Israel was NOT a united nation at the time of Samuel.
It was more a loose cluster of tribes and clans.
And battles between these tribes and clans over territory was a regular thing.
This was and is the norm for tribal societies in the Middle East…even to this day.
But it should NOT be the norm for Adonai’s chosen people.
The instability of Israel during this era meant they were vulnerable to attacks by their gentile neighbors.
Israel’s enemies knew if they attacked one Israelite tribe, chances were low that a neighboring Israelite tribe wouldn’t step in to help.
Here’s another thing that made this situation so sad.
Many of the Canaanite nations that God first ordered Joshua and his men to drive out were still in the land…
And they were alive and kicking as ever.
At the moment, the Philistines dominated the area mainly in the southern and central territories of Canaan.
Recall they were known as the “Sea Peoples”.
This is because they lived along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the narrow coastal area called the Shefelah.
Now although fights did break out every once in a while between the southern Hebrew tribes and Philistines, full-blown warfare was not the norm.
Here’s something we’ve gotta understand.
Although the Philistines (and other Canaanite people groups) are characterized as primitive barbarians, the opposite was true.
They were a people of wisdom who exercised their political and military power with prudence.
They didn’t just fly off the handle unless they felt really threatened by their Hebrew neighbors.
Rather they preferred to live in peace.
But make no bones about it, this was a satanic peace…
Because it was based on Israel meekly accepting the Philistine’s dominance over the area.
The Philistines didn’t expect Israel to declare allegiance to them…
Nor did they expect Israel to worship their gods…
But they did expect “tolerance” and “respect” from them.
And this is where the slippery slope lies.
Because under the guise of peace, the Philistines knew if they maintained their dominance, over time it wouldn’t be long before they became in effect the rulers of the region…
And thus, they would’ve gained gained power as the natural course of things without having to fight any wars.
It was a brilliant strategy if you think about it.
So this was Israel’s sad situation at the moment.
The Lord may have sent many judges to deliver Israel from gentile oppression…
But the truth is Israel was in a worse off situation now than when Adonai sent His first judge, Othniel, about 300 years earlier.
Even the Levitical priesthood was barely functioning at this time.
It was during this tragic period that God decided to give Israel a new brand of savior that would bring about a type of rulership never seen before.
As always, this was God’s grace and mercy on display.
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