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)! What is the meaning of john 8: 12? The term also occurs in, Some references in Ezekiel have striking similarities to the prophetic. And what was that? keeping the commandments. 2 Kings, OLD TESTAMENT. Except for brief periods when Israel had a judge or king who did right in the eyes of God, the spiritual harlotry continued unabated until God formally divorced her, sending Israel and Judah into captivity. A PUNISHMENT CORRESPONDING TO THEIR SIN. In fact, the term hesed is often used to express how God feels about Israel (for example, hesed is used throughout the Psalms to describe Gods feelings of affection for and commitment to Israel). What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32? This also applies on a smaller but more immediate scale: Amos has been sent by appointment, and he does not speak promiscuously. Although Moses was Gods faithful servant, even he once sinned against God. 40:2; Ezek. As a punishment for their sinfulness, God sent poisonous seraph serpents to bite the people, and many of them died. Ezekiel packed his belongings as if heading on a journey. God told Moses to take his staff and assemble the people. Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr. 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. was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, . 15 Bible Verses about Idolatry & The Dangers of Idols - Bible Study Tools But God was not pleased with what Moses had done. In addition to mercy, hesed is also translated in the King James Version variously as kindness, goodness, favor, and lovingkindness. Unfortunately, as President Nelson notes, even these translations do not adequately reflect the power of the word hesed. Put briefly: Israel needed to exercise justice, righteousness, and mercy. A deeper appreciation of scripture can help us recognize that we have room to grow. M. David Huston lives and works in the Washington DC metro area. 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. 17 They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Even after all of the warnings from the Prophets, after receiving curse upon curse, Israel would NOT turn . Israel and Judah will have the Promised Land, they will have peacebecause this time their enemies will be completely destroyed, which Israel failed to do the first timeand they will have prosperity. 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. He began priestly formation in 1595 and was ordained in 1600. All rights reserved. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32? 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. 3. To help Moses prove the existence and power of God, he was given a number of miraculous signs to help the Israelites believe. At least one answer is easily pushed aside. This is what we confront in decision-making. 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. God believed the people had properly listened to the instructions God gave them. 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. Because He does not want His name to be profaned in any way, He is very concerned about those who bear it (Exodus 20:7). If God does not punish for sin, then righteousness loses all meaning. 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). Israel 'S Breaking of The Covenant of The Law and God 'S Punishment And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunders, until He had cast them from His sight. Download PDF. 1. How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Observe next the occasion of Israel's sin. 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. What the Bible says about (NIV), Prophesies about doom and destruction (1:1 - 24:27), Prophesies condemning foreign nations (25:1 - 32:32), Prophesies of hope and restoration of Israel (33:1 - 48:35), Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). The people were sent into exile in Babylon because of their sins. It is God's authority and. 2. Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. The Exodus Plagues: Judgment on Egypt's Gods | United Church of God 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. Moses had a pretty tough job. Israel's sad history is the consequence of peoples' faithlessness, not of their God's weakness. ___ Aaron and his sons were consecrated as Gods priests. All Rights Reserved. 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. What Was the Sin of the Golden Calf? - TheTorah.com Zavada, Jack. That day, the seventeenth day of Tammuz, three thousand men of the children of Israel lost their lives, in punishment for their idolatry. In the New Testament, Paul declared of those who tried to make representations of God: "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible manand birds and four-footed animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). Idolatry is among the most serious sins in Judaism and its rejection is core to the Jewish worldview. First, the Israelites began to serve the false gods of the nations that they failed to remove from the land. Hebrew Bible:Why God sent his people to exile God Punishes Israel's Idolatry (Exodus 32:1-35) FCC The people would repent and ask Moses to pray to God for forgiveness, which God always granted. Prophet after prophet challenged Israel even as Israel apparently kept the laws and ordinances it was given. So he says, and now go to I'll tell you what I will do to my vineyard. John W. Ritenbaugh Amos, a Jew from the southern kingdom, was sent by God to preach against the sins of the northern ten tribes. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Through her commercial power, the United States became the single richest nation that has ever existed. What Can You Do Better? Email him at Email or write to Yosef Eisen, 2337 Sherbrook St., Pittsburgh PA, 15217. A deeper appreciation of scripture can help us recognize that we have room to grow. 