what were the sins of the canaaniteswhat were the sins of the canaanites

The Canaanites were a Semitic-speaking cultural group that lived in Canaan (comprising Lebanon, southern Syria, Israel and Transjordan) beginning in the second millennium B.C.E. Thus, that destruction served as a warning to the rest of the Canaanites that if they did not change, they would be judged as well. Through Canaan, we are reminded of the danger of having idols and the importance of keeping God genuinely first and foremost in our lives. The Canaanites were a group of people who lived in ancient Canaan along the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea known today as Israel. London: Routledge, 1987. Article Images Copyright , 5 Things to Know about the Canaanites in the Bible. In The God I Dont Understand,Christopher J.H. 5. Just as Israel was not to judge the sins of the surrounding nations, we are not called to judge the sin of the unbelievers around us. FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? 0000001192 00000 n The Canaanites descend from the grandson of Noah, Canaan. 3:21-26). According to Genesis 9:20-27, Noah became drunk and afterward cursed Canaan.This is the Curse of Canaan, called the "Curse of Ham" since Classical antiquity because of the interpretation that Canaan was punished for his father Ham's sins. ", "For all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you" Leviticus 18:27, ". There are certainly exceptions, but they are the exceptions. Thus, at times the Canaanites point to a specific group of people (Joshua 11:3) but also it can refer to any of those who are mentioned in the Genesis 10 table of nations. The name Canaanite was also used in a general way to refer to these ten nations. [15] Shelby Brown. During the Exodus and wilderness period, they also serve as a threat to the religious purity of the Israelites. But Moses interceded on Israels behalf, and Yahweh forgave them of their sin and stayed their judgment of death, contrary to the punishment decreed by the covenant. The Canaanites were destined to be the servant of . How did the Nephilim survive the Flood? May Canaan be the slave of Shem. Genesis 9:25-26, Ham had four sons, but only one of them was cursed. The commands about how Israel was to conduct themselves in war with the surrounding nations appear in two major passagesDeut. In Joshua 6, the narrator presents a wicked city that was being destroyed. End quote. Today the church is not called to execute justice on the wicked in the same way. The Canaanites were defeated and eliminated. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. But what do we do with this story? 7:13) and to destroy all the idols (Deut. They would often seduce men from other villages so that their men could kill them (Judg. 6 is devoted to the sacred ceremonial rituals. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Wisdom 12:3-5 Revised Standard Version The Sins of the Canaanites 3 Those who dwelt of old in thy holy land 4 thou didst hate for their detestable practices, their works of sorcery and unholy rites, 5 their merciless slaughter[ a] of children, and their sacrificial feasting on human flesh and blood. Leviticus 18:14, (6) They were having sex with their daughters-in law. What is most interesting is that it goes on and states that if a woman has a dream where she embraces her own husband, she is doomed.[12]. It was centuries between Abrahams arrival and Joshuas entrance into the promised land that was to be for the people of God. They describe their conquests in great detail and brag about how they subjugated and destroyed other people groups. Now The Canaanites Had Sunk To Bestiality. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? 18:23, 24, 20:3), the land . An oppressor is one who rules others severely. The handing over reinforces the command that the Israelites were to make no treaties, show no mercy, and not intermarry with the Canaanites. xref Nor did Yahweh command Israel to exterminate everyone who did not convert to Judaism. 5:21) on behalf of all peoples, including the Canaanites (Ps. Was this the Israelites taking the land of innocent bystanders? We are also reminded of the way God uses impossible situations to bring forth His ultimate plan and purposes. Likewise, the Gibeonites (a Canaanite culture) deceived Joshua into making a treaty with them, which spared them from being exterminated (Josh. Leviticus 18:7, (3) They were having sex with their sisters. Israel was called to be a distinct and holy nation with their own government and to remain separate from the rest of the nations. Several months ago a FReeper made a comment about Michael Heiser and the Genesis 6 conspiracy. Afterwards Anath was satisfied and washed her hands in human gore before proceeding to other occupations. Yahweh wanted the lives of His people and their worship to remain completely pure. 1, p. 406). Late Carthaginian Child Sacrifice, p. 75. As much as it might help our comfort, we cannot remove God from the story of the destruction of the Canaanites. Go back and read the article again. 2; Jam. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. The Sin of Achan. 0000031384 00000 n Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1968. 11:19-20). [4] See W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan: A Historical Analysis of Two Contrasting Faiths, p. 145. After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Baal, one of his sons, was married to his sister Anat. The Canaanite religion was the group of ancient Semitic religions practiced by the Canaanites living in the ancient Levant from at least the early Bronze Age through the first centuries AD. . The late archaeologist William Albright describes the Canaanite deity Anath's massacre in the following gory scene. [12] Manniche, Sexual Life in Ancient Egypt, p. 10001. We are to live such righteous lives through the power of the Holy Spirit that those around us, like those living around Israel, will want to leave behind their old ways and worldviews and join the fellowship of Christians. all humans are born guilty and corrupt, Kyle Dillon wrote for TGC, This was especially true of the Canaanite societies steeped in abominable practices like child sacrifice and cult prostitution. The Canaanite society serves as a sad reminder of the serious of sin, and the glorious truth we live in to day through the New Covenant, to have the opportunity to turn and repent, confess and be forgiven for wayward sinfulness. 