The Unbelief That Could Not Drive Out the Chariots of Iron

Today's passage deals with the background of the event in which the people of Israel, having conquered the land of Canaan, drove out the inhabitants of the hill country but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, who had chariots of iron. In the days when Moses and Joshua led them, God gave them victory after victory in perfect order, but as the leadership changed and time passed, the people's hearts began to change. God had commanded them to drive out the Canaanite peoples completely, but Israel looked at the chariots of iron, the visible strength of the enemy, and was afraid.

This passage points out that the problems we face cannot be solved by human strength. Israel forgot its past victories, compared only its own weakness with the strength of its enemy, and fell into unbelief. This is like people today who, worn down by chronic fatigue and stress, forget God's help and give in to the powers of the world. God stresses that his word is the only way to restore the soul, and urges us to trust his promises rather than the reality we can see.

What was the result of Israel's choice to stop obeying out of fear of an enemy that came with chariots of iron?