Jeremiah 12:14-17; 25:15-32). (Ex 30:30), 3. whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."pleas help me guys i will report this tommorow 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. 40:2; Ezek. We cannot have it both ways. God's punishment Finally, after so many years of warnings, God brought upon the people of Judah the judgment about which Moses spoke. God's punishment, though, is never an end in itself, nor does He punish in wild anger or frustration. All rights reserved. . David C. Grabbe Israelites provoked God with sin, and the Creator promised to m. Continue reading. He will also destroy the works of our hand (Isaiah 1:15; 59:2-3; Psalms 28:5). In I Kings 14:15, God warns that He will ultimately. Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. When his wife died, he was told not to mourn her. Other themes include the sovereignty of Godover the entire world, God's holiness, right worship, corrupt leaders, the restoration of Israel, and the coming of a Messiah. Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel. The reason Moses became so concerned about the Israelites is that they have heard the Word. You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. Prepare to Meet Your God! 30 The next day Moses told the people, "This is a terrible thing you have done. . It is as if he is saying, "Think about the practical ramifications of this." God will punish Israel for her failure to live up to her responsibilities within the covenant. Mr. Seiglie was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the United States when he was a child. 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! 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. Indeed, Malachi 3:6 proclaims, "I am the Lord, I do not change," while Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus "is the same yesterday, today, and forever.". What the Bible says about The Chronicler writes: Or, as another example, if a member of the community had to sell their familys land or becomes subject to debt bondage a person who exercises mishpat will redeem the property that had been sold or free Israelites from their debt bondage. . Covenants with God are inherently covenants with each other. 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. It is clear from Genesis 17:6 and Deuteronomy 17:14-20 that God anticipated Israel having a king or judge. Stay up to date on the intersection of faith in the public square. But I will go back to the Lord to see if I can do something to keep this sin from being held against you.". The Beast and Babylon (Part Seven): How Can Israel Be the Great Whore? However, just like the words, , this modern-day usage is not necessarily what Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were expressing in the 8, suggest put us in a better place to understand the remarkable prophetic guidance of Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. 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). Linking is encouraged, but republishing or redistributing, including by framing or similar means, without the publisher's prior written permission is prohibited. . After some time, the Israelites thought that Moses had left them. ", Because of their sins, as II Kings 17:18-20 indicates, God. That is to say: Israel understood itself as keeping the commandments. 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. Speaker 3 I will take away the hedge thereof. 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. 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 phrase "they shall know that I am the LORD" occurs about 60 times in the book. 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. God had Moses send out 12 scouts to check out the land. was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight. That is to say, righteousness is an inward characteristic. God responds fiercely, sending venomous snakes, which immediately kill many complaining Israelites. Prophecy is both practical and positive, not all gloom and doom. 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. We will be submissive either to God's will or to our own fickle drives. 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. In our modern world, this message is needed now more than ever. And, apparently, Israel was largely doing the things it had been asked to do. ___ Aaron and his sons were consecrated as Gods priests. God punished them to bring them to conversion, but in vain. Before, they just tuned them out. The people were always sinning against God by complaining, failing to follow his directions and laws, and by not trusting in him. Using the hints provided, put a T next to the sentences that are true and an F next to the ones that are false. 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. I the Lord have spoken. In those from the north, there would be a natural resistance to such an arrangement. 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. 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. They even feel a kind of invincibility. 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. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. John W. Ritenbaugh Learn Religions. Only in, (and only in one verse) is there any indication that Israel was not focused on worshiping God. Because of the peoples' recalcitrance, God withheld His blessings, ultimately separating Himself from them by casting them out of the land He had promised the patriarchs. What was God's punishment to the Israelites? In Latter-day Saint vernacular, the term that comes closest to expressing this ideal is probably. When God rejected Saul, it is swift and decisive. Once God reveals Himself through His calling, the issue of government comes to the fore. He establishes this through a series of illustrations posed as challenging questions that can logically be answered only one way. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols., And Hosea says simply: They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not., Like Isaiah, Amos and Hosea portray the LORD as more than just critiquing the act of worshipwith the Lord very clearly despising Israels feasts, refusing to accept (or even regard!) This occurred between 1100 and 1000 BC or roughly 350 years after the original making of the covenant. (The Book of Amos) (Part Two), Searching for Israel (Part Seven): Seven Years' Punishment. God would be unfaithful to His own promises if He annihilated Jacob's descendantseven though, by all accounts, it is exactly what they deserve. God is managing it, governing it. 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). And what was that? 17 They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. Despite this, they became very wealthy and self-indulgent, even oppressively so. First, the Israelites began to serve the false gods of the nations that they failed to remove from the land. Put briefly: Israel needed to exercise justice, righteousness, and mercy. This also applies on a smaller but more immediate scale: Amos has been sent by appointment, and he does not speak promiscuously. The people would repent and ask Moses to pray to God for forgiveness, which God always granted. The book of Ezekiel is categorized with the writings of the major prophets. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". 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."-. 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). The Beast and Babylon (Part Seven): How Can Israel Be the Great Whore? Is that so? Zavada, Jack. 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. And, apparently, Israel. Amos speaks strongly against public and private indifference toward the keeping of the second of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). Why wasnt Aaron punished for making the golden calf? . 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). An important overall warning from Amos for those of us who have made the New Covenant with God is that great privileges must not be abused, or they will bring great penalties. Has anything else become a god to me?". Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. . 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. (When the act of worship becomes more important than the purpose of worship, what I have previously called ecclesiolatry, we stray into potential idol worship, a practice many Hebrew Bible prophets condemn.) . This is what we confront in decision-making. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. and they had feared other gods, and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel. KING JEHU KILLED IDOL WORSHIPERS - 2 Kings. His contemporary was the prophetJeremiah. 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. 