palestine, because of their fearful state of idolatry, and various abominations. He had deferred bringing in the seed of Abraham to their appointed land, because “the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.” He might in His wisdom have exterminated them by fire, water, or disease; but He appointed the swords of the Israelites as the instruments of His wrath, simply to try their faith, and obedience, and bid them earn the rest, peace, spiritual and temporal glory, which he had held forth as the recompense of perfect obedience.

This fact is very frequently disregarded in a mere superficial reading of the history of Canaan. There are those even to doubt and cavil at the ways of their God, because He commanded His people to obtain possession of the promised land at the edge of the sword; forgetting that so doing was at once a punishment for those who had insulted Him by their awful iniquities (having full power to subdue sin, and keep in the straight path, as did the inhabitants of Mesopotamia even without direct revelation), and also to try the obedience of His people.