how did god punish the israelites for idolatry

Revelation 21:8ESV / 10 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful Israel had already deviated from faithfulness, but here, she formally rejects God as her Ruler, taking a major step toward being exactly like all the nations around her. Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr. was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, . Its what happens to people when they do something wrong; justice is served could be a superheros catchphrase when she nabs the bad guy. (The Book of Amos) (Part Two), Searching for Israel (Part Seven): Seven Years' Punishment. 1. Clearly, God judges the inhabitants of His creation, and His judgments are not limited to Israel or to "biblical times." If He allowed Israel and Judah to sin with impunity, His laws would have no authority, and His words would be of no consequence. America and the British nations are rapidly following ancient Israel's example as they spiral downward to their destruction. So His justice will be upheld as Israel and Judah are brought to the painful realization that they have forsaken Him and have been living the wrong way. This over-the-top zealousness is not only insufficient but is, itself, a source of Gods disapproval. Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel. Critics assert that Israel's history demonstrates the weakness of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in that their God could not keep His promises. Our great privilege is to have access to Him and His Spirit, and therefore have a far closer relationship with Him than Israel ever had under the Old Covenant. And Isaiah was not alone in portraying Gods displeasure with Israels worship. Mercy is used to describe the act of helping those whose behavior might not otherwise justify such magnanimity. According to the Bible, the commandment was originally given to the ancient Israelites by the Lord after they had escaped from slavery in Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus. These people were taught about the true living God over a long period of time. 6 I will send Assyria to fight against the people who do evil. The punishment of Israel had not ended even in Christ's time, more than 700 years after Israel's fall. "Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel." Usually, the term is used in connection with groups like widows, orphans, resident aliens, or poor, and often in contexts where there are clear power differentials. 30 Dec . Just listen, you rebels! Moses angrily said to the people. Says Micah: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Since the people sinned by not trusting God, he made them wander the desert for 40 years before entering the land. What the Bible says about Although God did not allow Moses to cross into the land, in Deuteronomy 34 we read that he had Moses climb Mount Nebo so he could see the land before he died. Hesed expresses the notion of deep love characterized by loyalty and fidelity, which pours out of one to the other. Does that not sound familiar to an informed observer of our modern, American scene? Angels do not punish in the Bible except under God's command because it is God who can punish. hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Then, the Lord heard and sent a judge to rescue them. The attacks and a wave of sympathy for the grief of those directly impacted by them, as well as a sudden spurt of patriotism, changed the way people heard these messages. He began priestly formation in 1595 and was ordained in 1600. Our regard for humanity is so low that in America alone during the last three decades, an estimated 40-50 million pre-born children have been killed for the sake of convenience. Copyright 2022 Faith Community Church. Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. 40:2; Ezek. (Dt 31:7-8). The book of Ezekiel features one of the eeriest scenes in the Bible, a vision of God raising an army of dead men's bones from their graves and bringing them back to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). It is our part of the deala small part really but a difficult one that must be kept (Matthew 7:13-14). Learn Religions. If God does not punish for sin, then righteousness loses all meaning. . tested Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Hesed is a love so deep it can always be trustedit is the type of love that is foundational to covenant relationships. In the verses above, righteousness points to ensuring that those who are on the margins of society are given what they need to prosper and flourish. Observe next the occasion of Israel's sin. However, for the sake of what is best for Jacob, God has to show him that He is serious about what He says. Books cost $37, plus $6 shipping - total $43. Israel's Punishment for Failing to Heed (Amos 4-5) February 24 Amos again reminded Israel of the way God had dealt with them since they came out of Egypt and how they had ignored the warnings. However, the tribe of Judah was hardly better than Israel, as II Kings 17:19 states: "Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made." Why did the Israelites wander the desert for 40 years? Oddly enough, about 3,000 were buried around on the Western side of Mount Sinai (Jebel al Lawz) in Arabia. Says, The clear answer to Micahs questions about whether God is pleased by the prospect of thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil, or even my firstborn is. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). Brigham Young called upon modern Saints to examine their own hearts in this regard: This in turn produced great moral corruption through self-serving idolatry, illustrated as and called "fornication" in other books. Ezekiel lived during the time of the Babylonian exile. In the verses above, righteousness points to ensuring that those who are on the margins of society are given what they need to prosper and flourish. The book of Ezekiel is about idolatry. These nations may look fine on the outside, but the cancer has spread from head to toe, and they have only so long before the disease proves fatal (Isaiah 1:5-6). Exodus: New American Commentary by Douglas Stuart. Why did God punish the Israelites for 40 years? The central theme of the first half of the book of Shemot is the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt and their miraculous salvation by the hand of God. To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Conversely, God strongly warns that, if one does not do well, He will surely punish him. He may even have inspired them to occur and oversaw events so that they would. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? David makes a. For instance, during some sort of civil dispute, a person who exercises, will take the side of widows or orphans and defend them against those who are more powerful. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. And then verse 55, it says, but it didn't bring about fruit. Fortunately, in the same way that Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were direct with Israel when it came to expressing the LORDs displeasure, these four prophets were similarly direct with Israel when it came to stating what Israel needed to do differently. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness (Isa 1:17, 27). The first of the Ten Commandmentssternly forbids it: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Amos followed Elijah about 90-100 years later. The clear answer to Micahs questions about whether God is pleased by the prospect of thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil, or even my firstborn is no. Exodus 20:2-6 ESV / 899 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. In carrying out judgment on Ahab, God commissioned Jehu to destroy Ahab, the king of Israel, and his family. Ezekiel packed his belongings as if heading on a journey. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. John W. Ritenbaugh The people were always sinning against God by complaining, failing to follow his directions and laws, and by not trusting in him. . First, the Israelites began to serve the false gods of the nations that they failed to remove from the land. This also applies on a smaller but more immediate scale: Amos has been sent by appointment, and he does not speak promiscuously. Rather, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah suggest that Israel needed to do a better job practicing what, would call (eight centuries later!) In Psalm 78:59-62, the psalmist Asaph relates that God, when He became aware of the idols of Israel. Email him at Email or write to Yosef Eisen, 2337 Sherbrook St., Pittsburgh PA, 15217. He sets out two things that construct a basis for what he says. Ezekiel was called to be a watchman for God with the chief task of warning his people about the terrible consequences of the sin of idolatry. Oracles against foreign countries' rulers. To help Moses prove the existence and power of God, he was given a number of miraculous signs to help the Israelites believe. He melted the gold and made a statue of a calf. 2:8-9) and judgment upon those who don't ( John 3:18 ). Aaron also knows which god the Israelites intended the calf to represent: "Tomorrow shall be a festival of YHWH!," ( - ) he proclaims (32:5). But God certainly knew about them. Only in, (and only in one verse) is there any indication that Israel was not focused on worshiping God. (The Book of Amos) (Part One). The Moabites had rejoiced in the overthrow and exile of the Jews, and they also should be overthrown and their land possessed by others. Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. The patriarchs were, as God attests again and again, faithful. 2. God tells every individual bitten by a snake that they will live if they look at a bronze snake made by Moses at God's command. In short, the people of Israel needed to live into the reality that acovenant with God isinherently connected to and reflected by how we treat each other. Books may be ordered directly from the author. Aaron said: 'Give me your gold.'. It is no accident that God and Israel have this relationship. We can see this pattern in the murder on the streets, bloody crimes like rape and mutilation in our once peaceful towns, AIDS and other sexual diseases rampant among all sectors of society, as well as sexual deviancy, perverse music, self-indulgence, drugs, and alcohol abuse. This is the responsibility of those who have made a covenant with Him, whether the Old or the New Covenant. Second, Israel and Judah will both make the New Covenant, meaning that they will be given the Holy Spirit, which will enable them to keep the law in its spiritual intent (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This appears as early as Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve reject God's rule over them. Ezekiel 36 shows this clearly. Due to the corrupt sacrifices the children of Israel made unto the Lord he pronounced a cursed upon them "But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing."-. Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt. Yet, in my view, this does not seem to be the primary source of the problem either. Covenants with God are inherently covenants with each other. However, He has chosen not to do this with Israel and Judah, though not because they are righteous in any way. . Devil does not punish sinners because he wants everyone to sin. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood., To be clear, the LORD does more than just summarily dismiss Israels worship practice; the LORD says that these practicesthe sacrifices, rituals, and feasts they are under obligation to do as part of the covenantare iniquity and an abomination, and that my soul hateth them. Mishpat, in the Hebrew Bibleand as used by Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah in the verses abovereflects the idea of ensuring that the weakest members of society are protected from exploitation. Introduction to the Book of Job and Its Themes, Major and Minor Prophetic Books of the Bible, 13 Articles of Faith: Simple Overview of What Mormons Believe, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University, Ezekiel's name means "God strengthens" or "may God strengthen.