how did god punish the israelites for idolatry how did god punish the israelites for idolatry

In the book of Jeremiah, God told the people that he would exile them from the land for 70 years, because this was the amount of time that the Sabbath rest had been disobeyed (490 years total). Zavada, Jack. The text goes a far way to explicitly present the Levites in the favorable role . The word we translate as justice (or judgment or justly) comes from the Hebrew word, , 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. Yosef Eisen, a noted historian and lecturer, tells the miraculous story and history of an eternal nation. The prophet Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 32:30, quotes God's scathing indictment of the people of both Kingdoms: "[T]he children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. Ezekiel prophesied to those exiles about why God had allowed that, while at the same time, the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the Israelites left behind in Judah. In Latter-day Saint vernacular, the term that comes closest to expressing this ideal is probably charity. This is the point where God had had enough. He establishes this through a series of illustrations posed as challenging questions that can logically be answered only one way. Through her commercial power, the United States became the single richest nation that has ever existed. . A ban on idolatry is also one of the Noahide commandments, the seven laws that Judaism teaches . Most of prophecy begins negatively but ends positively because God is confident that what He prophesied will accomplish His end, which is always good! Israel's Punishment, Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel, Prepare to Meet Your God! As part of the punishment for Israel's persistent idolatry, God handed the northern kingdom of Israel over to the Assyrians. Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micha all make clear that, despite Israels apparent devotion to the sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices which were central parts of its covenant with YHWH, God is displeased with Israel. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 establish that, if one does well, God will bless him. Mercy is used to describe the act of helping those whose behavior might not otherwise justify such magnanimity. In the modern Latter-day Saint community, that notion is broadened a little, and justice is something closer to a synonym for fair or equitable. For example, the phrase God is just for many Latter-day Saint folks means something like God gives you what you deserve (good or bad). However, both uses are worlds away from what the 8. century BCE prophets Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah meant when they used that word. Exodus: New American Commentary by Douglas Stuart. Oracles against foreign countries' rulers. Psalm 99:8-9 reminds us that our holy God forgives! Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Herein lies the main theme of the book of Ezekiel. And, apparently, Israel was largely doing the things it had been asked to do. However, for the sake of what is best for Jacob, God has to show him that He is serious about what He says. Once God reveals Himself through His calling, the issue of government comes to the fore. 2 Bible Summary (Numbers 10-36) Departure from Sinai (10) The fire and the quail (11) Miriam's rebellion and leprosy (12) Spying out Canaan -rebellion upon report of spies (13) 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. 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). 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. Despite this, they became very wealthy and self-indulgent, even oppressively so. Indeed, God forecasts that exactly those conditions will face those living just before Christ's return (Matthew 24:37). In modern-day usage, righteousness is often associated with personal piety. The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was theson of Buzi and member of a priestly family. God punishes the Israelites for their sinfulness After he had freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, God wanted to make them a holy people with the help of his servant, Moses. Fourth: All too often, the alarms go off, and then people take notice. 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. First, God and Israel have a special relationship: "You only have I known." was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, . His aim is to awaken them from their spiritual lethargy. Saul was chosen by God to be Israel's first king. The LORD wanted the people of Israel to show all of their neighbors the same deep fidelity and commitmentthat is to say, covenantal lovewhich they had received from the LORD. The Second Exodus (Part Two). Judah Didn't Learn from Israel's Punishment In Jeremiah 3:6-10 we see that Judah did not learn from Israel's sin and subsequent punishment. After articulating all the things that the LORD had done for Israel from Egypt onward, Micah asks Israel a series of stinging rhetorical questions that serve to undermine Israels approach to worship. Israels sacred texts clearly outlined how and in what way Israel was to worship the God of the Exodus and Sinai. The word we translate as justice (or judgment or justly) comes from the Hebrew word mishpat. Aaron said: 'Give me your gold.'