Although Moses was given consequences for his sinful actions, he still loved and obeyed God. 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. . 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. Look at the cause or spring of Israel's sin. 3. (From Forerunner Commentary). DISINFECT COVID-19; OUR SYSTEM; GET FREE QUOTE; 888-584-6999; 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. We live lives of justice, righteousness, and mercy. 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. Thousands of citizens of Israel, including Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, had been captured and taken to Babylonabout 597 BC. Israel exhibited again and again its refusal to obey God. 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). 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. Since the people sinned by not trusting God, he made them wander the desert for 40 years before entering the land. And yet, multiple prophets challenged Israels adherence to the very laws and ordinances that were part of this prophetically-given covenant guide. In the verses above, is the Hebrew word that is translated into the English word righteousness (and its derivatives). Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. 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. He melted the gold and made a statue of a calf. Amos, a Jew from the southern kingdom, was sent by God to preach against the sins of the northern ten tribes. Moses then struck the rock twice with his staff, and a huge amount of water began to flow. Saul was chosen by God to be Israel's first king. Herein lies the main theme of the book of Ezekiel. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (Amos 5:24). The core problem of Israelaccording to Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micahwas the lack of justice, righteousness, and mercy. Despite these atrocious sins, God will not utterly destroy Israel as He did to Sodom and Gomorrah. Herein lies the main theme of the book of Ezekiel. July 2, 2022 . 44:29 ), and God did so in judging his son on behalf of his people. 2. As used by Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah. But the Israelites did not kill the enemy, or even drive them out of the land. shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?. Instead, he is to be thoroughly familiar with and guided by the attitudes and laws of God. Oddly enough, about 3,000 were buried around on the Western side of Mount Sinai (Jebel al Lawz) in Arabia. Second, he makes a veiled warning, contained within the next five verses: Amos' words carry authority. So, in Jeremiah 2:14-19 God details the devastating price that Israel will pay . 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., summarily dismiss Israels worship practice; the L, 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. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/introduction-to-the-book-of-ezekiel-701131. Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt. The issue between God and man is simply a matter of governmentof sovereignty and providence. "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. 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! . I have heard some suggest that there is something wrong (or lacking) in the teachings that God gave at Sinai. 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. . God was going to punish the evil doers - the wicked - for their evil deeds. Rather, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah suggest that Israel needed to do a better job practicing what Jesus would call (eight centuries later!) 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. Israels sacred texts clearly outlined how and in what way Israel was to worship the God of the Exodus and Sinai. However, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah were talking about something different when they used this word. 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. 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. The book of Ezekiel is categorized with the writings of the major prophets. John W. Ritenbaugh Its what happens to people when they do something wrong; justice is served could be a superheros catchphrase when she nabs the bad guy. 2 Kings, OLD TESTAMENT. Hebrews 3:8-11 summarizes the matter: "In the day of trial in the wilderness, [the children of Israel] . Ezekiel 36 shows this clearly. As Numbers 14:20-23 says: Then the Lord said: "I have pardoned, according to your word, but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord because all these men who . Once God reveals Himself through His calling, the issue of government comes to the fore. It was this underlying fear of a direct relationship with God that was responsible for the terrible course of events that culminated in the Golden Calf. This phrase indicates a very close bond, as in a marriage, from which ensues the sharing of life's experiences. Afterward, however, the sense of being innocent victims of a sneaky and undeserved attack made the hearers feel that the messages were demeaning and insulting. In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at large). Faith Community Church3755 Washington Boulevard, Suite 201Fremont, CA 94538(408) 721-4900info@fccbay.org. Such power and influence have made both nations feel they have an unlimited reservoir of natural ability and wealth. 2:8-9) and judgment upon those who don't ( John 3:18 ). Ezekiel packed his belongings as if heading on a journey. Amos frames it this way: I [the LORD] hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. They were to protect and bless the rich and the poor, the bonded and the free, the Israelite and the stranger. . Further, God has been systematically removed from schools, from government, and from public life. This appears as early as Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve reject God's rule over them. When these are considered, we see that he is truly a prophet for our time, when public morality has fallen so low. The first thing Amos needed to do, then, was establish his authority to preach against them. God Knew Israel's True Thoughts He knew that idolatry reached farther than just having an object on the mantle. 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. 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. They have been flippantly careless and have no one to blame but themselves. However, the people of Israel failed to observe the terms of God's conditional promises to them. Exodus 20:2-6 ESV / 899 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 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. 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. . 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. Books cost $37, plus $6 shipping - total $43. He died in 1660, and we honor him on Sept. 27. But this time the peace and prosperity will last, because two factors will be different. The Second Exodus (Part Two). Prophet after prophet challenged Israel even as Israel apparently kept the laws and ordinances it was given. Themes in Ezekiel. The patriarchs were, as God attests again and again, faithful. God had Moses send out 12 scouts to check out the land. 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, required more than adherence to specific sacrifices, rituals, feasts, and other religious practices. 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. 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). In addition to the undisputed fact of God's sovereignty over Israel, ample additional evidence exists to show that He exercises equal dominion over the other nations of the world. The prophet Micah takes a different approach but delivers the same basic message as his prophetic contemporaries. It was also what they failed to do for each other. Rather, He punishes in the best way and at the best time to bring individuals to repentance. 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. 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. Therefore I was angry with that generation. They were behaving and worshipping like Baal worshippers but doing it in the name of the Lord. 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. Clearly, God judges the inhabitants of His creation, and His judgments are not limited to Israel or to "biblical times." Oh, dread the mixed multitude. 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. Conversely, God strongly warns that, if one does not do well, He will surely punish him. ", Because of their sins, as II Kings 17:18-20 indicates, God. Angels do not punish in the Bible except under God's command because it is God who can punish. It wasnt just apathy or failure to perform religious ceremonies for which ancient Israel faced Gods judgments. But God was not pleased with what Moses had done. Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. "Introduction to the Book of Ezekiel." Israel's sad history is the consequence of peoples' faithlessness, not of their God's weakness. Devil does not punish sinners because he wants everyone to sin. Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'". Second: Lions do not roar unless they have taken their prey because they do not want to scare their intended prey away. Contents1 What did the Israelites do to the Canaanites?2 Why did God declare war on the Canaanites?3 What [] 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).