Why did God promise Canaan to the Jews when it was already occupied by Canaanites?

Question

Why didn't God choose some other unoccupied place for his chosen people, where they didn't have to fight to take it away from the rightful owners?

Answer 1

Good point. How would you feel if I promised you some land, led you in circles in the desert for 40 years and when we finally arrived at your promised land I said "Oh, did I mention that you have to slaughter all the current residents?"

Answer 2

I can't remember the exact verse at the moment, but there is a place where God is talking to Abraham and he tells him that he is going to send Abraham's descendants to Egypt where they will become a great nation. Then God tells Abraham that Abraham's descendants will come from Egypt back to Canaan and destroy the Canaanites. Then God says something like, he doesn't want to kill all the Canaanites yet because their evil is not yet completed.

So, apparently, God did it because he wanted to wipe out the Canaanites. Before the Israelites even existed, God appears to be planning to use them to kill everyone in Canaan.

I'm not sure what God would have meant by the evil of the Canaanites not being complete. It seems kind of odd. I kind of get the feeling that there might be more to the story than the bible actually records.


Ok, I found the verses I was talking about:

In Genesis 15:
13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

So, actually it was the sin of the Amorites, not the Canaanites that wasn't done yet. But, I was close.

Answer 3

God decides who are the rightful owners. Or do you think the laws of man are more important?

But seriously, that land has passed from group to group for centuries. The Canaanites had it, the Philistines, the Jews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs and now the Jews again. If one group can TAKE it by conquest, then they can LOSE it the same way. Such is the way of conquest.

Answer 4

Where was a place in that region that was not occupied by someone else? And how was this different than what any of the other groups of people there were doing other than instead of doing it because some king wanting more property or goods that were in the land that was being invaded except that they just wanted to live there and God told them this was the place He wanted for them? You are under the assumption everyone was peaceful and not taking each others land on a regular basis, and that the Caananites were the "rightful owners". What makes you believe this?

Answer 5

The Canaanites were not the rightful owners. When God says the Jews own it, the Jews own it. The Jews were the only people at that time who gave a rip about God and about living decently. The Canaanites didn't.

Answer 6

in accordance to the previous testomony, God gave the Jews the land customary as Palestine. additionally, in accordance to the previous testomony, many instances in background God took the land faraway from the Jews and sent them into exile using fact of their sins, the considerable one being idol worship. So, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the call of the Lord.

Answer 7

The Jews had already built cities for the Egyptians. God figured it was OK to give them a break from the construction business. That's how they got started at being doctors, lawyers, and comedians.

Answer 8

So why don't U read the Bible and discover this A. for Urself, It's right there in Black & White??? I think U just want to "Stir it Up" a bit now don't U??? Well, U know what happens when U "Stir it Up??? the "Smell Sticks To U" just as in this case!!! The Canaanites, Hittites, & all other "ITES" worshiped "Idols" & made "Child Sacrifices" which I'm sure U still want to Continue now Don't U??? Old Saying that was true then "To the Victor, go the Spoils!!!" and sometimes even Today (Africa etc.). U must be a product of our "New Education System", right??? John

Answer 9

He didn't, man wrote that "rule". People get all pissy over slavery, genocides, and then "we" all think that kicking an entire group of people from their homes and giving it to another group of people is "a good deed" because it belonged to those people before hand - according to the benefiting people's religion! Well, the Celts occupied all of west Europe, and we don't kick all of the current natives and replace with Celts.

How suspicious is it that the Jewish religion says that the land was theirs, so we just kick everyone else out (who cares where they go or if they can) and give it away!!!! If my religion says that Europe belongs to the Germans/Celts, would we kick everyone else out?? Nope! I would be called racist and nazi.

Answer 10

you say "rightful owners" truly God is the only rightful owner. He may choose as he pleases who is worthy to occupy anything in the universe. as for the cannanites, I believe they angered God because they turned away from him deeming them useless and unworthy to occupy anything. So God who found worth in Moses who loved God was rewarded the land of plenty.