Verse 4

They were left to test Israel, so the LORD would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.

Referenced Verses

• Judg 2:22 : 22 in order to test Israel. I want to see whether or not the people will carefully walk in the path marked out by the LORD, as their ancestors were careful to do.”
• Judg 3:1 : 1 These were the nations the LORD permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel– he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.
• 1 Cor 11:19 : 19 For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident.
• 2 Thess 2:9-9 : 9 The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, 10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved. 11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. 12 And so all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.
• Exod 15:25 : 25 He cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When Moses threw it into the water, the water became safe to drink. There the LORD made for them a binding ordinance, and there he tested them.
• Deut 8:2 : 2 Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the wilderness so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not.
• Deut 33:8 : 8 Blessing on Levi Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.