Judges 3-5 explains that the Lord allowed some pagan nations to remain in the promised land in order to teach warfare to the generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. Through this, the obedience of the Israelites would also be tested in whether they would hold fast to their own God and His commandments or accept the Pagan nations into their family and adopt their pagan customs and worship their gods. The Israelites failed and began to serve the images of Baal and the Asherah poles and God then allowed the Aram-naharaim King Cushan-rishathaim to enslave them for eight years. When the people returned to their Lord and cried out to Him for help, He sent a rescuer, Othniel. The Lord gave Othniel victory over King Cushan and there was peace in the land for 40 years. This pattern repeats several times more with Israel returning to evil ways and then the Lord allowing them to be defeated and oppressed by foreign Kings before they finally come back to Him and He delivers them once more.