Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time.
Genesis 12:6 (NASB)
The rabbis note that this mention of the Canaanites in Genesis 12 is meant to tell you about their incursion into the land, not their habitation of it.
How do we know this?
Because in two chapters, we’ll meet the King of Salem, or Jerusalem, priest of God Most High. This land is his.
And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:18 (NASB)
If the Canaanites are now in the land that belongs to Melchizedek, we are being told that they are the invaders.
But this isn’t just a story about land. It’s our hearts. This describes the human condition.