. Religiously, they were trying to walk a tightrope between God and Baal. However, the key to understanding the significance of Israel's demand in I Samuel 8 is that she desires a king just like the other nations. It is placed between the book of Lamentations and the book of Daniel in the Old Testament Canon of Scripture. Ezekiel lived during the time of the Babylonian exile. They were behaving and worshipping like Baal worshippers but doing it in the name of the Lord. If God does not punish for sin, then righteousness loses all meaning. After he had freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, God wanted to make them a holy people with the help of his servant, Moses. After all, as Jesus said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. What the L, desired and required of Israelthe things that the L, wanted Israel to dowas to protect and bless the people in their community. Why does the Bible warn against idolatry? - BibleAsk July 31, 2022 ; By James Taiwo; . Israel 'S Breaking of The Covenant of The Law and God 'S Punishment He will show them mercy because of the promises He made, not because they deserve it. but He also punishes the evil. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. His warning of impending calamity would not come if they were not deserving of it. He is a husband and father of four who has previously written for poetry, international affairs, and LDS-related publications. Then God responded in Habakkuk 1:4-11 by telling the prophet that He was bringing a nation to conquer and destroy many Israelites because of their sin. Forms of the situation described here appear frequently in the history of Israel's relationship with God. God appointed him to this task and "caused" him to speak. The Bible prophesies scores of horrific punishments: epidemics of incurable diseases; wars; fires burning fields, forests, and homes; earthquakes; famines; floods from raging seas; violent weather patterns; and infestations of insects and wild animals. Conversely, God strongly warns that, if one does not do well, He will surely punish him. (From Forerunner Commentary). They will also be blessed numerically, as the remnant begins to multiply. Bible scholars say God's warnings in Ezekiel finally cured Israel of the sin of idolatry. Rather, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah suggest that Israel needed to do a better job practicing what, would call (eight centuries later!) God's Glory Fills the Tabernacle (Exodus 33:134:35; 40:138), God Tells Israel Where to Worship (Exodus 25:1-27:21; 30:1-10, 17-21), Faith Community Church, 3755 Washington Blvd, Suite 201, Fremont, CA 94538, God Punishes Israel's Idolatry (Exodus 32:1-35). The Moabites had rejoiced in the overthrow and exile of the Jews, and they also should be overthrown and their land possessed by others. Yet, we can also see God's mercy in His dealings with His people. Amos was a prophet whose home was in Judah, the southern kingdom, yet whose message was to Israel, the northern kingdom. Having a king was not the real issue because God had already planned for Israel to have a king. Even after they entered the 'promised' land, as individuals and as a nation the Jews turned back to idolatry. Isaiah 10:5-7 ERV - God Will Punish Assyria's Pride - Bible Gateway If He allowed Israel and Judah to sin with impunity, His laws would have no authority, and His words would be of no consequence. 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. Here is how each of the four prophets expresses this: Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. . The Northern 10 Tribes of Israel have disappeared, never to return. The core problem of Israelaccording to Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micahwas the lack of justice, righteousness, and mercy. Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for your sake do I do this," says the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. However, while all of this might be true, hypocrisy does not seem to be the core problem that resulted in such strong language from Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. God will destroy the nations to which Israel and Judah are scattered, and He will correct Israel and Judah in measure, as verse 11 says. In the time of Moses God made a contract (the Bible calls it a "covenant") with the people or nation of Israel, and initially they agreed to abide by it. Does that not sound familiar to an informed observer of our modern, American scene? On several occasions God punished the Jews in the wilderness for their disobedience. Although God always forgave his people, he also gave them consequences for their sinful actions. (Ex 15:22), 2. Wealth is being funneled into the hands of the few, and the poor and weak keep becoming poorer and weaker. We see similar language in the book of Amos. ] The Old Testament is a chronicle of Israel's repeated failure to obey God, of its refusal to keep His commandments and statutes. He is stalking you, and you are in mortal danger. All of these occur as punishments for sin as God exacts His vengeance on "those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18). Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. . God told Moses to take his staff and assemble the people. Their desire for flesh was a desire springing up amidst abundance. The Israelites' Sin and Punishment - Bible Hub All rights reserved. Ezekiel's primary audience was his fellow exiles in Babylon, but he also wrote to the Israelites at home in Jerusalem and all later readers of the Bible. And when we fully embrace the reality that the covenants we make at baptism and in the temple cannot be kept without walking out of the baptismal font and outside of the temple and into a relationship with those who surround us in this earthly existencethat is to say when we fully embrace the recognition that covenants with God are inherently covenants with each otherwe will finally be able to follow the guidance that these 8th Century BCE prophets gave to Israel anciently and which still resonate for us today. In Numbers 20, we read that the people were complaining about not having water to drink. The sin of worshipping another god is called idolatry. It is this process that God often uses to punish His people for apostasy and immorality. July 2, 2022 . Where justice is protecting the weakest members of society from exploitation (defending them), righteousness is taking steps to help those who need it (uplifting them). God will punish Israel for her failure to live up to her responsibilities within the covenant. He determines their rise and fall and the times of dominance of every nation. GOD SEEKS REPENTANCE OR PUNISH ISRAELITES - Amos. The Chronicler writes: Put briefly: Israel needed to exercise justice, righteousness, and mercy. Despite these atrocious sins, God will not utterly destroy Israel as He did to Sodom and Gomorrah. . They were to protect and bless the rich and the poor, the bonded and the free, the Israelite and the stranger. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. (NIV), Ezekiel 34:23-24I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32? I the Lord have spoken. This over-the-top zealousness is not only insufficient but is, itself, a source of Gods disapproval. The patriarchs were, as God attests again and again, faithful. They began to worship the golden calf, and they . I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 5 March 2019. Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micha all make clear that, despite Israels apparent devotion to the sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices which were central parts of its covenant with YHWH, God is displeased with Israel. Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon. 44:29 ), and God did so in judging his son on behalf of his people. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. In this sense, the modern-day usage (perhaps especially in the Latter-day Saint community) of mercy is that it is the opposite of justice. If justice is getting what you deserve, then mercy is getting what you do not deserve. So he says, and now go to I'll tell you what I will do to my vineyard. Fortunately, in the same way that Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were direct with Israel when it came to expressing the L. displeasure, these four prophets were similarly direct with Israel when it came to stating what Israel needed to do differently. In our modern world, this message is needed now more than ever. Amos 1-4: Israel's Punishment. The punishment for David's sin: "The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from that morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand of the people died" (2 Samuel 24:15). In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at large). Today's Western culturea product of the nations of Israelis not so very different from Sodom and Gomorrah. John W. Ritenbaugh is characterized by the idea of proactively caring for those who are disadvantaged or pursuing communal flourishing, even when it comes at the expense of self-interest. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy's hand. In about AD 31, Christ says He was "not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). In fact, I think a key indication that Israel felt like its adherence to sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices was in-line with its covenant requirements is the very fact that Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah had to use such dramatic language to get Israels attention. The problem, according to these prophets, seems to be that Israel had failed to recognize that being Gods people required more than adherence to specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices. A deeper appreciation of scripture can help us recognize that we have room to grow. Answer (1 of 4): If my memory serves me correctlyof the approx 2M Israelites, only about 3,000 odd participated is some sort of a drunken orgy fest. Such punishment precipitated Israel being scattered, taken into captivity into foreign lands, and losing their homeland, to which they have never returned. Pray the Lord to take the serpents from us.. In carrying out judgment on Ahab, God commissioned Jehu to destroy Ahab, the king of Israel, and his family. 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. (Nm 12:10-14), 4. 