These nations on the borders of Canaan would have been spared, had they not stood, in defiance of God's word, to oppose the progress of Israel. The Lord had shown Himself to be long-suffering, of great kindness and tender pity, even to these heathen peoples. When Abraham was shown in vision that his seed, the children of Israel, should be strangers in a strange land four hundred years, the Lord gave him the promise, "In the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." Genesis 15:16. Although the Amorites were idolaters, whose life was justly forfeited by their great wickedness, God spared them four hundred years to give them unmistakable evidence that He was the only true God, the Maker of heaven and earth. All His wonders in bringing Israel from Egypt were known to them. Sufficient evidence was given; they might have known the truth, had they been willing to turn from their idolatry and licentiousness. But they rejected the light and clung to their idols.

De folkeslag, der boede ved Kanaans grænser, kunne være blevet sparet, hvis de ikke i trods mod Guds ord havde hindret Israels fremmarch. Herren havde også vist sin langmodighed, venlighed og medlidenhed mod disse hedenske folkeslag. Da Abraham så i et syn, at hans sæd, Israels børn, skulle være udlændinge i et fremmed land i fire hundrede år, gav Herren ham dette løfte: "I det fjerde slægtled skal de vende tilbage hertil; thi endnu er amoritternes syndeskyld ikke fuldmoden." 1. Mos. 15, 16. Selv om amoritterne var afgudsdyrkere og havde forspildt deres ret til at leve på grund af deres store ondskab, skånede Gud dem i fire hundrede år for at give dem et umiskendeligt bevis på, at han var den eneste sande Gud, himmelens og jordens skaber. De havde hørt om alle de mirakler, han gjorde, da han førte Israel ud af Ægypten. De havde fået tilstrækkelige beviser. De kunne have lært sandheden at kende, hvis de havde villet afstå fra deres afgudsdyrkelse og tøjlesløshed. Men de forkastede lyset og holdt fast ved deres afguder.