The captivating story of the Exodus is one of the pivotal narratives of the Torah and is fundamental from both national/historical and religious/theological perspectives. It was also what they failed to do for each other. Punishment is imminent, at the very door. After all, the messages were not for them but for others because they considered themselves to be okay. And what was that? 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. Aaron said: 'Give me your gold.'. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 establish that, if one does well, God will bless him. Why did God punish the Israelites for 40 years? 9:1-2). They once again complained to Moses. "The great house" refers to the noble or wealthy family in society, and these "big names" will certainly be destroyed along with the common folk. Who Were the Major Prophets in the Bible? In about AD 31, Christ says He was "not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). As the Bible has recorded in great detail, mankind has shown that it wants to retain this authority to itself. They have made a gold idol to be their god. 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. 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. 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. The Israelites' lack of faith while Moses was on Mt. (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.) This is the first and great commandment. God made the Sabbath principle central to his creation. Charles Whitaker Historically, the punishment for idolatry was often death. We can infer that Amos did not choose to be there before them. Terms and Conditions, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Download PDF. Stay up to date on the intersection of faith in the public square. II. Clearly, God judges the inhabitants of His creation, and His judgments are not limited to Israel or to "biblical times." Home Posts Tagged "punishment of idol worship" 31 Jul . His laws, which define His standards of morality, have not changed one iota. 2 Kings, OLD TESTAMENT. Idolatry is the subject of the first three of the Ten Commandments and its practice is one of three cardinal sins which one is supposed to die rather transgress (along with murder and illicit sex). strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. Ezek 4:1-3 "You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. 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. 1. Moses obeyed God, and, just as God had promised, those who were bitten and gazed upon the bronze serpent recovered. . Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! 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. Israels sacred texts clearly outlined how and in what way Israel was to worship the God of the Exodus and Sinai. 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. God is managing it, governing it. 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. First: People traveling in the same direction toward exactly the same destination would hardly meet except by appointment. 44:29 ), and God did so in judging his son on behalf of his people. 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. Therefore I was angry with that generation. All rights reserved. (Exodus20:2-3, NIV), Today, idolatry consists of putting more importance on anything other than God, from our career to money, fame, power, material possessions, celebrities, or other distractions. . 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. Prophecy is both practical and positive, not all gloom and doom. Covenants with God are inherently covenants with each other.The Hebrew word translated into the English mercy in the verses above is heseda word that President Russell Nelson highlighted in his recent Liahona address (which itself felt like an extension of his recent conference talk). This means, "Take heed! Saith the L, posed in the opening chapter of the book of Isaiah. This scathing condemnation concludes with the LORD saying, I will hide mine eyes from you I will not hear you.. We each need to ask, "Have I let anything other than God take first place in my life? 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. In my anger I will use Assyria to punish Israel. ___ Aaron and his sons were consecrated as Gods priests. Near the end of this time, the Israelites were getting worn out from the journey. 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. If their moral and ethical foundation has eroded, the natural process of strong nations displacing weaker ones will take place (Leviticus 18:28; 20:22). And so in Isaiah, God talks about how he built a beautiful garden vineyard. 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. Then, God allowed their enemies to gain power over them. God Knew Israel's True Thoughts He knew that idolatry reached farther than just having an object on the mantle. (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.) (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. 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. The Old Testament is a chronicle of Israel's repeated failure to obey God, of its refusal to keep His commandments and statutes. Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel. The fact remains that, long before the attacks occurred, critics of American moralityAmericans themselveshave been calling upon their fellow citizens to change their immoral ways. So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'". The British produced a great empire far out of proportion to their population, native wealth, and abilities. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. This is what we confront in decision-making. Rather, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah suggest that Israel needed to do a better job practicing what Jesus would call (eight centuries later!) . John W. Ritenbaugh 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. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. 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). 5 March 2019. 