“But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.”
JOSHUA 15:63 NLT
The passage of land distribution ends with the detail that they could not drive out the Jebusites. The Jebusites occupied, what would later be called Jerusalem. Their practices were considered abominable before God, and this is the reason why they were to be destroyed in the first place. Yet, the people did not carry out their tasks. This would be a problem that haunted them throughout their history. It would culminate in the building of the second temple, when Israel starting intermarrying with them and turning to idolatry, immediately after returning from exile. We must glean a lesson from this. God had promised ruin upon them, but Israel allowed them to stay, choosing to make peace with their presence. As a result, idolatry and vile practices continued to rise among the people, whenever they dropped their guard. This pattern was only ended after the destruction of the first temple. Great loss came from that peace. We should be careful what we allow in our homes and lives.
JOSH McGARY. COM 