Topical Bible: Idolatry: Captivity of Judah on Account of

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or false gods, is a recurring theme in the history of Israel and Judah, often leading to severe consequences, including the captivity of Judah. The Bible consistently portrays idolatry as a grievous sin against the LORD, who demands exclusive worship and allegiance from His people. The captivity of Judah serves as a poignant example of the divine judgment that follows persistent idolatry.

The Kingdom of Judah, like its northern counterpart Israel, fell into the sin of idolatry despite repeated warnings from prophets. The people of Judah adopted the worship of foreign gods, influenced by surrounding nations and their own kings who led them astray. This idolatry included the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other deities, often accompanied by practices such as child sacrifice and temple prostitution, which were abominations in the sight of the LORD.

The prophet Jeremiah was one of the foremost voices warning Judah of the impending consequences of their idolatry. In Jeremiah 2:13, the LORD declares, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water." This metaphor highlights the futility and self-destructive nature of idolatry, as the people abandoned the true source of life for worthless substitutes.

Despite the reforms of King Josiah, who sought to eradicate idolatry and restore the worship of the LORD (2 Kings 23), the hearts of the people remained inclined toward false gods. The prophet Ezekiel, during the Babylonian exile, recounts the idolatry that persisted even in the temple of the LORD, as seen in Ezekiel 8:10-11: "So I went in and looked, and I saw all kinds of crawling creatures and detestable beasts, along with all the idols of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising."

The culmination of Judah's idolatry and disobedience was the Babylonian captivity, a period of exile and suffering that served as divine retribution for their sins. The LORD, through the prophet Jeremiah, had warned of this judgment, stating in Jeremiah 25:8-9, "Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Because you have not obeyed My words, I will summon all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land and against its residents and against all the surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and scorn, an everlasting desolation.'"

The captivity lasted for seventy years, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10), and served as a period of purification and reflection for the people of Judah. During this time, the LORD's faithfulness and the hope of restoration were also emphasized, as seen in the promise of a new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34, where the LORD declares that He will write His law on their hearts and forgive their iniquity.

The captivity of Judah on account of idolatry stands as a solemn reminder of the consequences of turning away from the LORD. It underscores the importance of faithfulness and the exclusive worship of the one true God, as well as the hope of redemption and restoration for those who repent and return to Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 17:19-23
Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Reason of the Order of the Sons of Rachel.
... compensation and consolation of the captivity, which Galilee ... first place was allotted
to Judah, on account ... the leader of the Israelitish idolatry introduced by ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/the reason of the order 2.htm

First and Second Chronicles.
... (7) The nature of the worship of Judah. (8) The captivity. (9) The value of true
religion to a nation. (10) The evil results of idolatry. * * * *. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter x first and second.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... the urgent demands of the prince's of Judah, and allowed free scope to idolatry. ...
of the North is mentioned as the land of the captivity of Judah and Israel ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

The Unseen Watcher
... upon the scene of profanation, heard the sacrilegious mirth, beheld the idolatry. ...
that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 43 the unseen watcher.htm

The Woman of Samaria
... Idolatry brought sin, and sin brought bad passions, hatred ... shall bite him.' From
that day, Judah became weaker ... and swept the Jews away into captivity, as the ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

Hezekiah, the Praying King
... Judah was sorely pressed by the Assyrians, and, humanly speaking, defeat and captivity
seemed imminent ... had ministered in prayer in destroying idolatry and in ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/vi hezekiah the praying king.htm

Sabbath Observance
... day of rest"'to the children of Judah'"God's people ... had a share in sending Israel
into captivity; and if ... tendencies he would have isolated idolatry as the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/sabbath observance.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... prophet's permission for being partaker in idolatry itself, out ... the days of Uzziah
king of Judah;" so that ... of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, and this ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Religious and Social State.
... worship beside that of the Lord; no idolatry is even ... of Israel as being less chaste
than those of Judah. ... in wealth and comfort during the Captivity; but the ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/religious and social state 2.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... remained the prevailing one; but, inwardly, idolatry obtained almost ... i.11], where
it is supposed that Judah shall also be carried away into captivity; v.5 ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm