What effect did the Canaanites have on Israel after Israel spared them?
Rather than being destroyed as God instructed, the Canaanites were spared and used as servants. Their presence led Israel directly into idolatry, turning them from Jehovah to pagan idols. Despite God's miracle-working power among them, Israel's history during the Judges became a roller coaster of spiritual highs and lows.
Les explains that during the period of the Judges, Israel occupied the land of Canaan but did not destroy the Canaanite people as God had instructed. They became soft-hearted and thought they could use these people as servants, so they left off destroying them. Exactly as God had promised, the Canaanite people took Israel right into idolatry. Les notes this is hard to comprehend because Israel had the manifestation and miracle-working power of Jehovah God in their midst, yet they turned to pagan idols. Consequently, Israel's history throughout those 300 to 400 years of the book of Judges was a roller coaster: they would reach a spiritual height under a good judge, who was merely a ruler under God in a God-centered government, and then fall again.