One day, the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bokim and spoke to the people of Israel. "I brought you out of Egypt," he said, "and led you into the land I promised to your ancestors. I told you I would never break my covenant with you. But you were not to make peace with the people of this land—you were to tear down their altars. Yet you have disobeyed Me. Why have you done this? Because of your disobedience, I will no longer drive out these nations before you. They will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will trap you."
When the angel finished speaking, the people of Israel broke down in tears. They named that place Bokim, meaning weeping, and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
After Joshua sent the people away, each tribe went to possess their inheritance. During the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who had seen the Lord's great works, Israel remained faithful. But after Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten, and was buried in Timnath Heres in Ephraim's hills, a new generation arose—one that did not know the Lord or remember His mighty acts.
Then the Israelites turned away from God. They began to worship the Baals and Ashtoreths, abandoning the God who had rescued them from Egypt. The Lord's anger burned against them, and He allowed raiders to plunder them. Their enemies conquered them, and whenever Israel went to battle, God's hand was against them.
In mercy, the Lord raised up judges to save them from their oppressors. Yet the people did not listen. They chased after foreign gods and quickly abandoned the path of obedience their ancestors had followed. Still, whenever God raised a judge, He was with that leader, showing compassion and rescuing Israel as long as the judge lived. But when the judge died, the people became even more corrupt, returning to idols and stubborn sin.
Finally, the Lord said, "This nation has broken My covenant and ignored My commands. I will no longer drive out the nations Joshua left behind. I will use them to test Israel—to see whether they will remain faithful to My ways or not."
And so the Lord allowed those nations to remain in the land, to prove His people's hearts and reveal their loyalty.