Battle of the Kingless – Ch. 15 | KT OLLA

 AMMON didn’t come a terror to Israel in one day. Nor did the giant lords of Philistia.

Israel herself was no small nation at the start. And her soldiers wouldn’t flee at the sound of battle.

But Israel’s fall before Philistia and Ammon, aboriginal nations of their God-given land—the people’s fall began with a common glare over their own walls.

And that wistful longing soon grew too raw and animalistic, that it broke down their great walls with the force of a desperate throng.

It was a giant fall.

Several years back, the people of Israel decided to play around those conquered nations still inhabiting their land. Particularly the aboriginal peoples of Philistia and Ammon.

The Philistines and the Ammonites… they were some of the clusters of peoples left in Israel’s Land of Promise, which was formerly Canaan.

Yes, they were heathen nations that those people of Yahweh hadn’t driven out of their newfound land. They were former lords of war turned work slaves to Israel as she gained dominance over Canaan.

Now it was the case that the holy God whom Israel served had declared that they should learn nothing from the ways of their heathen colonies.

He’d warned them that if they should associate with those peoples or intermarry with them, it will be to them a biting scourge and a deadly snare.

But then again, that wanton time several years back, Israel scorned that command and sought adventures in the festival rites of Philistia and Ammon.

Everyone wanted something new. Both the boys and the men; both the girls and the women, everyone.

And they sought it with hungry eyes.

So then, year after year boys and girls sneaked out to the ritual festivals of the aliens to sightsee everything raw and stirring.

Then tailing after them later on were the fathers and mothers, while putting a tough front that suggested they were searching for their stray kids.

In the older folks’ mind, they’d assured themselves that they only wanted to compare the aliens’ festivals with their own nation’s.

They told themselves that those festivities wouldn’t be anything tangible when put beside their Israel’s. And so they claimed they’d only take a glance at everything.

Yes, that outing every night was described by those folks in terms of a reigning prince ensuring that his reign still stood.

But it was just an adventure to satisfy some biting craving.

Simply: the people had heard about the vulgar and the obscene abounding in the regions of Philistia and Ammon. And they wanted to be free to glare all day.

Thus, Israel ventured into that world of the unknown.

They saw what they sought. It was so free and easy. It mesmerized them all over. And caught their hearts on a hook.

Soon they wanted more. And then more… and more. Without an end to wanting this.

Now Israel wanted to live like those wantons. Both the young blood and the oldies, everyone wanted to go that reckless path.

They tasted the alien wine. They were stuck to the liquor and soon came back wanting more.

Yes, they broke down their guards from the first night each unlaced their dress and slept with a stranger.

Everywhere they turned, they were instantly hooked.

Now the holy nation couldn’t distance herself from the practices she once loathed. It was hurting in the soul, so she turned to the Commandments to modify them if she could.

The people sought ways to adapt what they saw in the regions of the aliens. They tried too hard but their conscience was a painful whip on every open sore.

It simply reprimanded them. But on their wrongdoings it felt like plain judgement. Like judgement too harsh on a mortal being.

Right there, they lost everything people call shame.

For these conquerors and lords of Canaan began to intermarry with the Philistines and Ammonites. Forgetting too quickly that those subdued peoples were hateful foes still.

Israel threw all cautions to the wind when they had pleasures full and free with enemies. They lacked the thought to see that nothing comes free.

But the reckless path is usually an endless ride, too. So the people of promise weren’t satisfied with regular rides down to their colonies for yet another taste of that tempting wine.

That devil wine both from the aliens’ wineskins. And from their wanton flesh.

So, Israel’s tribes of Ephraim and Judah closed in more and more towards the Philistines on the south border. And the people of Gilead closed in towards the Ammonites on the east.

It was just about a hundred years since the conquest of the Promise Land. But Israel had already forgotten God who rescued them from slavery.

A slavery of four centuries under Pharaoh’s shackles.

So that nation turned to Baal and Ashtoreth, the god and spirit that Philistia and Ammon bowed to.

But little did Israel know that their downward ride wouldn’t stop with just a bow to the sculpted things the aliens worshipped. They didn’t know they would be forced to bow before those aliens themselves.

And that forced bow of this prince before his slaves was several years ago. Yet he was still bowed to the ground in endless pain in front of Ammon and Philistia.

It was by a great millstone called Terror.