0000002013 00000 n Canaan is the place God chose to fulfill His promise to Abraham. 9). 0000001464 00000 n God is rescuing people from every tribe. And yet, the Israelites encountered the descendants of the Nephilim, among the Canaanites, when they entered the promised land much later on. Today our true enemy is the demonic beings that were behind the moral corruption of the Canaanites (Eph. The reason for the offer of peace was that these nations living at a distance from the Canaanites were morally salvageable and they were accordingly shown mercy if they would agree to make peace with the Israelites. War isnt part of the Garden of Eden. The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers. He also said, Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! When most talk about the Canaanites, it is their destruction which serves as the topic of conversation. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2000. Apparently, they had copied his moral decadence. They taxed the Canaanites instead of driving them from the land. End of story. 6:17-21), and even the things the people were allowed to keep were to be cleansed first with fire or water in the tabernacle. were already out of Egypt. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! [6] Papyrus Chester Beatty III recto (BM10683) from about 1175 BC, quoted in Lise Manniche, Sexual Life in Ancient Egypt, p. 100. . . 10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666, 10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again, 10 Most Encouraging Bible Verses That Will Uplift Your Heart and Soul, 5 Things That Hurt Relationships with Grandkids, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life Losses, 4 Things You Should Know about Big George Foreman, 8 Ways You Are Belittling Your Husband and What God Says about It, Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy. In a world of no police or prisons, few options existed for dealing justly with these kinds of evils. Prichard, James B. Though other cultures also participated in some of these practices, it was the widespread involvement and acceptance of these sins that brought the Canaanites under Yahwehs judgment. What bothers many many readers of the Old Testament is why God, after commanding Israel not to murder, uses their nation as an instrument of genocide to punish. The First Testament also teaches that just as Israel failed to do this because they did not have Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we, too, will fail if we do not submit to the will of Jesus Christ and depend on the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The main focus of Deut. 50 0 obj <> endobj There were laws against bestiality but only for certain animals. . (1988). 33:6; Ezk. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Yet the majority of Canaanites, in their hardness of hearts, refused to receive His mercy and so fell under his judgment, as had the 3,000 Israelites who were executed in Ex. But we would be remiss not to point to Jesus Christ. To the north, Canaan extended to Latakia, just south of Ugarit, and inland to Hamath. Certainly, it is to juxtapose it with that which is expected of Israel, but its also to set the stage for the just judgment of God against their wickedness. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1991. Manniche, Lise. Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. This is what makes Him good, for no human is satisfied with a God who can look at the evil committed in the world and be all right with or apathetic to it, never exacting justice. . It does not seem to fit with the narrative of God aiming to bless the nations through Abraham genocide doesnt seem to fit that storyline. They had crossed the Red Sea and were in the wilderness. Most of Josh. [8] Text in brackes is provided because it was missing in the original document. In her sensuous delight she decorated herself with suspended (human) heads while she attached (human) hands to her girdle. 2. Yahweh also showed his willingness to forgive and restore with His dealings with Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire (Jonah 3:4-10). It was divine judgment. (Wright, 93). Where Do We See the Canaanites in the Bible? The Canaanites were said to be cursed. This act of dominance was seen as a sign of power, and other men looked at this with high regard. 16:4-22). 4. Answer The Canaanites were a group of ancient people who lived in the land of Canaan on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. That is why the Israelites were not sentenced to eternal punishment but for only 40 years. At the time of the flood, Yahweh told the world that they would be judged, and Noah preached to them for 120 years to bring them to repentance before Yahweh judged them (Gen. 6:3, 5-8; 1 Pet. What were two additional sins recorded that directly resulted from Israel's disobedience regarding the Canaanites? A God of love and justice, they say, could never command genocide, and therefore he must not exist. For whatever reason, Yahweh chose to use Israel as His tool of judgment in the same way He had used the flood (Gen. 6), plagues (Ex. Likewise, Yahweh did not choose Israel alone to execute justice in every case throughout history. Yahweh showed this same patience with Israel when He warned them in 1406 BC that if they lived like the Canaanites, He would, through another nation, send them into exile (Deut. The closest thing to this that exists today is when a group of prisoners corner a newcomer in the showers and the alpha male rapes him in order to put him in his place (Gen. 19:4-9; Judg. In the midst of idol worship, God would establish His promises to Abraham. These people were so evil that Yahweh commanded their extermination specifically in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua. "However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. The Canaanites didn't sink to the bottom on the immorality scale, they were at the bottom from their very beginning. Now if we take all these texts seriously as part of Gods own explanation for the events that unfold in the book of Joshua, we cannot avoid their implications. The basic principles of divine intervention in conflict situations were stated by G.E. {D} Blood-Lust Gory Murder Religious Ceremonies. The Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Girgashites. ***totally justified in giving His command to Israel to totally destroy the Canaanites.