How did the Children of Israel forsake God?

As it is with every parent-child #relationship, whenever we are obedient we will enjoy the blessings of #God; but when we are disobedient like it is when we do something wrong our parents will discipline us, in similar manner God will discipline us with the rod of correction. The Bible say, ‘‘Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the father of spirits and so [truly] live? For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own Holiness.”- Hebrews 12:9-10(AMPV)

Sins committed by the Children of Israel

Throughout the Bible we read of the idolatrous and sinful nature of God’s people, the Israelites. The sins and consequences of such sins committed by the Israelites are lessons for us today that we will not fall into sin (1 Corinthian 10:6). These are some of the ways in which the Children of Israel disobeyed or rejected God:

1. When Moses went to get the covenant from God, the Israelites made idol and worship it as their god. Not only that but they lusted after their neighbors wives and daughters (Exodus 32:1-6; 1 Corinthians 10:7). This was a great disrespect to God as God took them out of bondage (Exodus 20:1-2) provided for them (Exodus 15:24-27; 16:3-19), bring the most powerful country at the time, Egypt (Exodus 14:24-31) and had commanded them not to have or serve neither to bow down to any other God except to him (Exodus 20:3-5).
2. When they were settle in their own land they soon started worshipping the gods of the people around them, not too long before they swear that they will only worship the Lord there God (Joshua 24:16-17; Judges 3:6-31). This continued throughout the time of the Judges, Kings and Prophets. Due to their idolatry God caused nations to rise up and destroy them resulting in thousands of Israelites made captive to other nations.

The nation that was once seen as the most fierce and riches country in the world became desolate, weak, and slaves to other kings in their own country, the tail and not the head, and destitute. Their economy and political life was very dim. Surely countries around the world can take a page from the book of the Children of Israel. We might not be literally bowing down to an idol but what is it that you have in your live that you put before God? Is it your job, family, money, personal belongings etc.? Anything you put before God is your god. Furthermore, the bible said that covetous or to covet someone is idolatry in God’s sight (Colossians 3:5). Many of us made a promise or commitment to serve the true and #living God then soon after turned our back on him to serve the gods of money, sex, partying, and even ourselves. God remembers every commitment and prayers we made unto him and expects us to keep our side of the covenant as he will ALWAYS KEEP HIS PART.

3. The Priests had total disregard for the sacrifice of the Lord (Israel 1; Malachi 1 &2). God gave them specific instructions in carrying out the different sacrifices unto the Lord, e.g. the animal should be spotless and without any blemish. They however, offered unto God animals that were blind, lame and sick. They had offered polluted sacrifices to the Lord to the point that the Lord was weary of their sacrifices and feast, the Lord saw them as evil and an abomination (Isaiah 1: 13-14).

Like the Israelites, many of us offer unto the Lord sacrifices (whether it may be our worship or the way we live our life) that are unclean or dirty. Our sacrifices are polluted by the many evil we commit daily against humanity, God and against people around us and around the world. When we appear before God he will hide his eyes from us and will not listen to our prayers. He will also destroy the works of our hand (Isaiah 1:15; 59:2-3; Psalms 28:5). 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….”- Malachi 2:14.

We cannot allow laziness or anything to cause us not to offer unto God pure worship and living our life according his standards as God deserves our best. As our father and master he deserve our honor and fear (Malachi 1:6,8).

4. They oppress people that were not of their own nation, colour or race, the fatherless and the widows (Jeremiah 7:6; Isaiah 1:17). The Israelites went against God’s command by being very and thus were oppressive. Judges and leaders were corrupt and could easily be bought by persons who have money. Moreover, they showed favoritism to the rich and mighty. This reminds me of the injustice happening in the world today where the poor and valuable suffer from oppression and fear the justice system. It is time for us not to repeat the same errors of people from the pass.

5. Their hands were filled the blood of their neighbors (Isaiah 59:3), in other words they committed murder. Like the Israelites, we are living in a time when the innocent are slain, police are both judge, jury and executioner, a time where schools can be compared to a battle field, and every day people lose their life through crime.
6. They rejected the statues, covenants and commandments of God (2 King 17:15). God had called the Children of Israel to be a special nation unto them; however, they were unfaithful to God. From the beginning mankind has rejected the ordinances, statues and or commandments of God. It is time for us to get back to God and start reading and applying the Word of God to our life, the bible IS NOT OUTDATED as some want us to think, if you don’t believe start reading it for yourself and see how much better the world would have been if we start living according the bible.

Which loving parent would not try to correct their child when he or she is going down the wrong path? Sometimes a parent will have to use different methods of correction to bring that child to the place where he or she should be, for example removes certain privilege enjoyed by the child. Our love for our children sometimes demands that we punish them for their wrong and do not let it slide. ”….a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump… Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump….”-1 Corinthians 5:6-7. Like every good and loving parents God will lead us in the right way that we should go as he wants the very best for us (he is a God that knows the end from the beginning), however when we are disobedient he will punish us.

Therefore, let us not walk and talk (behave) in the same manner as the children of Israel did as God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). The things that happen to the Children of Israel (please see my blog post How Did The Children of Israel Forsake God”  are written in the Bible for our learning that we will not make the same mistakes that they did (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10: 6-13).

[tweetthis]God is a consuming fire. Let us therefore not tempt him with our sins[/tweetthis]

Please don’t forget to leave your comment with our community below. Please share this and other post with others. If you like my blog please subscribe and visit regularly.