What other biblical instances show God's judgment due to forsaking His commands? Setting the scene: Jeremiah 19:3 “Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring such a disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring.’ ” Jeremiah’s warning is not an isolated event. Throughout Scripture God consistently judges those who abandon His commands. Seeing the wider pattern deepens our grasp of His holiness and faithfulness. Early beginnings: judgment in Genesis • Adam and Eve – Genesis 3:17-19, 23-24: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree… the ground is cursed… So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden.” • The global flood – Genesis 6:5-8; 7:21-23: “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great… So He said, ‘I will wipe mankind…’ ” • Tower of Babel – Genesis 11:4-8: “Come, let Us go down and confuse their language… and the LORD scattered them.” Covenant people in the wilderness • Golden calf – Exodus 32:8-10, 28: “They have quickly turned from the way I commanded… about three thousand men fell that day.” • Nadab and Abihu – Leviticus 10:1-3: “Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them.” • Korah’s rebellion – Numbers 16:31-35: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them… fire came out… and consumed the 250 men.” • Refusal to enter Canaan – Numbers 14:22-23, 29: “Not one of the men who have seen My glory… will ever see the land… your bodies will fall in this wilderness.” • Baal of Peor – Numbers 25:1-9: “Those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.” Settling the land: early Israelite judgment • Achan’s hidden sin – Joshua 7:1, 20-25: “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” • Cycles in Judges – Judges 2:11-15: “They provoked the LORD to anger… He sold them into the hands of their enemies.” Priests and kings held accountable • Eli’s household – 1 Samuel 2:29-34; 4:17-18: “I will cut off your strength… the ark of God has been captured.” • King Saul – 1 Samuel 15:22-23, 28: “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” • David’s census – 2 Samuel 24:10-15: “The LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men fell.” • Jeroboam’s false worship – 1 Kings 14:15-16: “The LORD will uproot Israel… because they have made their Asherahs.” • Ahab and Jezebel – 1 Kings 21:21-24: “I will bring disaster on you; I will wipe out all your male descendants.” National collapse • Northern Israel’s exile – 2 Kings 17:7-18: “All this happened because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD… The LORD was very angry and removed them from His presence.” • Judah’s exile (echoing Jeremiah 19) – 2 Chronicles 36:15-17: “They mocked God’s messengers… until there was no remedy. So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans.” New Testament confirmations • Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:3-5, 9-10: “You have not lied to men, but to God… and great fear seized the whole church.” • Herod Agrippa I – Acts 12:21-23: “Immediately an angel of the LORD struck him… and he was eaten by worms and died.” • A standing warning – 1 Corinthians 10:5-11: “These things happened as examples… written for our admonition.” • Hebrews 10:26-31: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” • Revelation’s churches – Revelation 2:5; 3:16: “If you do not repent, I will come and remove your lampstand… because you are lukewarm, I am about to spit you out of My mouth.” Bringing it together • God’s judgments are historical realities, not mere symbols. • He responds consistently to rebellion, whether in Eden, Jerusalem, or the first-century church. • His righteous discipline underscores both His holiness and His covenant faithfulness; He cannot ignore sin, yet always extends a path to repentance before judgment falls. |
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