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. In Numbers 20, we read that the people were complaining about not having water to drink. As early as the days of the founder of the Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, God understood the direction Israel was taking. Although Yahweh was the national god to whom every Israelite owed allegiance, biblical and extra-biblical evidence demonstrate that the worship of additional gods had strong popular support. Moses obeyed God, and, just as God had promised, those who were bitten and gazed upon the bronze serpent recovered. A number of latter-day prophecies of various peoplesthe Edomites, for exampleforetell that God will make a complete end of them (Jeremiah 46:28). This led to much suffering, as in the holocaust. Sin as Idolatry - The Gospel Coalition The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was theson of Buzi and member of a priestly family. 30 The next day Moses told the people, "This is a terrible thing you have done. And what was that? How did God punish their sin of idolatry? - Answers Prophecy is both practical and positive, not all gloom and doom. The people believed them and rebelled against Moses and God. Devil does not punish sinners because he wants everyone to sin. was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight. "You shall have no other gods before me. The reason Moses became so concerned about the Israelites is that they have heard the Word. The people were always sinning against God by complaining, failing to follow his directions and laws, and by not trusting in him. but He also punishes the evil. The most explicit is that Moses and the Levites kill about 3,000 men: "kill each man his brother, each man his neighbor, and each man his relative.". In our modern world, this message is needed now more than ever. Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. They were still "lost" in His day, not having returned to Canaan. 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. The Northern Kingdom of Israel - Chabad.org Isaiah writes that Jerusalem, symbolizing all the tribes of Israel, will receive double for her sins because of her privileged position under the covenant (Isaiah 40:2). . He found out about the Church when he was 17 from a Church member in high school. They have been flippantly careless and have no one to blame but themselves. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them," says the Lord your God. There were two acts of disobedience / incomplete obedience that caused God to reject Saul. What is the punishment for idolatry? "Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel." The LORD wanted the people of Israel to show all of their neighbors the same deep fidelity and covenantal love which they had received from the LORD.So, what is Israel doing wrong? The book of Ezekiel is categorized with the writings of the major prophets. They stuck to their own ways. (Nm 12:10-14), 4. 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) Although God always forgave his people, he also gave them consequences for their sinful actions. Why wasnt Aaron punished for making the golden calf? He died in 1660, and we honor him on Sept. 27. And then verse 55, it says, but it didn't bring about fruit. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. This was considered a grave sin by God. 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. In their own minds, they had reduced God to something they could control and call upon when convenient. So why did God choose Israel? In those from the north, there would be a natural resistance to such an arrangement. Understanding what mishpat, tzedeq, and hesed suggest put us in a better place to understand the remarkable prophetic guidance of Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. They once again complained to Moses. connotes a social obligation. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the prophets argued that the exile happened because the people failed to follow God's instructions. ", Third: One cannot snare a bird unless a trap is set, and then somethingin this case a birdhas to cause the trap to spring shut. Besides giving oral warnings, Ezekiel performed physical actions which served as symbolic plays for the exiles to learn from. Why Did God Condemn Jehu? | Answers in Genesis Justice: If said with just the right inflection, the word justice feels punitive. A number of other prophecies concerning the Second Exodus relate how God will bless the land, which will once again produce abundantly. Ezekiel wrote from Babylon, but his prophecies concerned Israel, Egypt, and several of the neighboring countries. The phrase "they shall know that I am the LORD" occurs about 60 times in the book. Malachi 2:14. They are designed to ensure that the king does not elevate himself above the people and rule as a despot. His laws, which define His standards of morality, have not changed one iota. 4. Israel's Downfall (Joshua 23 - Judges 3) | Bible.org Judges 1 tells of many battles that were fought by the tribes of Israel after Joshua's death. But the Israelites did not kill the enemy, or even drive them out of the land. How did God punish the Israelites for the golden calf? - Quora People in high places are claiming we all worship the same God; they say the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are the same! Themes in Ezekiel. In fact, highlighting Israels penchant for a straying focus, a central hope in Jeremiahs view of restoration is that Israel will be given a new heart. All of that is correct. His Spirit departed from Saul and a demon possessed Saul. characteristic. Covenants with God are inherently covenants with each other. Someone is righteous when they follow the prophet and keep the commandments; these actions indicate their inward commitment. Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel. 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. 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. 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). John W. Ritenbaugh God had Moses send out 12 scouts to check out the land. God's punishment Finally, after so many years of warnings, God brought upon the people of Judah the judgment about which Moses spoke. that Israel was commanded to love and worship the L, to keep the Sinai teaching in their respective hearts, and that did not always happen. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? And that kind of disobedience and idolatry has consequences. He took such good care of it, protected it, we did it everything, fertilized it. St. Vincent de Paul was born in France in 1581. Is that so? Are we to produce water for you out of this rock?. We cannot have it both ways. 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. This scathing condemnation concludes with the L, saying, I will hide mine eyes from you I will not hear you.. John W. Ritenbaugh 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. 3 As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. And yet, multiple prophets challenged Israels adherence to the very laws and ordinances that were part of this prophetically-given covenant guide. This can only mean that God inspires and empowers the Assyrian nation to punish the nations of Israel for their flagrant disobediences. 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. He took half the kingdom away from his son. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. The British produced a great empire far out of proportion to their population, native wealth, and abilities. Conversely, God strongly warns that, if one does not do well, He will surely punish him. There are 3 different punishments stated for the sin of the Golden Calf, two of which are ambiguous in nature. . . 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. 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. 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. 31 Moses returned to the Lord and said, "The people have committed a terrible sin. Thousands of citizens of Israel, including Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, had been captured and taken to Babylonabout 597 BC. God punishes the Israelites for their sinfulness - Catholic Courier 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. This is made more explicit in Judges 2:11-13: "Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh, and worshipped the Baals, and they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who . And thus the next day, when the Israelites bring sacrifices before the calf, there can hardly be any misunderstanding: they are sacrificing to YHWH. Shepherds who will protect and restore Israel. Once God reveals Himself through His calling, the issue of government comes to the fore. The Northern 10 Tribes of Israel have disappeared, never to return. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Instead, he is to be thoroughly familiar with and guided by the attitudes and laws of God. Prophet after prophet challenged Israel even as Israel apparently kept the laws and ordinances it was given. 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. "Therefore, behold, I wilt open the side of Mesh from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers." Ezekiel 14:6Therefore say to the people of Israel, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! John W. Ritenbaugh I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. Similarly, the first six chapters of the Book of Ezrawhich chronicle Israels return from exile to the promised landare focused on the re-establishing of the sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices that served as markers of Israels faithfulness to God. Despite these atrocious sins, God will not utterly destroy Israel as He did to Sodom and Gomorrah. 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. Since the One who judged during Old Testament times is the same One who judges today, we can be certain that He uses the same standards now that He did then. God remarks in II Kings 17:18, after providing a long list of Israel's sins, "Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.". Angels do not punish in the Bible except under God's command because it is God who can punish. 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. He will show them mercy because of the promises He made, not because they deserve it. Also, every seventh year the land was to lie fallow (Lev. 30 Dec . Who Were the Major Prophets in the Bible? Tzedeq is often the companion virtue to mishpat. That is to say, righteousness is an inward. But when the punishment is done, He will bring His people back to the land that He promised them and give them rest and peace. Only in Amos (and only in one verse) is there any indication that Israel was not focused on worshiping God. how did god punish the israelites for idolatry . His aim is to awaken them from their spiritual lethargy. Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial Period. . 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. Historically, the punishment for idolatry was often death. God does not sin, men do. This is the first and great commandment. But this time the peace and prosperity will last, because two factors will be different. But though God punishes, there is always the hope of repentance and restitution: "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. We see similar language in the book of Amos. We could not trust God if He did not hold to His promises of blessing and cursing (Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). However, the people of Israel failed to observe the terms of God's conditional promises to them. 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. Around 1615, he dedicated his life to serving the poor. Isaiah 10:5-7 Easy-to-Read Version God Will Punish Assyria's Pride 5 The Lord says, "I will use Assyria like a stick. Amos was a prophet whose home was in Judah, the southern kingdom, yet whose message was to Israel, the northern kingdom. ___ Moses sister, Miriam, was blind for seven days. . The prophet Micah takes a different approach but delivers the same basic message as his prophetic contemporaries. 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. We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you, they said. What happened to the Ark of the Covenant. The Chronicler writes: 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. And Isaiah was not alone in portraying Gods displeasure with Israels worship. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Picking up where the question above leaves off, Isaiah continues voicing Gods view of these practices: I [the LORD] am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.