13-71shemot.doc. That specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices were central parts of its covenant with YHWH was beyond doubt. The term also occurs in, Some references in Ezekiel have striking similarities to the prophetic. Although Moses was given consequences for his sinful actions, he still loved and obeyed God. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols., says simply: They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the L, Like Isaiah, Amos and Hosea portray the L, as more than just critiquing the act of worshipwith the Lord very clearly despising Israels feasts, refusing to accept (or even regard!) He shaved his beard and head and used the hair as traditional symbols of humiliation. What is the meaning of john 8: 12? For instance, during some sort of civil dispute, a person who exercises, will take the side of widows or orphans and defend them against those who are more powerful. Ezekiel's writings indicate that he was familiar with the duties and regulations of the priests regarding sacrifices and rituals. Many of us do not get it! Post-Christian Europe has transgressed even further. God would now destroy Israel as a political power, saying, in effect, "enough is enough." 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. Saul was chosen by God to be Israel's first king. 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!) I am angry with them, and I will command Assyria to fight against them. Mishpat, in the Hebrew Bibleand as used by Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah in the verses abovereflects the idea of ensuring that the weakest members of society are protected from exploitation. the weightier matters of the Sinaic teachings. The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993, God punishes the Israelites for their sinfulness. Israel's Punishment, Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel, Prepare to Meet Your God! 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. Aaron also knows which god the Israelites intended the calf to represent: "Tomorrow shall be a festival of YHWH!," ( - ) he proclaims (32:5). 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). Idolatry is among the most serious sins in Judaism and its rejection is core to the Jewish worldview. 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. This over-the-top zealousness is not only insufficient but is, itself, a source of Gods disapproval. They said to Aaron: 'We want someone to lead us. July 31, 2022 ; By James Taiwo; . In our modern world, this message is needed now more than ever. There are 3 different punishments stated for the sin of the Golden Calf, two of which are ambiguous in nature. In their own minds, they had reduced God to something they could control and call upon when convenient. Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt. God appointed him to this task and "caused" him to speak. (This is the same reason why Nephi killed Laban.) Themes in Ezekiel. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was theson of Buzi and member of a priestly family. Ezekiel was ordered by God to lie on his left side 390 days and on his right side 40 days. His utterances are not his own words; they began with God, who sent them because the close relationship is seriously threatened. The Chronicler writes: how did god punish the israelites for idolatry. They were still "lost" in His day, not having returned to Canaan. You shall have no other gods before me." Books cost $37, plus $6 shipping - total $43. So, what is it that Israel needed to do differently? He is stalking you, and you are in mortal danger. Yet, in my view, this does not seem to be the primary source of the problem either. So Moses and his brother, Aaron, asked God what to do. 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. . Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the prophets argued that the exile happened because the people failed to follow God's instructions. 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. . Learn Religions. They even feel a kind of invincibility. July 2, 2022 . God eventually would become angry and punish the people for their sinfulness. 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. God's punishment, though, is never an end in itself, nor does He punish in wild anger or frustration. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8). 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. That day, the seventeenth day of Tammuz, three thousand men of the children of Israel lost their lives, in punishment for their idolatry. Put briefly: Israel needed to exercise justice, righteousness, and mercy. This appears as early as Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve reject God's rule over them. And the reason that they were exiled was due to their sin. was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, . 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. He must comprehensively know that his own nature is just like those he serves and be humbled. Spiritually, this demand confirms Israel's whorish behavior, and thus God tells Samuel to describe the national effects of her demand. As used by Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. Assyria will defeat them and take their wealth. Although God did not allow Moses to cross into the land, in Deuteronomy 34 we read that he had Moses climb Mount Nebo so he could see the land before he died. ThaiCCTVShop - / 8.00-17.00 / Office: 02-064-7135, 02-970-1181-2 / Mobile : 099-392-5654 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. 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. its offerings and sacrifices, and calling its songs and music of praise noise that I will not hear.. God told them to "get rid of them idola. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. 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. He had to eat disgusting bread, drink rationed water, and use cow dung for fuel. 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. John W. Ritenbaugh 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. M. David Huston lives and works in the Washington DC metro area. The prophet Micah takes a different approach but delivers the same basic message as his prophetic contemporaries. 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.