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. Themes in Ezekiel. This is the point where God had had enough. 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. As part of their recognition that God owned everything, the Israelites were to set apart the seventh day for the Lord. Saith the LORD. This question, posed in the opening chapter of the book of Isaiah, put Israel in an uncomfortable position. 44:29 ), and God did so in judging his son on behalf of his people. The Moabites had rejoiced in the overthrow and exile of the Jews, and they also should be overthrown and their land possessed by others. 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). We've seen in Jeremiah chapter 2 that in spite of some good times in the past between the Lord and Israel, Israel rejected and forsook the Lord and attempted to exchange the living and real God for idols. In Latter-day Saint vernacular, the term that comes closest to expressing this ideal is probably charity. His aim is to awaken them from their spiritual lethargy. 2:8-9) and judgment upon those who don't ( John 3:18 ). He has not forgotten His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but He will correct their descendants so that He can eventually save His people and give them the promises. The Israelites were sinking into the worship of other gods. 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 . God will remember His covenant because He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). If He allowed Israel and Judah to sin with impunity, His laws would have no authority, and His words would be of no consequence. 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) But were they true? The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Punishment For Idolatry Leviticus 26:1ESV / 11 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful "You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lordyour God. However, the people of Israel failed to observe the terms of God's conditional promises to them. 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. What sort of pagan revelry did the Israelites indulge in (Exodus 32:6)? He died in 1660, and we honor him on Sept. 27. Indeed, God forecasts that exactly those conditions will face those living just before Christ's return (Matthew 24:37). God said to speak to a rock and water would flow out of it. And what was that? Observe next the occasion of Israel's sin. A deeper appreciation of scripture can help us recognize that we have room to grow. Central to both the punishment and the restitution is loving and living the truth of God. . So they were delivered up to the consequences of trying to love both the world and the Lord at the same time. The first thing Amos needed to do, then, was establish his authority to preach against them. . (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. This scathing condemnation concludes with the L, saying, I will hide mine eyes from you I will not hear you.. This phrase indicates a very close bond, as in a marriage, from which ensues the sharing of life's experiences. 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? It is placed between the book of Lamentations and the book of Daniel in the Old Testament Canon of Scripture. When these are considered, we see that he is truly a prophet for our time, when public morality has fallen so low. 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 . That specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices were central parts of its covenant with YHWH was beyond doubt. 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. . Though the Latter-day Saint community does a great deal to reach out and help those around us, there are always ways to improvesomething encouraged by recent leaders. The Old Testament is a chronicle of Israel's repeated failure to obey God, of its refusal to keep His commandments and statutes. After Sinai there were many instances of disobedience. Not for your sake do I do this," says the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. The process will be painful but also effective; Israel will come to repentance (Romans 11:25-29). Charles Whitaker In my anger I will use Assyria to punish Israel. This led to much suffering, as in the holocaust. In Psalm 78:59-62, the psalmist Asaph relates that God, when He became aware of the idols of Israel. Ezekiel 36 shows this clearly. (This is the same reason why Nephi killed Laban.) Saith the L, posed in the opening chapter of the book of Isaiah. Today's Western culturea product of the nations of Israelis not so very different from Sodom and Gomorrah. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?. How did God punish the Israelites for complaining? Shepherds who will protect and restore Israel. Amos is declaring that God is involved in His creation; He has not gone way off. 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. Their rise or fall is largely dependent upon His purpose for them and their significance in prophecy (e.g. Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. (Dt 31:7-8). 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. The Israelites must not allow themselves to be self-deceived. God tacks it onto his upcoming deeds to explain the reason for the action. Oracles against foreign countries' rulers. Copyright 2022 Faith Community Church. What happened to the Ark of the Covenant. 2. The prophet begins in the first two verses with a "thus saith the LORD," providing the foundation for all that follows. 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. Israels sacred texts clearly outlined how and in what way Israel was to worship the God of the Exodus and Sinai. Aaron said: 'Give me your gold.'. He had to eat disgusting bread, drink rationed water, and use cow dung for fuel. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (Amos 5:24). St. Vincent de Paul was born in France in 1581. Books may be ordered directly from the author. Though not to blame because His sins did not cause these tragedies, He is responsible for them because He at least allowed them to occur. Saul was chosen by God to be Israel's first king. The book of Ezekiel is about idolatry. There are two basic reasons: God was fulfilling a promise to Abraham. (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.) Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr. Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial Period. . 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. 9:1-2). 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. Moses obeyed God, and, just as God had promised, those who were bitten and gazed upon the bronze serpent recovered. He melted the gold and made a statue of a calf. 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. 25:1-7). We could not trust God if He did not hold to His promises of blessing and cursing (Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). 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). 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. 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. But God was not pleased with what Moses had done. ESSAY: Why is it important to trust in God? 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. 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. 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. (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.) The punishment of Israel had not ended even in Christ's time, more than 700 years after Israel's fall. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Second, he makes a veiled warning, contained within the next five verses: Amos' words carry authority. 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. Ezekiel packed his belongings as if heading on a journey. Ezekiel wrote from Babylon, but his prophecies concerned Israel, Egypt, and several of the neighboring countries. Searching for Israel (Part Seven): Seven Years' Punishment. 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 8th century BCE prophets Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah meant when they used that word. 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. Hesed is a love so deep it can always be trustedit is the type of love that is foundational to covenant relationships. So he says, and now go to I'll tell you what I will do to my vineyard. The people may have, worshiping God through the required performances. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!" However, just like the words mishpat and tzedeq, this modern-day usage is not necessarily what Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were expressing in the 8th Century BCE.
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