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. (See, for instance, Exodus 12:14; 13:13; 20:22-23:33; Exodus 34:11-26; Deuteronomy 12-26; Leviticus 17-26 as a start.) Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. connotes a social obligation. What Was the Sin of the Golden Calf? - TheTorah.com As Numbers 14:20-23 says: Then the Lord said: "I have pardoned, according to your word, but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord because all these men who . Because God is holy and righteous, what He proclaimed to do against the heathen in the first chapter of Amos, He will also do to Israela people who had forsaken their covenant with Him. In the Hebrew Bible, justice most often points to a social obligation to protect the weak and powerless from exploitation. The Israelites must not allow themselves to be self-deceived. Books may be ordered directly from the author. However, the people began to partake in . I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets" (Isaiah 10:5-6). God told them to "get rid of them idola. Much later, Amos warned Israel, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth" (Amos 9:8). Indeed, I think it is more likely that the people believed that they were doing things properly. This ties what Amos would say to correct them to their responsibilities within that close relationship. The people were sent into exile in Babylon because of their sins. Make a god for us!'. Is God to blame because He exercises His authority, punishing to maintain order and to continue the advancement of His purpose in His creation? The L, wanted the people of Israel to show all of their neighbors the same deep fidelity and commitmentthat is to say, covenantal lovewhich they had received from the L. . This led to much suffering, as in the holocaust. This means, "Take heed! how did god punish the israelites for idolatry St. Vincent de Paul was born in France in 1581. What Does the Bible Say About Punishment For Idolatry? - OpenBible.info All through the bible God gave his own people over,into the hands of their enemies and into bondage,for their sins.Judah went into captivty in babylon for 70 years.The Northern Kingdom of israel was carried off by the Assyerians.God is about to give his people over,into the hands of their enemies again and into bondage.Nazi Germany 2 is First, Israel and Judah will have perfect leadership: Jesus Christ will be King, and David will be His prince (Ezekiel 37:24-25; Jeremiah 23:3-7; Hosea 3:5; Micah 2:12-13). 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They were still "lost" in His day, not having returned to Canaan. . John W. Ritenbaugh He is there by no accident. ___ Aaron and his sons were consecrated as Gods priests. tested Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. "Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel." Yet, in my view, this does not seem to be the primary source of the problem either. God responds fiercely, sending venomous snakes, which immediately kill many complaining Israelites. . What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32? Indeed, I think it is more likely that the people, doing things properly. Other themes include the sovereignty of God over the entire world, God's holiness, right worship, corrupt leaders, the restoration of . Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to . In I Kings 14:15, God warns that He will ultimately. Moses had a pretty tough job. And yet, multiple prophets challenged Israels adherence to the very laws and ordinances that were part of this prophetically-given covenant guide. He is just, because He does not allow their sin to go unpunished. Judah Didn't Learn from Israel's Punishment - Explaining The Book It is as if he is saying, "Think about the practical ramifications of this." I have heard some suggest that there is something wrong (or lacking) in the teachings that God gave at Sinai. Punishment - That the World May Know | Welcome Then, God allowed their enemies to gain power over them. 14. Israel's Worship (Exodus 20:1-7) | Bible.org We cannot have it both ways. Email him at Email or write to Yosef Eisen, 2337 Sherbrook St., Pittsburgh PA, 15217. Where justice is protecting the weakest members of society from exploitation (defending them), righteousness is taking steps to help those who need it (uplifting them). That is to say: Israel understood itself as keeping the commandments. Has anything else become a god to me?". And, apparently, Israel was largely doing the things it had been asked to do. However, Ezekiel makes it clear that this cannot be the case. On Israel's part, it is a complete rejection of her marriage vows; she wants her Benefactor and HusbandGodto have no say in her life, declaring herself free of Him and to be completely and totally a nation of this world, no longer the type of God's Kingdom on earth. After escaping his captors, he returned to France and worked in a parish outside of Paris. After all, the messages were not for them but for others because they considered themselves to be okay. The book of Ezekiel was written between 593 BC and 573 BC. The result was similar to Israel's, for in II Kings 24:2-4 God carried out His threats of punishment against Judah too: And the Lord sent against [Jehoiakim] raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets.