Nations Saved for Target Practice

The LORD left certain nations in the land to test those Israelites who had not participated in the wars of Canaan.  He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.  These were the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.  These people were left to test the Israelites – to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses. (Judges 3:1-4 NLT)