The Promised Land, inherited by the Jews after the Exodus from Egypt was a small area of land surrounded by great kingdoms, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon. As long as Israel was faithful to God, they could live in peace. But when threatened by another nation they would lose courage and seek to make alliances which they felt would guarantee their safety, their salvation.

However, this kind of political wisdom was disastrous and so Israel had to come painfully to realize that her well-being as a people, a nation, or a political entity was a gift of God, the fruit of his protective love. Salvation could not come from any political alliance, for there was always the danger that such alliances would lead to idolatry.

We may wonder what these historical realities have to do with us in another age, a completely different culture and civilization. If we read these stories as parables of the human condition, we will see ourselves in them, with our own weaknesses, even our search for some kind of salvation, anywhere except in God. Like Israel, all of us must come sooner or later to a realization of the truth: our only hope and salvation is in God.