Three thousand five hundred years ago the cries of approximately 2.5 million enslaved Jews reached the ears of God, petitioning Him day and night to rescue them from 400yrs of bondage under the dictatorship-management of Pharaoh, King of Egypt (Ex. 3:7-10).

Through God’s awesome and spectacular display of power (discrediting Egypt’s false gods), Pharaoh’s hard-heart and firm-hold on the Jews had finally been broken. Painfully forced to his knees in submission to God’s authority, Pharaoh gave permission to Moses for the Jews to exodus out of Egypt.
 
This series of miraculous events unfolded as the enslaved Jews willingly complied with each instruction issued to them by God through Moses, His chosen proxy. Under “right” (theocratic) management the Israelites were able to sing and dance their way out of bandage, tasting and celebrating freedom for the first time ever. A satisfying and fulfilling future lay ahead of them at Canaan.
 
Their celebration from Pharaoh’s hold however didn’t last long. Grumbling and murmuring soon broke out against God’s management (Ex. 15:24; 16:7-11) as He purposefully tested their faith (16:4) in Sinai’s harsh, desert wilderness. God knew what He was doing. He had a plan. The question at hand was, Would the Israelites trust God in every circumstance that lay ahead of them, no matter what? God knew perfectly well what was up-ahead, the Israelites didn’t. The Israelites needed to grow a lot more in their trust in God before reaching Canaan — the land “flowing with milk and honey” — the land promised to them by God through Abraham, their Patriarch — the land where infant sacrifices to false gods was normal practice.
 
Canaan had long been inhabited by numerous pagan nations, living in militarised, well-fortified towns. The conquest of Canaan would have been a “suicide mission” if the Israelites had not carefully followed each and every instruction handed down to them by God, through Joshua, His chosen proxy. Incidentally, by failing to comply with a simple instruction given to him by God, Moses didn’t make it into Canaan (Num. 20:1-13). God’s management demands total obedience from EVERYONE, at all times!
 
Fast-forward in time: Under Joshua’s leadership, most of the Land of Canaan was eventually subdued and brought under “right” management… God’s! In time, the Land of Canaan came to be known and revered by the world as the Holy Land! Joshua died at a good age, and Judges, serving as God’s proxies, were chosen to lead and govern the nation’s affairs according to every law, regulation, and instruction passed down to them at Sinai, through Moses.
 
The plot thickens. The Israelites have now been in Canaan for quite some time and under God’s management everything promised by Him had eventuated. However, instead of Israel “being” a righteous and holy influence over their remaining pagan neighbours, their neighbours had succeeded in influencing them! God’s absolute rule had come to an end! It was no longer under “right” management! Self-management now reigned and ruled and… not surprising, hardship, disaster and devastation resulted.
 
Friends, a major shift in the “form” of government over Canaan had taken place. The nation’s elders had stepped-out of the frying pan and into a blazing fire. What did they do? Why did they do it? Did their decision back then affect how nations in our world today are governed… or should I say, “how nations in our world today are being mismanaged“? 

Concluding Part 3 next week.
 
Best wishes
Bill