And for your part, you must not conclude a covenant with the inhabitants of this land. Their altars you should pull down.” But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?

Showing how Israel had “not listened” to God, the Scriptures relate that the tribe of Judah neglected to dispossess the inhabitants of a certain area of southern Canaan “because [the inhabitants] had war chariots with iron scythes.” (Judg. 1:19) Apparently these scythed chariots frightened the tribe of Judah. Thereafter the tribes of Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali and Dan likewise failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of numerous cities and dependent towns. Instead, they consented to dwell in among the Canaanites, setting some of them to “forced labor.”​—Judg. 1:21-36.

Though Israel openly professed faith in Jehovah and had previously agreed to observe ‘all that Jehovah had spoken,’ godly deeds to demonstrate a living faith were often lacking. (Ex. 19:8; 24:3-7) Rather than bring benefits, their faithless course led to remorse.

And similar to God’s mandate that Israel ‘conclude no covenant’ with the Canaanites, Christians have the command: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. . . . ‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’” (2 Cor. 6:14-17) Have you shown that your faith is truly alive, by separating from all worldly uncleanness?