***. 24:20-25:30). When we are addressing the Canaanites, what group do they belong to? 1. The LORD had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your fathers household to the land I will show you.Genesis 12:1. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. These sins exist in every culture, then and now, but are forbidden by most governments and are socially condemned by the majority of people in the culture. Why did God condone such terrible violence in the Old Testament? Suddenly a plane from a neighboring country is seen over the horizon. In fact, the Canaanite people were Semitic just like the Israelites. In fact, the problem of evil and the injustice of our governments anger all people more than anything else in our lives. There is language of Canaanite guilt and Gods judgment. 5:13-6:27; 8:1-29; 10-12). Sometimes the Amorites were named in the same way. [1] See Daniel Hawk. 30:33; 57:9). Proving He is the God who does more than we can ask for or imagine, and always makes a way. . Here is the list of the sins of the Canaanites: (1) They were having sex with their close family members. This shows that Israel themselves were now a thing for destruction. But they would no longer be thus when their sin had been dealt with. 19:22). Just as Jesus fights for the people of God and does battle with the demonic forces (Matt. This was 400 years before the extermination of the Canaanites, meaning He gave them a long time to repent from their idolatry and sins. That is important to notice: these people were not punished because their forefather had done something wrong, but because their behavior was just as wicked as his. I do not know if sinnerswho do not fully understand the righteousness, justice, and greater all-encompassing will of Yahwehwill ever be able to comprehend fully or accept the answer the Bible gives for this issue. 7:1). They were to first offer peace, and if the nation refused, they could kill only the adult males, while women, children, animals, and spoils may be taken as plunder. So how do we make sense of this story? Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites . By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. And yet, God gave them a 400 year reprieve while Israel was in Egypt. In Joshua 6:1 we read that they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.. Here is the list of the sins of the Canaanites: (1) They were having sex with their close family members. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations- the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated the, then you must destroy them totally. The way that one proved his worth to lead others in politics or in the military was through dominating rape. That was the very first thought that came to me. Later Israel did commit the same sins as the Canaanites, and Yahweh took them into exile as judgment, as He said He would. We might not agree with His form of justice, but our very sense of justice on which we base our accusations of Him comes from Him as our Creator. Later, Mot, the god of the grave, attacked Baal in order to gain power. We see in Christ that even stories like the Israelite conquest of the Canaanites is redeemed. 18:3 specifically says the Egyptians and Canaanites had same sex marriage contracts. THE SINS OF CANAAN HAVE BECOME THE SINS OF AMERICA Pastor Del Wray One of the question Ive been asked, "How could a good loving God command the Israelites to slaughter every man, woman, child, and even animal in the cities of the Canaanite nations? The Canaanites Were Not Salvageable --- They Had Sunk To The Very Bottom On The Immorality Scale: {C} Murdered Their Own Children {Molech}. Genesis 6:4. 50 20 SourcesElwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. 2:25). God ordered similar things when the Israelites were invading the promised land (Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 20:16-18). The Amorites and other Canaanites were exceedingly wicked (for a list of some of their sins, see Leviticus 18 ). One must understand when we talk about the sin and practices of the Canaanites that we are not talking about a small group of people in these nations; we are talking about everyone. There is a concept known as generational sin, wherein a child will become like his parents not only because he was raised under their instruction and example, but also because he came genetically from those parents. God's purpose was to get rid of all that up there and replace it with the religion of the nation of Israel which prohibited all such vile sins. Yahweh did not just in a blind rage punish people when they first did something wicked. (Rom. It is clear from the narrative that God ordered the Israelites to take the land. He gave it into their hands. Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.. ). Molech: A God of Human Sacrifice in the Old Testament, p. 62. The Bible is full of people groups and societies which we can learn from through the study of Scripture. Rather, for the same reason that only ten nations were marked for destruction and the others (even though they were unbelievers) were left alone in the First Testament, so today, in a post-Second Testament world, not every nation or people group is marked for destruction, though they are unbelievers as well. The reason Yahweh repeatedly gives for the extermination of the Canaanites is that it is their judgment for their sin and rebellion against Him (Gen. 15:16; 18:20-21; Lev. "The Lord said to Moses, speak to the Israelites and say to them, You must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. With little intercession from Moses, Yahweh quickly relented and forgave Israel. The desire for justice is foundational to the core of every human. All rights reserved. Rahab and her family repented, and they not only escaped the judgment but also became a part of Israel. Albright, William Foxwell. Yahweh has made it clear that He is willing to relent in His judgment if a nation repents of its sins and changes its ways (Jer. In Genesis 15:16 the LORD made reference to the Canaanites when he said, the sin of the Amorites (Canaanites) has not yet reached its full measure. God was waiting to fulfill his justice against this people. The Canaanite people worshipped many gods. CONCLUSION: The God of the Bible was totally justified in giving His command to the nation of Israel to totally destroy the Canaanite tribes. As a righteous God, Yahweh cannot tolerate such sin and evil in His creation. Leviticus 18:9, (4) They were having sex with their grandchildren. As with unbelievers, this principle requires that we are living such righteous and blessed lives that those outside the fellowship will recognize what they are missing (Jn. The Ancient Near East in Pictures: Relating to the Old Testament. What is presumably Canaanite DNA lives on in ME Arab and Jewish populations. The Lord wanted his chosen people to trust him, and the promised land was a land that fostered faith. Canaan, the progenitor of the Canaanites, first appears in the story of Noah as one who did not cover their fathers shame. The sovereignty and justice of Yahweh gave Him every right and demanded that Israel be punished for their sin. The strategic location where the Canaanites were settled carries. We Dont Hate Sin So We Dont Understand What Happened to the Canaanites: An Addendum to Divine Genocide Arguments, in Philosophia Christi 11:1 (Spring 2009). Baker Books. 0000000016 00000 n Where most cultures dehumanize the people they are destroying and make them out to be monsters to justify their slaughter, the narrator does not. 26-27; 2 Cor. 7:1-4 does not seem to be focused on the sole extermination of the Canaanites but on the theological principle of separation from the Canaanites and protection of the Israelites from their influence. From the very beginning, Yahweh made it clear that the Canaanites were distinct from all the other nations. The gods were always betraying and fighting against each other. This fact makes it very clear that the extermination of the Canaanites had everything to do with the righteous justice of Yahweh and nothing else. I am looking forward to a new dictator whose name is Jesus. He will rule with truth and justice. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! They were cut off to prevent Israel and the rest of the world from being corrupted (Deut. Ugaritic Baal myth describes Anat as taking joy in slaughtering her enemies, cutting off their heads and hands and wearing them as a necklace and belt. Leviticus 18:6 (2) They were having sex with their mothers. Yet the text makes it clear that this second law did not apply to those living in Canaan. Megwrites about everyday life within the love of Christ. The Egyptians mourned for him for seventy days. Deuteronomy 20:16-18. Anyone who has ever studied the mythology or religions of ancient people knows that their gods were not moral beings, according to anyones standard in the modern world. The Canaanite people were an extremely violent people involved in and promoting idolatry, gang rape, bestiality, child sacrifice, and many other evil and grotesque practices.[2]. Adultery was forbidden by law but only for a married woman. One attempt to rescue God from the story of the Canaanites is to say that Israel did this all on their own. We laud the soldiers in the first story has heroic but recognize the planes in the second story as evil. 18:20-30; Deut. Wright. It will truly be a time of peace during the earthly millennium then eternity is before us who have heard His voice and follow Him. Shortly after the flood, Noah cursed his grandson, Canaan (it's a long story), the ancestor of the Canaanites. BibleGateway+ answers your Bible questions. __Deuteronomy 20:16-18. . The takeaway point in all this below is that the God of the Bible was totally justified in giving His command to Israel to totally destroy the Canaanites. This pattern is seen over and over in Scriptureshow little intercession and prayer it takes to move Yahweh to forgiveness. Joshua decided that showing mercy and honoring oaths takes priority over the Mosaic Law to exterminate everything. They knew, therefore, what would happen if they continued in the path of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why prohibit intermarriage if they were to be completely wiped out? These are the people of the land and the ones that it will require Gods strength to conquer. First, the movement of the Israelites into Canaan was the fruition of God's promise to Abram that He would give that land to his children (Gen. 12:7). Completely destroy them-the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-as the LORD your God has commanded you. "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." (Gen. 15:16, KJV) Before crossing the Jordan, God told Joshua and the people that He was giving the land of Canaan to them because of the promise He made . But what kind of people were the Canaanites? They were not to go out to the other nations but were to live so righteously within their own borders that they would become a better and more blessed nation; in doing so, the people from the other nations would be so attracted to this difference that they would want to leave their old lives behind and join Israel.