3. In the Wilderness

After Mount Sinai, they went on their journey in the wilderness. Even then Satan followed them, constantly doing a corrupting work.

a. Causing Them to Frequently Murmur against God

Throughout their journey in the wilderness, the children of Israel frequently murmured against God, as recorded in Numbers 11:1, 4-6, 33-34, 16:41-49, and 21:4-6.

b. Causing Them to Not Believe
in God’s Promise and Great Power

Satan caused the children of Israel to not believe in God’s promise to bring them into the land of Canaan with His great power. This greatly offended God, and they were struck by God, as recorded in Numbers 13:28—14:12 and 26-45.

c. Causing Them to Rebel against God’s Authority

Moses and Aaron were the authority God established among the children of Israel, but at one point they rebelled against this authority, overthrowing the order ordained by God among His people. This is recorded in Numbers 16:1-35.

These three matters caused the children of Israel to suffer God’s smiting. In one instance God consumed them by fire, in another instance He destroyed them with a severe pestilence, and in the last instance God caused the ground to open its mouth and swallow them. These were God’s smiting.

4. In Canaan

After they arrived in Canaan, Satan corrupted them even more.

a. Causing Them to Have a Hidden Sin
so That They Were Not Able to Overcome Their Enemy

The children of Israel were defeated at Ai because of the hidden sin in Achan. This is shown in Joshua 7:19-26.

b. Causing Them to Forsake God, Worship Idols,
and Do Evil so That They Were Defeated by
and Put under the Bondage of Their Enemies

After the children of Israel entered into Canaan, Satan caused them to forsake God, worship idols, and do evil things so that they were constantly defeated by and put under the bondage of their enemies. This is seen in the entire book of Judges. Some important passages are 2:11-23, 3:6-8, 12-13, 4:1-3, 5:8, 6:1-6, 8:27, 33-34, 10:6-9, and 13:1.

c. Causing Them to Do What Was Right
in Their Own Eyes and to Cast off God’s Restraint

The last sentence in the book of Judges says, “There was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25). Satan caused them to do what was right in their own eyes and to cast off God’s restraint; in other words, he caused them to be lawless and godless. This is revealed in Judges 17—18, 19:1, and 21:25.

d. Causing the Priests among Them to Become Corrupt, Resulting in the Capture of the Ark of God

The story of the house of Eli shows the corruption of the priesthood. Eli’s two sons, who served as priests, were utterly corrupt and caused the sanctuary of God to become desolate to the point that even the Ark of the Covenant was captured; this was Satan’s work. Satan corrupted God’s dwelling place among the children of Israel. This can be seen by reading 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 27-34, 3:12-14, and 4:1-22.

e. Causing Them to Reject God
from Being King over Them

Satan first corrupted God’s dwelling place among them, and then he took a further step to deal with God’s authority by causing Israel to reject God as their King over them. This is spoken of 1 Samuel 8:4-21 and 12:12-19.

f. Standing Up against Them
by Causing an Offense to God to Exist among Them

In 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan moved David to number Israel and thereby offend God.

g. Causing Them to Reject God’s Warnings
and Kill His Prophets

God established the priesthood among them, but Satan came and corrupted it. God then established the kingship among them, but Satan came and corrupted them. God finally established the prophethood among them, yet Satan came to corrupt again, causing them to kill the prophets of God. This is seen in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22, Jeremiah 7:25-26, 20:1-2, 26:8-9, 33:1, 37:14-16, 38:1-6, and Matthew 23:29-33 and 37.

h. Causing Them to Forsake God and to Serve Idols, Becoming Corrupted to the Uttermost
so That They Were Carried Away to the Nations

Satan corrupted not only the priests but also the kings and the prophets established by God. In the end, he corrupted the children of Israel to the point that they completely forsook God to serve idols. Consequently, God delivered them to their enemies to be carried away to the nations. Satan’s corruption of the children of Israel reached its peak after they came to Canaan. This is revealed in 1 Kings 14:15-16, 23-26, 2 Kings 17:1-23, 21:1-17, 24:1-4, 10-20, 25:1-25, and 2 Chronicles 36:5-20.