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

God had Moses send out 12 scouts to check out the land. Rather, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah suggest that Israel needed to do a better job practicing what, would call (eight centuries later!) What the Bible says about He promises good health (Exodus 15:26), prosperity (Malachi 3:8-12), children (Psalm 127:3-5), security (Psalm 46), and many other blessings besides His greatest gift, eternal life in His Kingdom (John 17:1-3; Romans 6:23)! Every indication is that we live during that time now. Every organization must have a leader, so God lays down instructions as to how the leader should conduct himself in office. It wasnt just apathy or failure to perform religious ceremonies for which ancient Israel faced Gods judgments. The Second Exodus (Part Two). Around 1615, he dedicated his life to serving the poor. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. However, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were talking about something different when they used this word. Justice: If said with just the right inflection, the word justice feels punitive. Ezra records that God moved King Cyrus to let . Malachi 2:14. God is angry and will destroy the Israelites but Moses begs God to have mercy and remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob). II Kings 17:7-8 speaks of the sins of the Kingdom of Israel, up north: For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, . That specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices were central parts of its covenant with YHWH was beyond doubt. His laws, which define His standards of morality, have not changed one iota. . That day, the seventeenth day of Tammuz, three thousand men of the children of Israel lost their lives, in punishment for their idolatry. God repeats several times that He is bringing Israel back for His name's sake, and not for Israel's sake: "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this [restoring Israel and blessing the land; verses 6-15] for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. The people may have felt like they were worshiping God through the required performances. Yet, in my view, this does not seem to be the primary source of the problem either. Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. The Israelites were given the unpleasant task of carrying out the Lord's judgment against the Canaanites.The Israelites waged war against the Canaanites because the Lord commanded them to. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6). Righteous is sometimes synonymous with orthodox. In the Latter-day Saint community, righteousness may be associated with maintaining a current temple recommend and studying the scriptures, and praying regularly. 6 I will send Assyria to fight against the people who do evil. 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. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. He sets out two things that construct a basis for what he says. The Israelites failed because they would not put their complete trust in their one true God. 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. It is placed between the book of Lamentations and the book of Daniel in the Old Testament Canon of Scripture. Books may be ordered directly from the author. But God certainly knew about them. Indeed, God forecasts that exactly those conditions will face those living just before Christ's return (Matthew 24:37). Thousands of academic, scientific, and engineering breakthroughs and inventions have sprung from British and American individuals, discoveries which greatly affected the rest of this world. 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 British produced a great empire far out of proportion to their population, native wealth, and abilities. And Isaiah was not alone in portraying Gods displeasure with Israels worship. For instance, during some sort of civil dispute, a person who exercises mishpat will take the side of widows or orphans and defend them against those who are more powerful. God told them to "get rid of them idola. God appointed him to this task and "caused" him to speak. All of these occur as punishments for sin as God exacts His vengeance on "those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18). 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. So he says, and now go to I'll tell you what I will do to my vineyard. This was considered a grave sin by God. Tzedeq is often the companion virtue to mishpat. When they came back 40 days later, 10 of the 12 scouts said that the Israelites were not strong enough to take the land from the inhabitants. Religiously, they were trying to walk a tightrope between God and Baal. They said to Aaron: 'We want someone to lead us. Exile, Divorce from God, was the final punishment for a defiant Northern Kingdom of Israel (also known as Ephraim or Samaria). will redeem the property that had been sold or free Israelites from their debt bondage. Only in Amos (and only in one verse) is there any indication that Israel was not focused on worshiping God. Why A Belief Crisis Need Never Be Fatal To Faith. The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was theson of Buzi and member of a priestly family. All who had been bitten would be healed if they gazed upon the bronze serpent, God said. Most of prophecy begins negatively but ends positively because God is confident that what He prophesied will accomplish His end, which is always good! Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. 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. Although Moses was given consequences for his sinful actions, he still loved and obeyed God. Amos 1-4: Israel's Punishment. God Knew Israel's True Thoughts He knew that idolatry reached farther than just having an object on the mantle. First, God and Israel have a special relationship: "You only have I known." The Israelites were sinking into the worship of other gods. . As part of the punishment for Israel's persistent idolatry, God handed the northern kingdom of Israel over to the Assyrians. . Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. He also gave His people over to the sword, and was furious with His inheritance. However, Ezekiel makes it clear that this cannot be the case. (When the act of worship becomes more important than the purpose of worship, what I have previously called, , we stray into potential idol worship, a practice many Hebrew Bible prophets condemn.) His warning of impending calamity would not come if they were not deserving of it. The prophet Micah takes a different approach but delivers the same basic message as his prophetic contemporaries. After all of these miracles were done, including the ten plagues on the Egyptians, the Israelites came out of Egypt with a renewed belief in the God of their fathers. Email him at Email or write to Yosef Eisen, 2337 Sherbrook St., Pittsburgh PA, 15217. Pray the Lord to take the serpents from us.. Corresponding to the 40 days that the spies toured the land, God decreed that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for 40 years as a result of their unwillingness to take the land .God brought victories where needed, and his promise to Abraham was . 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. The problem, according to these prophets, seems to be that Israel had failed to recognize that being, required more than adherence to specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices. I the Lord have spoken. Hesed expresses the notion of deep love characterized by loyalty and fidelity, which pours out of one to the other. Then, the Lord heard and sent a judge to rescue them. It is as if he is saying, "Think about the practical ramifications of this." Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the prophets argued that the exile happened because the people failed to follow God's instructions. Rather, He punishes in the best way and at the best time to bring individuals to repentance. The measure for measure punishment for this was that there would now be an intermediary Angel guiding them instead of their being under direct guidance from God Himself. What sort of pagan revelry did the Israelites indulge in (Exodus 32:6)? Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 establish that, if one does well, God will bless him. . The people realized they were sinning and begged Moses to help them. Mercy is used to describe the act of helping those whose behavior might not otherwise justify such magnanimity. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?. December 30, 2018 ; By James . In Psalm 78:59-62, the psalmist Asaph relates that God, when He became aware of the idols of Israel. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. (Dt 31:7-8). . Amos speaks strongly against public and private indifference toward the keeping of the second of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). Devil does not punish sinners because he wants everyone to sin. In fact, highlighting Israels penchant for a straying focus, a central hope in Jeremiahs view of restoration is that Israel will be given a , , while all of this might be true, hypocrisy does not, problem that resulted in such strong language from Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. In those from the north, there would be a natural resistance to such an arrangement. The overall effect of these sins produced a careless disregard for the simple duties people owe their neighbors, as well as oppression of the weak. Ezekiel, Israel's leaders, Ezekiel's wife, and King Nebuchadnezzar. This scathing condemnation concludes with the L, saying, I will hide mine eyes from you I will not hear you.. Prepare to Meet Your God! Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! And, apparently, Israel. Other themes include the sovereignty of God over the entire world, God's holiness, right worship, corrupt leaders, the restoration of . Even Jerusalemthe "Holy City"has an annual "Gay Pride" parade, and is essentially secular. They will be given a new heart, and will finally be able to know their God (Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:24-29). Before, they just tuned them out. Oh, dread the mixed multitude. Assyria will defeat them and take their wealth. 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. Exodus 12:38 indicates that many non-Jews decided to become Jews and join the blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the exodus from Egypt. Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel. hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Idolatry is among the most serious sins in Judaism and its rejection is core to the Jewish worldview. 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. Another explanation for Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micahs critique, which does not seem to fully capture what was taking place, is the notion that Israel was knowingly going through the motionsthey were guilty of willful hypocrisy. (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.) (Ex 30:30), 3. Yet, the naked truth is we cannot retain sovereignty to ourselves and still have what God is offering, entrance into the spiritual Kingdom of God. Download PDF. ESSAY: Why is it important to trust in God? However, He has chosen not to do this with Israel and Judah, though not because they are righteous in any way. (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. A deeper appreciation of scripture can help us recognize that we have room to grow. So, what is it that Israel needed to do differently? After Moses comes down from the mountain, the idol is destroyed and God punishes the people but having compassion, or caring for the Israelites, He does not destroy everyone. Conversely, God strongly warns that, if one does not do well, He will surely punish him. Herein lies the main theme of the book of Ezekiel. And then verse 55, it says, but it didn't bring about fruit. That is to say, that in offering sacrifices or participating in festivals, Israel was not actually worshiping God but instead simply fulfilling outward requirements without any deeper covenantal connection. First, the Israelites began to serve the false gods of the nations that they failed to remove from the land. 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. Prophet after prophet challenged Israel even as Israel apparently kept the laws and ordinances it was given. 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. The prophet begins in the first two verses with a "thus saith the LORD," providing the foundation for all that follows. For example, a couple of years after being freed from slavery, God led the people to the border of Canaan, the land which God had promised them. 2. So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'". Atonement The next day Moses again told the people that they had gravely sinned against Gd, and that he would now go to pray for atonement. He died in 1660, and we honor him on Sept. 27. In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at large). This in turn produced great moral corruption through self-serving idolatry, illustrated as and called "fornication" in other books. He may even have inspired them to occur and oversaw events so that they would. Why wasnt Aaron punished for making the golden calf? 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."-. We cannot have it both ways. 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. keeping the commandments. We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you, they said. Says Micah: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Someone is righteous when they follow the prophet and keep the commandments; these actions indicate their inward commitment. Israel had been exiled by the Babylonians for a while at the time that Jeremiah was ministering. the weightier matters of the Sinaic teachings. Moses had a pretty tough job. Several hundred years after this, God inspired Isaiah to write, "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. However, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were talking about something different when they used this word. That the LORD is displeased with Israels adherence to the requirements of (what Latter-day Saints call) the Mosaic Law because the Mosaic Law is itself displeasing. Though, does a great deal to reach out and help those around us, there are always ways to improvesomething encouraged by, . . These people were taught about the true living God over a long period of time. That is to say, righteousness is an inward characteristic. The word mercy is commonly used nowadays to capture the idea of being favored, often undeservedly so. . This is the point where God had had enough. In Ezekiels vision of restoration at the end of times, the temple that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem as part of the restoration of Israel is marked by close ritual observance of the very same requirements which are outlined in Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus (See Ezekiel 42), and apparently being followed at the time Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah voiced Gods frustration with Israel. its offerings and sacrifices, and calling its songs and music of praise noise that I will not hear.. So, what is it that Israel needed to do differently? The sin of worshipping another god is called idolatry. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. The punishment of Israel had not ended even in Christ's time, more than 700 years after Israel's fall. At the right time and for the right people, God will honor His unconditional promises to the patriarchs. 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. A number of latter-day prophecies of various peoplesthe Edomites, for exampleforetell that God will make a complete end of them (Jeremiah 46:28). He makes and unmakes nations (II Chronicles 20:6; Daniel 4:17; Acts 17:26). On several occasions God punished the Jews in the wilderness for their disobedience. 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. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (Amos 5:24). its offerings and sacrifices, and calling its songs and music of praise noise that I will not hear., The prophet Micah takes a different approach but delivers the same basic message as his prophetic contemporaries. Righteous is sometimes synonymous with orthodox. In the Latter-day Saint community, righteousness may be associated with maintaining a current temple recommend and studying the scriptures, and praying regularly. He took such good care of it, protected it, we did it everything, fertilized it. As the Bible has recorded in great detail, mankind has shown that it wants to retain this authority to itself. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking the LORD to anger.