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Every indication is that we live during that time now. Around 1615, he dedicated his life to serving the poor. GOD SEEKS REPENTANCE OR PUNISH ISRAELITES - Amos. Finally, God's people cried out to him for help. In about AD 31, Christ says He was "not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). Copyright 2022 Faith Community Church. 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. but He also punishes the evil. Amos followed Elijah about 90-100 years later. Moses obeyed God, and, just as God had promised, those who were bitten and gazed upon the bronze serpent recovered. Who sins and brings upon themselves the necessity of punishment? 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. Saul started off well and the people loved him. 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. 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. ", Because of their sins, as II Kings 17:18-20 indicates, God. They were behaving and worshipping like Baal worshippers but doing it in the name of the Lord. 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. God eventually would become angry and punish the people for their sinfulness. 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. Then, God allowed their enemies to gain power over them. Idolatry is among the most serious sins in Judaism and its rejection is core to the Jewish worldview. 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). We are disgusted with this wretched food! they cried. 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. 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. Corrupt or ambivalent leadership will no longer lead Israel astray; instead, the leaders will set the example of righteousness for the people to follow. will redeem the property that had been sold or free Israelites from their debt bondage. 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. We could not trust God if He did not hold to His promises of blessing and cursing (Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). It is placed between the book of Lamentations and the book of Daniel in the Old Testament Canon of Scripture. The book of Ezekiel is about idolatry. (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. Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt. He will also destroy the works of our hand (Isaiah 1:15; 59:2-3; Psalms 28:5). (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.) Picking up where the question above leaves off, ] 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. So, what is it that Israel needed to do differently? The people were sent into exile in Babylon because of their sins. His holiness and righteousness required this punishment. During that period, Israel's sins continued to mount horribly. 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. (2021, December 6). "Earth" here represents all aspects of His creationincluding manwhich He created for man. God made the Sabbath principle central to his creation. best compost bins 2021; best defensive shooting guards 2022; second law of thermodynamics problems and solutions pdf . Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. But if we keep our part of the agreement, we will reap the benefits that flow with God keeping His. Moses then struck the rock twice with his staff, and a huge amount of water began to flow. They are designed to ensure that the king does not elevate himself above the people and rule as a despot. However, the tribe of Judah was hardly better than Israel, as II Kings 17:19 states: "Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made." God will punish Israel for her failure to live up to her responsibilities within the covenant. God believed the people had properly listened to the instructions God gave them. Given the centrality of these ideas in the Hebrew Bible, it is worth briefly exploring what these terms mean. 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. Those things were important but not sufficient in and of themselves. First, "gods" are the object of man's worship and service. You shall have no other gods before me." Deut. 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. Post-Christian Europe has transgressed even further. (From Forerunner Commentary). Books may be ordered directly from the author. This means, "Take heed! . 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. Amos frames it this way: I [the LORD] hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Indeed, God forecasts that exactly those conditions will face those living just before Christ's return (Matthew 24:37). 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. 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). (The Book of Amos) (Part One). Israel's sad history is the consequence of peoples' faithlessness, not of their God's weakness. It is God's authority and. Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial Period. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Because of their idolatry (11:8, 10b-11, 13-14, 17; 13:10b, 27) and their evil conduct (11:10a, 11, 15b-16, 19-23; 13:9), God had to punish Israel. That is to say: Israel. Its what happens to people when they do something wrong; justice is served could be a superheros catchphrase when she nabs the bad guy. 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 sort of pagan revelry did the Israelites indulge in (Exodus 32:6)? The people were always sinning against God by complaining, failing to follow his directions and laws, and by not trusting in him. the weightier matters of the Sinaic teachings. However, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were talking about something different when they used this word. John W. Ritenbaugh Someone is righteous when they follow the prophet and keep the commandments; these actions indicate their inward commitment. However, for the sake of what is best for Jacob, God has to show him that He is serious about what He says. After articulating all the things that the L, had done for Israel from Egypt onward, Micah asks Israel a series of stinging rhetorical questions that serve to undermine Israels approach to worship. What the LORD desired and required of Israelthe things that the LORD also wanted Israel to dowas to protect and bless the people in their community. As early as the days of the founder of the Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, God understood the direction Israel was taking. The people were always sinning against God by complaining, failing to follow his directions and laws, and by not trusting in him. In Numbers 20, we read that the people were complaining about not having water to drink. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? He is there by no accident. Even after they entered the 'promised' land, as individuals and as a nation the Jews turned back to idolatry. Has anything else become a god to me?". He found out about the Church when he was 17 from a Church member in high school. July 2, 2022 . He melted the gold and made a statue of a calf. After some time, the Israelites thought that Moses had left them. Their rise or fall is largely dependent upon His purpose for them and their significance in prophecy (e.g. 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. Introduction to the Book of Job and Its Themes, Major and Minor Prophetic Books of the Bible, 13 Articles of Faith: Simple Overview of What Mormons Believe, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University, Ezekiel's name means "God strengthens" or "may God strengthen. Every organization must have a leader, so God lays down instructions as to how the leader should conduct himself in office. Angels do not punish in the Bible except under God's command because it is God who can punish. Bible scholars say God's warnings in Ezekiel finally cured Israel of the sin of idolatry. 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. 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). I the Lord have spoken. When his wife died, he was told not to mourn her. 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. His Spirit departed from Saul and a demon possessed Saul. That is to say: Israel understood itself as keeping the commandments. Its what happens to people when they do something wrong; justice is served could be a superheros catchphrase when she nabs the bad guy. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32? 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 shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?. ___ Caleb was chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land. On several occasions God punished the Jews in the wilderness for their disobedience. All rights reserved. 44:29 ), and God did so in judging his son on behalf of his people. He had to eat disgusting bread, drink rationed water, and use cow dung for fuel. The Israelites were sinking into the worship of other gods. This over-the-top zealousness is not only insufficient but is, itself, a source of Gods disapproval. What follows is a general pattern of God's operation in His people's behalf. We see similar language in the book of Amos. The strength of this claim over men is seen by the price which men are willing to pay in order to worship their gods. These people were taught about the true living God over a long period of time. did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. 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. As a punishment for their sinfulness, God sent poisonous seraph serpents to bite the people, and many of them died. Additionally, the apostles will be resurrected and sit as judges over the twelve tribes, ensuring that proper judgment is given (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). . Tour Start here for a quick overview of the site Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site About Us Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Herein lies the main theme of the book of Ezekiel. 2. 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. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness (, But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (, 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? (, My sense, especially in light of Ezekiel and Ezras view of the importance of Israels ritual practices referenced above, is that God is not rejecting Israels method of worship, nor is God (for the most part) impugning the motivation behind Israel keeping of the required sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices. 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. Yosef Eisen, a noted historian and lecturer, tells the miraculous story and history of an eternal nation. 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).