The Hivites were one of the seven Canaanite nations that God commanded Israel to completely remove from the Promised Land because of their deep moral corruption and idolatry.
π Joshua 3:10 (ESV)“Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.”
These nations were not removed because Israel was more righteous β rather, they were judged because of their persistent sin and rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 9:4β6).
The Hivites were spread across several regions in ancient Canaan:
π Judges 3:3 (ESV)“These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.”
This places part of the Hivite population in the northernmost region of the land β bordering modern-day Lebanon and Syria.
π Joshua 11:3 (ESV)“To the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.”
This group lived closer to Israel’s central territory, which explains their significant interaction with the Israelites during Joshuaβs conquest.
One of the most striking stories about the Hivites is found in Joshua 9, where a Hivite city β Gibeon β deceived Israel into making a peace treaty.
Pretending to come from a distant land, they wore old clothes and carried moldy bread to convince Joshua that they were not Canaanites β though they were.
π Joshua 9:3β6, 14β15 (ESV)“But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning…”“So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them…”
This deception led to a binding covenant, which Israel could not break β even though God had commanded them not to make covenants with the people of the land (Exodus 23:32β33; Deuteronomy 7:2). As a result, the Gibeonites were spared but made permanent servants (Joshua 9:27).
Theological Insight: This incident highlights the importance of seeking Godβs guidance in every decision. Failure to inquire of the Lord led to a compromise, even by well-meaning leaders like Joshua.
Godβs command to destroy these nations was not arbitrary or cruel β it was righteous judgment on cultures filled with unrepentant evil.
π Deuteronomy 18:9β12 (ESV)“When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations… whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD.”
Child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21)
Temple prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:17)
Occult practices β divination, sorcery, necromancy (Deuteronomy 18:10β11)
Extreme violence and injustice (Psalm 106:34β39)
π Leviticus 18:24β25 (ESV)“Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean… and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”
Theological Point: God is not only a covenant-keeping God but also a holy Judge. He delays judgment to allow for repentance (2 Peter 3:9), but when a nation hardens its heart, justice eventually comes.
Ironically, the very sins that led to the Hivitesβ judgment later became Israelβs downfall.
π 2 Chronicles 36:14β17 (ESV)“All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful… The LORD… sent persistently to them by his messengers… but they kept mocking… Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans…”
This principle is echoed in:π Romans 2:11 (ESV)“For God shows no partiality.”
Many Christians today fear the devil more than they fear sin. But in Scripture, the greatest danger to mankind is disobedience to God, not the devil himself.
Adam and Eve were not cast out of Eden by Satan, but by God β because of sin.
Sin shortened the human lifespan (Genesis 6:3).
Sin continues to separate us from God’s presence (Isaiah 59:2).
Theological Insight: The devil uses sin as a weapon. When sin is present, Satan has legal ground to operate. But when a believer walks in holiness, the devil is disarmed.
π James 4:7 (ESV)“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Deliverance from sin and its power does not come through rituals or objects, but through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His gospel.
π Acts 2:38 (ESV)“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”
These three steps form the foundation for Christian victory:
Repentance β turning away from sin
Baptism in Jesusβ name β for forgiveness of sins
The Holy Spirit β to empower the believer to live holy
When someone walks in this truth, sin loses its power, and the devil has no authority.
π Romans 6:14 (ESV)“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
What removed Adam from Eden? Sin.What removed the Canaanite nations? Sin.What removed Israel from their land? Sin.What disconnects us from God today? Sin.
But there is victory in Christ. And it starts with repentance, continues through obedience, and is sustained by the Holy Spirit.
π 1 John 3:8 (ESV)“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
If youβve been struggling, donβt seek oil, salt, or rituals. Go to Jesus. His Word is enough. His Spirit is enough.
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