JU6-5: The Little Known Reason Why Third-World Countries In Asia And The Middle East Remain In Poverty

“But the people of Israel did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, so Adonai handed them over to Midyan for seven years. Midyan exercised its power harshly against Israel, and because of Midyan the people of Israel hid themselves in mountains, in caves and in other safe places.”-Judges 6:1-2

In this next cycle of the Judges, it’s interesting how Israel was oppressed by a people with whom they shared blood ties.

What do I mean exactly?

Well, Midian, was a nomadic tribe who descended from Keturah.

I’m willing to bet my two shoelaces you don’t remember who Keturah was, so let me refresh your memory by sharing this verse:

“Abraham married Keturah,
and they had six sons:
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan,
Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.”
-Genesis 25:1-2

That’s right homies.

Keturah was one of Abraham’s concubines who had six sons, one of whom was named Midian.

In those days, territories were named after the dominating tribes who took up residence in the region.

By this time, Midian would have grown into various clans and occupied land stretching from the northwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula all the way up to the borderline of Edom (on the northern tip of Mount Sinai).

Recall also in the song of Devorah that Yael, the gentile woman who killed Sisra by nailing his skull to the ground with a hammer and peg was also a  member of the Midianite tribe.

Specifically, Yael was from the Kenite clan which was a tiny clan that broke away from the tribe of Midian and moved into the northern area of Canaan.

It was the Kenites who entered into a friendly alliance with the King of Hatzor.

Onward.

So we’re told Israel suffered under Midian and some other gentile groups for a good 7 years.

In fact, “suffer” might be too light of a word.

Apparently, the oppression from the Midianites was so great that many of the Israelites fled to the caves and mountains of Canaan to get away from the persecution.

One reason why the oppression was so great is because of what we’re told in verse 3.

“One time, after Israel’s sowing season,
Midyan, with ‘Amalek and others
from the east, attacked them”.

So it seemed like it was gang-up-on-Israel time as several different gentile groups “from the east” descended upon Israel like a horde of cockroaches onto a fresh watermelon.

There’s an important characteristic about these conquering hordes you should know and this is something a lot people aren’t aware of.

These nomads had zero interest in conquest.

They only wanted to rape Israel’s food supplies.

This has been the way nomads have operated since time immemorial to the present day.

And this is the point that most folks (especially westerners) misunderstand about nomads.

Nomads don’t give two hoots about empire-building.

They just want the fruit of the land.

Forget about creating systems for producing crops on a regular basis.

All they care about is living off of the back-breaking labor of other folks.

You wanna know the reason why many nations in east Asia and other parts of the Middle East are backwards as all heck?

It’s because even to this day their mindset and the way they operate is still nomadic.

In fact, Islamic law itself is a law born from a nomadic lifestyle.

It’s a law based on preying on others instead of praying for others.

That’s why when the Jews returned to the ancient land of Canaan in the 1800’s, what they returned to was a bunch of dead ground made up of only deserts and swamps.

Why?

Because prior to their arrival, the area had been occupied by Arab nomads who knew nothing about farming, construction or investing time, money and effort to create goods or services.

That’s why I find it ironic as all hell that terrorists in the Middle East have to rely on technology that only the culture of their enemies could have produced. 

Nomads basically use up the land and then leave it for dead.

That’s how shepherds survived in those days.

They took their flocks from one pasture to another, forever living off of land they did not own.

And then same went for these Midianite nomads who were terrorizing Israel at this time.

They were like turf-less gangsters who ruthlessly attacked passing caravans.

And it didn’t matter whether their targets were family or foreigners.

They were true barbarians indeed.